Surrealist Photography

Here is a project where Salvador Dali meets the neon age. There are many photography projects to do once you are willing to go the extra mile and dedicate some time, lend some effort and apply your creative and this is one oft them.

If you have a spare room or can build a simulated room, can get some neon paint and maybe some pieces of furniture that you are willing to part ways with, then this project is right around your alley.

Take a room either real of made up, but I would suggest that you make one from some plywood sheets, and paint it completely with a vibrant neon paint.

Everything in the room must be the same color. This includes all furniture, all draperies and any accents, wall decorations, windows and such. Next take some cardboard or rigid plastic and cut them to make some interesting shapes on them.

A better source of props would be stuffed figures in the same neon rich color, but this can become expensive.

Try to make designs that seem out of place like birds, fish, airplanes etc. Use some thin string to hang them from the ceiling and glue some to the walls. Make sure that these props are painted in a contrasting color but also in neon.

Set up the scene by getting some models to appear to be interacting in the room like sleeping, reading, talking to each other and so forth. If your models will be using props to hold in their hands like a glass or a book, then paint these props in the same neon color.

Have these models dressed in regular clothes or you can also paint their ward-drove in the same neon paint but this is rather difficult since this paint hardens and makes cloth had to work with. Next illuminate the scene by using diffused light and have fun taking the shots.

Other variations using the same techniques are to use cardboard to build giant props like playing cards, a giant book and have a model interact with them in a room which has been painted the same way as for the first theme.

Yet another is to use the same room and using it to photograph nudes. Aim to have your models appear as a synonymous entity; don't show their face.

Another yet more bizarre use for a room painted with the scheme is to add what appears to be a picture frame and attach a menacing looking half a shark or other such creature as if it was coming out from the frame and about to enter the room. I don't need to tell you to use fake creatures right?

You can accentuate the scene by connecting a hose from the back and running water from it. This can be done in Photoshop but it's more fun to use real props instead.

One more project; get some fake "human like" parts like hands and place them in the room as well as digitally adding another prop like a ball that is being passed from hand to hand.

Using a real person and substituting part of their body with another shape like an animal is also very easily done with any digital program. Your bounds are held in check by only the limits of your imagination, so give it free reign.

Keep in mind that you can complement the scene by adding backgrounds, changing contrast, adding elements, changing the colors and so on with a digital program such a Gimp or Photoshop.