Hyperreality Image Bank

This image at first glance can seem quite strange and ordinary upon first glance. Looking into more detail, we can see that this image is actually an exciting rendition of what would otherwise be a boring image. Franke achieves this by changing something as simple as butter into something as extraordinary as a mountain range. As a result, this image plays with the audiences perspectives in a way that is not commonly seen within this common setting.

Staudinger Franke is able to give us an insight into what other people are thinking through simple visual methods. The interesting thing about this image compared the Franke's other images that I have shown so far is that it looks as if little amounts of photoshop have been used. We can see the formal element reflection being used in a way that gives the illusion of akan playing guitar. We can assume that the person within the image dreams of becoming a musician or owning that guitar in the window. We can see that he is imagining himself playing it in the reflection.

A simple technique has been used in order to compress the focal length to make the image appear as if he is playing with the cars. The child aspect of the image comes from the way that he looks like a child playing with toy cars. This could be a great way of showing what the child is imagining as he moves the fake cars around. This is a great example of hyperreality as we can see it from a child's perspective and imagination.

Thia image, entitled Dalí Atomicus features Slavador Dali in mid air as a nod to his previous work, Ledia Atomica which can be seen within the image. Every aspect of what the audience would deem to be as normal is massively altered. The rules of gravity appear to be gone as each component is weightless. This representation of hyperreality was so groundbreaking as the effects are so convincing to the point where what is happening within the image seems impossible. According to Halsman, the image took 28 attempts in order to achieve a perfect result that can be seen now.

This image from Cedric Delsaux uses photomontage in order to blend something extraordinary with reality. The chosen base image of a vacant area creates a heavy contrast with the otherworldly sight of the AT-AT model. The use of bland colours within the image imply a sense of realism within the image, instead of attempting to evoke a sense of surrealism. This implies that the real world is much more bland in comparison to the fantasy world of Star Wars. 

This image represents hyperreality in a way that is presented to the audience through the media. The image features a type of scenario which would be depicted in a television setting and is not an accurate representation of the real world. The photographer emphasises this by using iconic imagery such as the yellow taxi, along with the use of attractive people within the image. The colours within the image are dramatically enhanced, causing tones to appear more vivid and oversaturated. This is done to express that the world is not an accurate representation of the real world and it is reminiscent of the way that the media will colour grade images and video in order to heighten the visual representation of the world.

Airbrush techniques have been used within this image in order to make the model's skin appear smoother. Wrinkles have been removed in order to make her appear younger. The model's arms have also been made skinnier in order to make her appear more attractive. The woman's appearance has been digitally manipulated in a way that causes her to become a goal for many members of the audience to achieve as they begin to believe that they can achieve this look and lifestyle if they buy the magazine. 

This image shows a great tool for showing hyperreality. The composition of the two images give an audience into what the person being photographed is thinking. We can see that the girl has a love for horses and the audience can see in the second half of the image what is going through her mind as she creates a hyperreality of her own which appears tonally brighter than the first image, implying that this reality is more exciting.

This image reflects the impact of the media on the lives of people. The boy appears to be crying because his life is dominated by social media. The image is commenting on our obsession of the media and how childish it is that we allow it to dictate so much of our lives.







These images from Ari Mahardhika show how photomontage can be used in order to reflect hyperreality. An ordinary setting within a street can be shown from an entirely new perspective, causing everything to appear to be of a vast perspective by adding other worldly factors within the frame such as large people. The large scale of things causes the way that the audience perceives these typically bland environments to dramatically change causing the world to appear more exciting than reality would allow.



This image shows how a typical setting can be shown in an entirely new way, causing the audience to have a new and exciting experience. A well known occurrence of a cat chasing a mouse is one that has been explored vastly within media such as Tom and Jerry. The photographer has attempted to blend reality with elements that may be present within the media's heightened depiction. Instead of simply showing an ordinary scenario of a cat pursuing a mouse, we can instead see that the cat displays cunning and is attempting to use deception in order to attack the mouse. This is just an example of how photographers can take an ordinary situation from reality and make it more exciting for the audience through manipulation, just as the media does.



