I’ve recently edited a new series of mysterious forest photos. I always take and edit dark mysterious forest photos, but these seemed to fit together so well that I’ve decided to make them available in a Halloween Forest pack on Creative Market. I like that marketplace because it gives me total control over what I upload and how I organize my photos.
It seems that the top for last month has taken a turn for the dark. There were a lot of great new additions to the Stocksy collection in June but these seem the most interesting because they go hand in hand and they all share this dreamy dark surreal esthetique. It’s almost a mini series of surreal imagery. The only image that is a bit merrier is the one with the winding road going through the enchanted forest, but it too is full of mystery. Here is my Stocksy Top 5 for June 2018:
This image is one of the favorites of people who visit my website and browse through the categories, so I thought I’d write a bit about how it was made. The timing should be great too – what better time to write about a dark scary image than Halloween?
Although it was June, the weather had been particularly cold so the weather conditions were great for mysterious foggy forest shots. Me and my brother had been wandering all day through the forest. The weather changed a lot of times from sun to rain so this brought a lot of opportunities. We ran like mad searching for light rays to capture and hid everything away looking for shelter when rain came pouring down. This happened throughout the day so later in the day we were pretty tired.
After chasing sun rays through the forest we reached a part that we didn’t know really well and were amazed to find some giant old trees with big twisted roots. It was really one of those special moments, one in which we felt our steps were guided there. One of those old trees stood out and I knew we had to make something special with it.
I’ve mounted my tripod in a strange position so I was afraid the camera was going to fall over, but it was worth it. I used a wide angle lens at 19 mm, an aperture of f/8 and an exposure of 1/3 seconds because the woods were really dark at that time. I had used hands before in photos to create a creepy surreal atmosphere and to make it seem like some kind of monsters were coming out from the ground. This time I used the hands of my brother coming from the sides of the frame and to the center. The final shot is a composite of 4 photos to make up for the fact that I didn’t have so many “hands models”. I love the darkness, the surreal feel and the overall mood of this photo.
That place really felt surreal and special so I am glad people like the image. For those of you who want to license dark scary surreal images, you can find it exclusively here: https://www.stocksy.com/1334681
The Killer in Me Spanish Version by Margot Harrison
Glad to announce you that one of my photos made it on to the book cover of the Spanish version of “The killer in me” book by Margot Harrison. The bottom part of the image is a forest image I shot in 2015:
Silhouette of man near strange light in haunted mysterious forest with fog at night
As people who follow my work know, a picturesque look is what I try to achieve, together with a special mood and atmosphere, and it seems that the folks at Shutterstock got that too. I am andreiuc88 on Shutterstock. Got that nickname in 2009 and didn’t change it. Here’s what they had to say on it:
“Many photographs seem like paintings because they effortlessly evoke a complex mood or feeling with just a glance. Such is the case with this eerie photo of a desolate pathway in a dense forest in Transylvania, Romania. The combination of the fog, sparse flowerbeds, and low light make for a creeping sense of dread.
The effect here is not accidental – the photographer, andreiuc88, is somewhat of an expert when it comes to moody, atmospheric photography. A nature photographer based in Transylvania (the literary home of Dracula), andreiuc88 creates a variety of nightmare-inducing landscapes.”
Mysterious Forests of Transylvania Photo Book by Andrei Cosma and Sergiu Cosma
The forest is an enchanted place filled with wonder and mystery. When fog descends on to the trees time seems to move at a different pace from the outside world. Every step takes the traveler deeper into the woods and closer to a mysterious, dark and surreal world, where everything is possible. One can almost see the mythological creatures sneaking trough the forest and watching him from behind the trees. This is the realm where the legends are born, where the line between reality and fantasy is erased and where imagination is running wild.
I’ve been exploring the wonders of the forest alongside my brother for as long as I can remember. “Mysterious Forests of Transylvania” is a fine art coffee table book that focuses on the mystery and atmosphere of the enchanted woods that we spent so many days in. We want to bring the magic of the forest for the whole world to see.
You can get it in hardcover or paperback format, 10×8 in, 25×20 cm, 48 Pages on Premium Matte paper, and you can also get a preview here:
Mysterious dark surreal forest with fog trough trees
When I took this photo back in 2009 I already had some experience with photography, but I think this was the moment when I managed to detach myself from all the technical clutter, to clear my mind and really see nature in a new light. All the technical stuff became automatic and I could just concentrate on the mood, on the feeling and be absorbed into the mysterious surreal world that was unfolding before me. If there was a moment when the way I saw photography changed, this was it.
It was a rainy June afternoon. The rain was pouring down so bad that it was impossible to take photos. Everything drenched, water flowing everywhere. Luckily, I got a small window of opportunity when the rain stopped.
The difference in temperature was so great that a nearby mountain was wrapped in fog. I entered the dark mountain forest and realised that this was something special – the late hours of the afternoon, the thick fog, the eerie mysterious twisted trees – it all made the place look like something out of this world. I had a feeling that I was going to have again and again in the coming years. I was inside some other place. The world outside was no longer important. The surreal world I was in had a haunting silence, full of mystery and wonder.
Next thing I know the rain started pouring down again with even more force. The equipment was soaked, I was soaked. I stayed for a couple more shots. It was worth it. After a little while the fog disappeared. The gate to this fantasy world was closed, and I didn’t know for how long. Luckily it was closed only for a short time, and the mysterious forests series became one of my favorites, still in the making today. Everything changed that Sunday afternoon…
PhotoCosma 