When Photography Takes You Into Another World
Recently, I had the opportunity to photograph for imago tribe s.r.o. again. When I first heard about them six years ago, I was incredibly surprised to discover that they were based right here in Ostrava.
It is literally a fantastic store that also has its own e-shop, imago.cz, where you can not only buy board games, figurines, props, toys, or fantasy books, but also original medieval costumes, some of which are made directly in their own sewing workshop.
Back then, it was an incredible discovery for me, and when I first walked into their store, I felt as if I had entered another world. The employees seem more like guardians of a secret realm, while the products look like props someone has just brought back from the set of a fantasy movie. Thanks to imago, I also see that Ostrava is not as grey and boring as it may sometimes seem. You just have to know which places to visit.
In September this year, in collaboration with imago and as part of filming their promotional videos, we created another series of fantasy photographs, which you can see below. A full day of photography and filming is demanding for the entire team, but at the same time, it is an amazing experience that you simply don't get to have every day. Because, let's be honest: where else would you see a Targaryen sitting on a throne made of books, a Witcher in a tavern, a Dungeon Master over an RPG in progress, a Warhammer general, and two geeks literally buried under merchandise — all in one place?
It is during shoots like this that I once again realize how important a part of our lives imagination actually is. We often associate it mainly with childhood, fairy tales, books, or games, and as adults, we start to see it as something that belongs to another world. And yet, without the ability to imagine something that does not exist yet, we would never move forward.
Every new idea, story, film, book, game, or invention first began in someone's mind. Someone had to imagine a world that did not exist and only then begin to create it. Imagination allows us to step outside what we know for a moment, look at things differently, and create our own stories, even if we eventually return to a completely ordinary Monday.
That is probably why I enjoy these kinds of shoots so much. It is not just about photographing a product. It is about creating an entire world around it, one that people can step into for a moment. And when it works, a photograph is no longer just an image of a product. It starts telling a story.
After returning from LA, it was also one of the most beautiful welcomes back to Ostrava I could have imagined. It reminded me that we don't have to search for interesting worlds on the other side of the planet. Sometimes they are right in front of us. We just need to know where to look.
And if you would also like to update your company's visual identity, get in touch with me and let's create photographs together that the whole world will see.
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