This image uses vary slight changes within the composition of the image in order to create an otherworldly effect. The camera has been rotated vertically in order change the perspective in which the audience looks at the image. With a simple change in composition, a zero gravity effect is created, almost seeming as if the person is phasing through the right of the frame. This shows how simple techniques can be used to take an ordinary concept of someone placing their head in water and make it seem otherworldly and exciting again.







These images from Chema Madoz causes audiences to see a hyperreality through simple changes. He  does this by taking everyday scenery and objects and then alters something within the image to make them appear different and more interesting than reality would usually reflect.

These three images all utilise the technique of multiple exposure. This is an effective tool for conveying hyperreality as it allows you to see what is going on in a person's head. This can also be a good way to compare hyperreality with the real world as the world that is being shown within the head of the person is extremely dense and full of varying imagery, meanwhile the world outside of their head is empty and bland. This suggests that the reality set up within our heads is more interesting than the one that we live in, which is a main theme of hyperreality.

These images from Staudinger Franke depict environments in two different phases, one that shows people interacting within the frame and the other which shows the environment at the end of its lifespan. This type of strong imagery could be used within the subject of hyperreality as it suggests that while the world may seem full of life and excitement, the reality of the situation is much more darker. This is shown through the use of contrast between the living people and the dead environment.

This image attempts to take an ordinary sight of  woman walking her dog and give it an other worldly, yet humorous appearance. The colour pallet within the image is emphasised with a brown hue that causes the meeting to appear more dull. This is a great choice by the photographer as it causes the effect to be even more contrasting to the rest of the image. The contrast is highlighted by the use of the colourful balloons that are suspending the dog in the image, causing the effect to appear more humorous.

Within this image, we see that a vase is being gripped as if to prevent it from breaking. Instead it appears as if the person who was protecting the vase has shattered like one instead. This simple change in roles immediately immerse the audience into the surrealist world that is being created. This gives the audience ideas about other parallels that may be introduced within this world that has been set up by the photographer.

These images are interesting because they plays with perspective. Thomas Barbey takes our ideas about gravity and everyday life and changes them as a way to create his own hyperreality. Barbey achieves the effect so convincingly that he manages to make the initial viewing of the images even more puzzling for the audience.

This image shows an interesting premise for the analyses of hyperreality. This idea can be used to show how people's ideas about reality are often constructed for us. This can be represented through the people within the frame placing the puzzle piece.

These images take simple aspects of everyday life that may go unnoticed and reinvents them in order to make them more interesting and visually dynamic. From something as subtle as a shadow to something as vast as a cloud can be easily manipulated through Photoshop in order to change the audiences perception of the image.

High Key Image Bank

This image appears as very minimalistic. The only visible components of the image are seen to the right of the frame as the couple hold each other lovingly. This effect causes a contrast to form between the people and their background. The only thing that the audience should be aware of are the people within the image. This reflects how the couple only care about one another, forgetting everything else in the world.

This image features a low angle of a tall building. The use of high key imagery within the image causes certain tones to blend seamlessly into each other. The blend at the peak of the skyscraper causes the building to appear endless in the grey sky. 

This image features a leopard sitting in a tree, overlooking emptiness from a tree. The association of the animal and its natural habitat contrast extremely with the cleaness of the background. As a result, the subject pops against the background instead of blending into the similar tones of its habitat, standing out to audiences.

This image features a small boat sailing across a calm river. The effect of the high key imagery causes the image to appear somewhat soothing as the boat calmly makes it way across the clean river. There is not much background action to disrupt this peaceful imagery. The image can also raise connotations of loneliness against an endless void if you look from another perspective.

This image features a wedding photo as the bride and groom make their way into the reception where their friends are located. Without high key lighting, the image may appear bland, or fairly standard. With the effect of high key lighting, the image appears dreamlike, trading in any pointless background for a vast whiteness which adds more focus to be drawn on the couple and their friends on their special day.

This image is a fairly straightforward portrait of a man smoking a cigarette. However, the use of high key lighting causes contrasts on the face of the person in a way that makes him stand out more from the background. The effect also gives the man a smoother skin tone, removing a lot of wrinkles and other impurities in the process.

