July 10th, 2009

I Heart… Alice in WaterLand

In case it hasn’t been established by my numerous Alice in Wonderland themed posts, I’m a bit of a fanatic. Imagine my delight, then, at discovering a beautiful set of photographs based around my favourite book. And they’re shot underwater! That ups the cool-factor by a hundred and ten percent! And let me just say, the results are incredible. Not only do they capture the essence of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, but in and of themselves they evoke the beauty and innocence of childhood. Click on to see photographer Elena Kalis’ inspiring interpretation of Alice in her series Alice in WaterLand.

Through the Looking Glass

Alice

The White Rabbit

Down the Rabbit Hole

The Pool of Tears

The Pig and the Pepper

The Mad Hatter

The Mad Tea Party

The Queen of Hearts

“Off With Her Head!”

The Croquet Match

The Mock Turtle

Through the Looking Glass

I think this has to be one of my favourite interpretations of the Alice books to date. I love that the entire Wonderland world has been recreated as an underwater paradise. It completely reinvents the notion of Wonderland and what it symbolizes. I think it’s very clever having Wonderland underwater; that shift into an unknown territory (from air to water) heightens even further the unfamiliarity and mysteriousness of Wonderland.

I love the ethereal, and almost angelic quality that shooting underwater has given the images. Being in a water environment gives a weightless flowing feel to the children/characters as well as the props – definitely a more innocent and nostalgic angle to approach the story from. It also lends a unique playfulness and lightheartedness to the entire thing. From the air bubbles coming out the childrens’ noses and the props floating carelessly about the scene, to the water guns and the toy animals, Alice in WaterLand paints an inspiring picture that captures the spontaneity, naivety and carelessness of childhood.

This is only a sampling of what photographer Elena Kalis has to offer. Her website contains about a dozen more photos from the Alice in WaterLand series, as well as many other series she’s shot (including a few more underwater which, in particular, are quite remarkable). Check out more of her beautiful work at her portfolio: ElenaKalisPhoto.com.

(PS. I kind of really want to buy an underwater camera now.)

(All images via ElenaKalisPhoto.com)

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I Heart… Alice in Wonderland

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