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Float through a dream with Robert Jahns' surreal photos

Ever wondered what an elephant with butterfly wings for ears would look like? Or have you fancied sliding down a water slide at the Burj Khalifa? Robert Jahns' photos will lead you into a strange and kooky world, says Avril-Ann Braganza

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A whale in a canal in Venice, a dog being air-lifted by balloons, a sandstorm in Paris... 27-year-old Robert Jahns has been creating surreal scenes by manipulating his travel photos—using just his iPhone. And most of them have inspiring quotes that are bound to brighten your day. A picture of a sole red umbrella in a sea of black ones is captioned ‘Stop trying to fit in, when you were born to stand out'. The caption of an image with a helicopter view of Central Park, New York reads, 'If people try to bring you down, it only means that you are above them'.



 The digital artist and freelance art director is wowing over 680,000 followers on his Instagram account (@nois7) with posts that now boast no less than 20,000 likes and at least 1,000 comments. At 13, he began using Photoshop to edit his photos and continues to do so professionally. At 15, he began playing around with his father's digital camera, but he started posting his photos on Instagram only in January 2012. Initially, his posts were frequent, but today “I feel more settled down. It took some time until I found my style. Now, I try to post every two-three days,” says the Düsseldorf-based artist. 



The editing process can last two hours or several days; it all depends on the concept. He has manipulated almost every photo that he's clicked. While he has a vast image bank, thanks to all his trips, he also works with photographers from different parts of the globe and stock images. He uses a combination of apps such as Filterstorm, Photoforge2, Photoshop Touch and VSCO Cam. But his favourite is ArtStudio. “I don't use Instagram filters but if I did, I would opt for Ludwig,” says the artist, who has Iconosquare open on his computer all day to view, like and comment on Instagram. 

Where does he draw inspiration from? He almost always has a visual of the final image in his head. “Sometimes, it is the unspectacular moments when I have the best ideas. Sometimes, during my lunch hour, I walk through the park and boom, I have a new idea. I think about the theme, the main object, the location and the colours. I do some simple scribbles to get a feel of the concept. I can then see if the vision of the image I had in mind really works,” says Jahns. He travels as often as he can and his favourite destinations to click are New York and Venice, “but I need to travel even more to see all the beauty that the world has to offer”. He really wants to visit Iceland to see its breathtaking landscapes and waterfalls.



His venture is not without challenges. “You really have to be patient at photography, especially in crowded, tourist places like Paris or Venice. If you want to capture the perfect moment, you have to wait for it,” shares Jahns, whose family has always supported him and done a lot to enable him to discover his talents. And he's had a great time in the process—dangling his feet off the edge of the 50th floor of a New York skyscraper and from the doorway of a helicopter while flying over Central Park. “I really felt alive at that moment. It was breathtaking.” 



While his prints are solely for exhibitions or wall art for homes, he has sold a print each, for charity in Los Angeles and Berlin. Jahns plans to exhibit his work in cities such as  New York, Paris, London and Berlin. He sells limited prints on his website (www.nois7.com), but he's in the process of making them available on other sites. “I've also done artwork for a fan base in a specific country and it's great to receive feedback from them. Unfortunately, not everyone comments in English, so I don't understand many of the comments.” 

 

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