I Created A Series Of Surreal Images But One Of My Heroes Surprised Me When She Became A Real-Life Hero.

For almost two years, I was developing a project inspired by the most inspiring book of my childhood but I couldn't have predicted what life had in store for me and for talented people I worked with.

For a long time, it was my all-time favourite book and as a child, I used to listen to it every evening until I knew it by heart. I believe it is true for many of us. When you love the story you cannot help repeating it again and again. Am I right? Curiously enough, although I’m getting older I still find it interesting and inspiring. At some point, the surreal story by Lewis Carroll has sparked the idea of a series of portraits and I have invited a group of talented models, makeup artists and stylists to join me for the project entitled the 'Mad Hatters Chronicles'.

I imagined characters from the ‘Alice’s Adventures in the Wonderland’ having a regular life. There was a handsome Jack of Hearts deeply in love… with himself. There was the Caterpillar in the cloud of smoke, pink-loving Duchess and even a grown-up Alice still following written instructions. Some portraits we shoot two years ago, some more recently as the production of the project has spanned over 20 months. One of the first produced back in 2018 was the portrait of the brave Seven of Spades. It shows a young lady holding a slingshot and the chestnut in a spiky shell.

Imagine my surprise when I learnt that the model posing for the 'Seven of Spades' is a real-life nurse fighting the Convid-19 outbreak. Obviously the slingshot is not her weapon of choice but the spiky shell has a different meaning to me now. Of course, it’s a pure coincidence however it’s significant bearing in mind current circumstances. Rhiannon became a real-life hero and I'm incredibly proud of her and feeling privileged I’ve had a chance to take this photo.

The project is available at http://see2believe.co.uk

More info: see2believe.co.uk