Photographer creates Photoshop-free optical illusions using only his imagination

When you have a vivid imagination, the world around you becomes magical even on the dullest of days. The work of Portuguese photographer Tiago Silva is a great example of this. He observes the world around him and looks for unusual perspectives, compositions, colors and shadows. As a result, he ends up with plenty of fun optical illusions created on the spot, in-camera, and without Photoshop.

“I always thought that taking pictures of sunsets and meals are just too dull, so I started creating something new,” Tiago writes. What’s a normal street to most people is a playground to Tiago and a canvas for his amusing shots. He uses forced perspective, unique angles and combinations of shadows and colors to capture his photos. And he always ends up with something cute, amusing and clever.

Tiago explains that his process usually happens spontaneously. He could be taking a walk, lying on the beach, traveling… He doesn’t like to overthink and thoroughly plan the photos he’ll take; the inspiration usually just hits him on the spot. “Inspiration could come from everywhere”, Tiago writes, “graffiti, a landmark, an object, a shadow, or even a piece of cloth.”

There are more amazing artists who create optical illusions in-camera, using makeup, props, and/or drawings. Tiago’s work reminded me of other clever photographers who see the world’s beauty and quirkiness and create optical illusions thanks to perfect timing and/or shooting angle. Just like them, I think Tiago has a beautiful and vivid imagination, and I really enjoyed browsing through his images. I hope you will too. Check out some of his photos below, and don’t forget to follow him on Instagram for more.

[via Bored Panda]