5 Top Fantasy Photographers You Can Follow
Fantasy photography, no doubt is one of the most thrilling genres of photography existing in the world. The catchy part of this type of photography is, along with photography, it encompasses creativity through painting, drawing, animation, etc.
Unlike most of the other types of photography, fantasy photography isn’t just a click of the camera button. Before the click, a fantasy photographer has to plan, prepare, and organize tons of stuff for his shot. He has to select the perfect outfit, maintain balanced lighting and color combination, and position the model in the right spot.
In addition to that, the photographer has to be well-versed with Photoshop and Illustrator to add special effects and draw backgrounds.
What Is Fantasy Photography?
Fantasy photography, otherwise known as surreal photography is a kind of shot taken integrating fictional and fantastical elements into it. It provides viewers a transcendental feeling and experience taking them away from the usual happenings in the world.
The idea reflected in fantasy photography can be taken from fictional books or the photographer can create his own concept thinking innovatively. Whatever fantasy photographers do, killer fantasy photographs not only fascinate people but also produce a lasting impression in their minds.
Examples: The Hidden Door by Logan Zillmer, Orbit a Rose by Luisa Azevedo, Time is Fleeting by Joel Robison, Flying Houses 14 by Laurent Chehre, Moon Wrangler by Gabe Tomoiaga, etc. are some of the charming instances of fantasy photography.
Top Fantasy Photographers
Well, tons of fantasy photographers are there who are doing a cracking job. In this write-up, we will introduce you to 5 fantasy fine art photographers who have snapped mind-boggling fantasy photography and earned a massive reputation through it. Here we go...
1. Margarita Kareva
A Russian photographer, Margarita Kareva is a wonderful fantasy photographer who focuses on showing women as magical creatures. She portrays fantasy through her photography availing of several things like real-life costumes, make-up, accessories, props, and so on.
On top of that, she takes advantage of Photoshop to manipulate her photography and bring out mesmerizing fantasy photography. Kareva is so creative and talented that just by modifying white balance, contrast, and lighting, she can transform ordinary imagery into extraordinary fantasy imagery.
PC: Margarita Kareva
Kareva is eminent for creating fantasy pictures incorporating women and animals which may seem dreadful but reflects incredible views. One of her fantasy photographs shows a woman standing among a bunch of wolves where another shows a lady standing among a swarm of flamingos. You will even see innovative scenes in her fantasy pictures showing butterflies start to fly from a woman’s head.
2. Kirsty Mitchell
An exceptional talent Kirsty Mitchell is an award-winning British photographer who has excellent touch in photography. She executes that with the amalgamation of fine arts even though her whole she wasn’t a photographer. After her mother's death, she took up photography to avoid the distress and hassle of real life.
She created a different world through her photography showcasing a fantastic and mystic vibe. She portrays marvelous and immersive scenes through her fantasy photography creating a lasting impression on viewers’ minds.
PC: Kirsty Mitchell
Mitchell is well-known for her Wonderland series incorporating majestic fantasy images. Each one of them reflects a particular color scheme. A woman with a violet dress lying on a field of violet-colored flowers, a lady with a yellow dress standing alone among yellow-green lilies.
White queen in a monochromatic image, all these are key features of her fantasy photographs. The uniqueness that she has is, she shies away from excessive photo touch-up, unlike other fantasy surreal photographers.
3. Susan Schroder
Susan Schroder, known for her creative fantasy work produces breathtaking fantasy photography utilizing her knack and talent. She has nearly 35 years of experience as a professional artist leading her to bring out killer fantasy photography. She nails her job merging both photography and illustration.
Her fantasy photography commonly revolves around leveraging real models along with costumes and make-up giving a fantasy vibe. Her studio is located in California but she travels all around the world to shoot fantasy photography masterpieces. She normally visits nooks where people hardly visit.
PC: Susan Schroder
What makes her stand out from others is her ability to perform everything on her own. Right from photography and post-processing to costume design, she crafts all of them single-handedly.
In photo manipulation, she digitally paints necessary features in her art and creates fantasy photography. Painting Fairy Wings is an outstanding example of her photo manipulation work.
4. Annie Lebovitz
Annie Lebovitz is an American portrait photographer who has an admirable craft in fantasy photography. With her unique approach, she deploys her creative skill to produce spellbinding fantasy imagery.
What makes her a brilliant fantasy photographer is her ability to pick a model, idea, and location and convert them into something jaw-dropping. She leverages light and color innovatively alongside handling the post-production techniques effectively.
PC: Annie Lebovitz
“Disney Dream Portraits” is a perfect example of Annie’s genuine talent where she turns iconic celebrities into iconic Disney characters. Taylor Swift shows up as Rapunzel, Queen Latifah appears as Ursula, and Russell Brand becomes Captain Hook. Apart from that, she worked for Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Vogue in key roles.
5. Stanislav Istratov
Stanislav Istratov kicked off his photography career in 2007 when he just made up his mind to pick up a digital camera one day. Soon after that, he snapped up his first DSLR and started experimenting with outdoor shots. His photography reflected more of dark art but his commercial orders were coming for ordinary shots.
When it comes to other fantasy photographers, they create fantasy illusions through magical costumes and sceneries. But Istratov presents his fantasy photoshoot through real-life elements like hair-styling, make-up, and accessories.
Through these elements, he transforms the actual appearance of the images and produces arresting fantasy photographs. In one photo, you will notice Cleopatra coming to life while in another one, you will spot a girl is turning into a strawberry. You can even see flowers growing from a girl’s body on his fantasy shots.
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Final Say
Which fantasy photographers you should follow now? If you explore and research, you will come across two types of fantasy photographers. Some fantasy photographers portray their fantasy photos with plots while others just show some meaningless shots. We would suggest you follow the fantasy photographers coming up with a story-telling mindset.
The rejoicing aspect of fantasy photography is it besides entertaining you takes you to a preternatural world. It relieves you from depression, rejuvenates you, and motivates you to move forward. Hence, don’t miss the chance to follow the above-listed fantasy photographers!!!
