There’s been so much attention given to the fantasy worlds created in AI art recently that it’s refreshing to come across a reminder of how powerful still photography is when it comes to creating truly magical imagery. And how it can create stunning fantasy scenes.
Some of the South African photographer Tarryn Goldman’s photographs look like optical illusions. At first glance, you would think they were paintings, but look deeper and you see that the image consists entirely of real people and objects (see our pick of the best cameras if you want to try to recreate your own favorite artwork).
In Goldman’s ‘Painted Girl’, paintings and photography collide with surreal results. The photographer painted her model, set and props using an impasto technique, building up layers to create depth and shadow to make the photograph look like an oil painting (see some backstage footage in the post above).
It’s an interesting play on the concept of art capturing reality. For a moment, we think we’re looking at a 2D photograph of a 2D painting of a scene, but actually, it’s a photograph of a 3D scene made to look like a 2D artwork.
The Painted Girl was shortlisted for the Africa Photo Awards back in 2020, and Goldman has continued to create magical images, including pieces of digital collage that place her models in fantasy worlds. And many of these have a depth and beauty that generative AI art simply can’t compare with.
You can see more of Goldman’s work on her website (opens in new tab) and her Instagram account (opens in new tab).
If you’re looking to develop your own photography work, see our pick of the best website builders for photographers. We also have some top photography tips, iPhone Pro camera tips and a piece on how to use photography in design.
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/26/45/2645cc57-825b-455d-8ebf-61c1e95dac2a/1273_3679_jameshunter_germany_open_naturalworldwildlife_2023.png "See 15 Amazing Wildlife Images From the Sony World Photography Awards | Smart News")
