The digital artist Tony Nahra told me once that he would never call the finished pieces “photos“. He was talking about a series of surreal photographs taken at the beach. Although the photos were all originally captured with a digital camera, they had been heavily manipulated by the artist. This included removing objects, distorting them, combining different elements, and adding textures.
Since the early Surrealist pioneers such as Maurice Tabard, Lee Miller and others experimented double exposures and solarization techniques, infrared and other photography methods, it’s been nearly a century. The term “surreal” photography is as hard to define as it was in the past. This is a photographic genre that deliberately distorts reality. We ask ourselves: “Is it photography or something else?”
In 2023, new generations of artists will continue to use Surrealist techniques despite this elusive quality – and perhaps because of it. Others create their effects using the computer or phone, while some use darkroom tools. They all challenge our notions of what photography is and what it can do.
Combination Printing for Surreal Photography
The labor-intensive technique of the 19th century isn’t used as much in the age Photoshop, but played a significant role in the development of surrealist photography. Imagine it as an analog composite.
You’ll need an enlarger and a darkroom to try this. You can create a composition by combining two or more negatives. Sketching out your concept before you shoot the individual elements can be helpful.