Vilnius, Lithuania based photographer Ceslovas Cesnakevicius says that he first got into taking pictures for the purpose of creating his surrealistic photo-manipulations. A browse through his Facebook page will transport you into a dreamy other-world where magic is real; old-timey explorers ride hot air balloons made of puffy white clouds, while men in top hats enjoy a sunny afternoon snooze in paper sail boats. His latest series titled “The Zoo” imagines what it would be like if we shared our every day world with wild animals in whimsical black and white images. Animals like giraffes, elephants, hippos and herds of zebra join masses of pedestrians crossing busy European streets, patiently standing in line at the subway station, or going record shopping, minding their own business. People pass by them and take no notice, unjaded by their appearance in the city streets and go about their lives in perfect harmony with nature. Cesnakevicius, who took the original photos during a recent trip to London and Amsterdam, says the series reflects his impression of the diversity in those cities, compared to his hometown of Vilnius, where being “different” is not widely accepted. His series serves well to remind us how natural diversity is, and how without it, we would be living in a world of boring “oneness”.
Emerging photographer