Some landscapes can appear unreal in photos due to natural phenomena such as light effects, mirages or specific weather conditions that alter our visual perception.
Our brain constantly tries to organize what it perceives, but sometimes it gets tricked on its own. Thanks to phenomena like forced perspective, a nearby object can appear giant or tiny compared to a more distant element, disrupting our usual reference points. Some landscapes naturally feature repetitive lines, regular patterns, or unusual textures that generate an illusion of depth or strange relief. Similarly, when the horizon or visual landmarks are missing, as in salt flats or an empty desert, our eyes struggle to judge distances accurately, making the image surreal. Our brain is programmed to identify certain familiar shapes or patterns (pareidolia), which explains why clouds or rocks can resemble faces or animals, thus creating an unreal or fantastical impression.
Some landscapes appear completely unreal due to special, rare, or spectacular lighting conditions. In particular, the periods known as golden hour (just after sunrise or before sunset) or blue hour (the moment when the light becomes bluish just after sunset) provide soft, diffused, or colorful light that makes colors incredibly vivid, saturated, and almost supernatural. Sometimes, there are rarer phenomena: double rainbows, solar halos, thick fog, or very dense clouds creating unreal contrasts. During intense storms, dramatic light can completely transform an ordinary scene. These conditions naturally create a somewhat magical or surreal impression without any trickery.
With digital post-processing, one can radically transform the appearance of a photo. Software like Photoshop or Lightroom makes it easy to change colors, contrasts, or even textures. Sometimes just a few clicks are enough to enhance an ambiance or create an almost fantastical atmosphere. Some photographers even push the processing to the maximum by playing with extreme effects like HDR, or by completely merging multiple photos together to compose a unique landscape. Thus, even a place that is entirely real can become mystical or surreal on screen.
Sometimes, all it takes is a change of perspective for a photo to look completely unreal. Taking your photo close to the ground or from a high vantage point creates a strange impression, because your brain is not used to seeing the world that way. The tight framing as well: zooming in on a specific detail without any context around it can give landscapes an abstract or fascinating quality, almost like a graphic collage. It's amazing how a simple issue of angle can transform an ordinary scene into a setting from another planet.
The photography technique called HDR (High Dynamic Range) combines multiple shots taken at different exposures into a single image, which explains why some landscapes display an unreal brightness and detail, giving the impression of an illustration.
Did you know that the use of polarizing filters allows cameras to capture deep blue skies and highly contrasted clouds, sometimes giving the impression of a scene from a fantasy film?
Some landscapes appear unreal in photos because our brain interprets a still image differently, creating an impression of unreality or artificiality, even though the landscape was perfectly natural.
There are incredible natural places like the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, whose highly reflective salt surface can produce photos with supernatural qualities without any digital editing!
By carefully examining the consistency of lighting, colors, and textures. Excessive retouching can create unrealistic effects: artificial halos, overly saturated colors, or inconsistent perspectives.
An unusual angle can distort the natural perception of the landscape. Low-altitude shots (close to the ground) or aerial views taken by a drone radically change our usual perception, giving the landscape a surreal or unusual appearance.
Absolutely! The golden hour (just after sunrise and just before sunset) as well as the blue hour provide soft, warm or cool light, along with extended shadows that can give a magical and surreal quality to landscapes.
No, not necessarily. Even with a simple smartphone, by mastering the right techniques (composition, timing, strategic placement, free editing apps), it is possible to achieve stunning and unreal images.
Landscapes can appear fantastic in photos due to unusual weather conditions (rare clouds, golden light), exceptional lighting effects, or through creative photo editing that enhances colors and contrasts.
Iconic examples include the Salar de Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia, the Rainbow Mountains of Zhangye Danxia in China, and the naturally illuminated ice caves in Iceland. The exceptional beauty of these places naturally lends an unreal and dreamlike quality to the photographs taken there.
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