Surrealism in photography

The works of Joel Robinson (see some of his fabulous work on flickr) and Jerry Uelsmann provide wonderful photographic examples of surrealism.

Joel produces amazing images where he breaks the norm by taking scenes and transforming them, allowing us to see his imagination come to life.

Here are three links to images I think are great and I found inspiring:

Joel hanging off a stack of books Taken May 13, 2013, Joel commented that "This image has been in my head for a few months now. It was inspired by a book that even after I finished reading it, it left me hanging on for more." On the same theme of books, there is also Joel in magnifying glass in book

I love those above books, as they remind me of my children who are book worms, in particular my son. It draws me into the image, and like Joel, I have read a few great books that have left me hungry for more, more, more, so I understood the story behind his photographic interpretation/story telling.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joel_r/8402458142/ Taken January 19, 2013, Joel commented this image was done in collaboration with Ted Craig Photography, creating photos based off of the fortunes that come with Yogi Tea. Joel - "This fortune/message hit home for me, I tend to focus on the past alot. Sometimes in a good way, as reflection or acknowledgement of where I've been and what I've overcome, but sometimes I analyze every little bit of what I could have done differently or better. I'm starting to realize that it's true, the more time you spend looking at the path you've taken, the less time to have to enjoy the path you're about to be on. My image is inspired by taking something from the past and using it to propel yourself forward."

(For copyright purposes I was unable to share the image directly on this page).

Jerry on the other hand could be seen as a visionary, a man ahead of his time. A modern day surreal story teller. Married to Maggie Taylor, whose work can be seen here, is a woman who too is a visionary. She creates sensational images, which emerge as a result of combining various techniques to make a final image.