Minimum Depth of Field

These two images show what the effect of minimum depth of field can accomplish. The first image features a couple which have just received an ultrasound of their baby. The audience's eyes are instantly instantly drawn to the image, which is clearly the subject of the image. After the audience have initially noticed the image, they will then notice the background of the couple kissing. The use of minimum depth of field allows for more context to be applied to what is happening in the background by directing the audience's eye movement. The second image features a pitcher on a baseball team who has just thrown a ball. Initially this image may seem bland if it werent for the effect. The audience's eyes are immediately drawn to the ball as it remains in the right of the frame. Now since the photographer has purposefully directed the audience's eyesight toward this component, it becomes clear that this is a very important pitch instead of a generic pitch. As a result, it adds weight to the image instead of being just another action shot.

Minimum depth of field can be used in order to isolate images. This control over isolation is often utilised by photographers as it allows them to take control over their audience's eyesight. Anything that remains in focus is important while everything else within the frame is reduced to background. Photographers can also use this process to tell a story by focusing on a specific aspect of the image which will then give context to everything that is surrounding the subject. However, minimum depth of field is most commonly used in order to isolate a subject in order to reduce the background to nothing. This can allow the audience to notice something that may have gotten lost within the colours of the background but now appears sharp and prominent agains a blurred background.

Multiple Exposure Image Bank

The two images above show two different extremes of the multiple exposure technique. The first image shows an older image which used this technique in order create a surreal appearance, creating windows into different locations and blending them into other images. The structure of a human mouth appears similar to the structure of the buildings within the other image which causes the effect to seem even more surreal. The second image takes a simple setting of a person standing in the road and overlaps it with a profile portrait of potentially the same person. This simple imagery can give the audiences and incite into the mind of the person within the image and show us how he feels. From this the audience can assume that he feels alone judging from the cold imagery within the image.

The effect of the multiple imagery causes images to blend together seamlessly. This technique can really lend itself to subjects within photography such as surrealism as it has the capability to appear otherworldly in a way that the two images could ever appear on their own. This technique can help to delve into the psychology of the person within the image in a way that would be impossible without multiple exposure. The images above help to show how the technique can show how the people are feeling, what their lives are like, where they come from and their aspirations.

Blurring Image Bank

Within this image, we can see a shopping trolley navigating what appears to be a supermarket. The shopping trolley is the only item within the image which remains in focus, the background becomes obscured by the severe blur. This means that the trolley must be travelling at a great speed. This can offer connotations to say that the person is in a rush to get around the supermarket. Some more metaphorical analyses may suggest that the image shows how the routine of everyday life can cause everything to become repetitive and meaningless, passing by at great speeds.

This image features what appears to be an empty street which has trails of light weaving throughout the image. Considering that there are no visible objects or people within the image, the frame still appears to be full of life. The audience can tell that there must have been a substantial amount of cars journeying through the image in order to create such as strong trail of light. The effect causes the image to feel chaotic instead of vacant in order to more accurately depict what a busy road is really like.

This image shows a woman waiting next to a train as it zooms past her. As a result of the movement, the woman stands out in contrast to the blurry background. The audiences eyes are immedietlye drawn to the right of the frame as a result of the effect. We can get a sense of the immense speed in which the train has been travelling. The image can give off the sense that life is passing the woman by at high speeds while she just stands there and observes it.

This image shows a man on an exercise machine. Although the image itself is not moving, the audience is given a sense of momentum due to the blurring effect. The man's legs become nothing more than a faint blur within the image, this shows how fast his legs are moving in order to achieve this look. This can be used to show how hard the person is willing to work in order to get into a better physical condition.

This image shows a teddy bear which appears to be sitting on a roundabout. The background begins to fade into obscurity as the speed of the roundabout starts to increase. This has a positive effect on the image as a result as it causes the bear in the foreground to stand out from its background more. If all the components within the image remained static then the brown bear may get lost within the forest background of green and brown tones. This effect causes the subject to appear sharper than would have been possible without the effect.

This image shows a car moving from right to left down a road. This image sounds as if it would be very visually bland. Without the blurring effect, the image would appear boring and would typically get lost amongst the bland tones of grey, black and yellow. The image instead matches the speed of the car in a way that causes it to remain separate from its background and also give a sense of momentum to the image as a whole.