Ok so I need to confess something.
I spend an embarrassing amount of time on Facebook Marketplace.
Not to buy furniture. Not to find a deal on a couch. I scroll looking for weird, beautiful, useful things that could become a shoot. A vintage phone. A gold frame. A pair of shoes that look like they belong in a magazine.
And if I see something and my brain starts playing a photoshoot, I message the owner.
This is the story of what happened when one of those messages turned into my first surreal editorial shoot.
It started with a message to a stranger
A while ago I found a pair of luxury shoes on Marketplace that would be perfect for a wedding style shoot I had in my head. They belonged to Diana.
So I messaged her. And instead of just buying them, I offered her a complimentary photo shoot in exchange.
She said yes. And then she did something that changed the whole plan.
She sent me an Instagram account, @szilvesztermako, and said she loved his style and would love to do something similar.
I was already following him. Already obsessed, honestly.
So I wrote back something like: oh my god, yes, let's do this.
So what is surreal editorial photography anyway?
Editorial photography is the kind you see in magazines. It's not about a quick portrait. It's about a concept, a mood, a story you can feel in one frame.
Surreal editorial takes that one step further. You bend reality a little. Faces disappear. Objects behave strangely. A bathtub turns into a stage.
For me, this is where creative direction becomes the fun part. Before anyone picks up a camera, you're deciding the colours, the props, the pose, the feeling.
Who is she? Where is she? Why is there a cloud above her head?
That's the part I love most, and honestly the part I want to do way more of.
A bathtub, two disco balls and zero big budget
Let me be very clear: this was a tiny budget shoot.
No stylist team. No set designer. No huge crew.
We booked a day at OBJX Studio (@objx.studio), and I printed out clouds, light bulbs, a lampshade, a teacup, a handbag... all the little paper pieces I needed to match Szilveszter's world.
Then they all had to be cut out by hand. Yes, one by one.
If you're a creative sitting on a big idea and a small wallet, hear me: you don't need a million dollars. You need a concept and some people who believe in it.
The amazing people behind the scenes
I did not do this alone. Not even close.
My creative partner Kate helped me plan and cut and place props. Malika, the studio manager at OBJX, jumped in and helped us cut and set everything up too. Kate also filmed behind the scenes footage with @campsnapcamera.
And Diana came in, changed between looks, and just got it. She took direction beautifully, trusted a very chaotic idea, and made every frame feel like a real campaign.
Working with someone who is excited about the vision? That's everything.
Then the lampshade happened
This is my favourite part of the story.
While I was planning, I found another Marketplace seller, Shadey Business (@shadey.business), who makes gorgeous lampshades. I messaged her too and she said yes to lending me a few for some styled shoots I have coming up.
And then I had a thought... what if the lampshade isn't a prop?
What if it's a hat?
That's it. That's the moment this turned from a pretty shoot into a surreal one.
The owner couldn't come to the studio, so Kate picked the shade up herself. They both live in St. Catharines, so thankfully it was easy lol.
How to build a surreal shoot with what you already have
If you want to try this at home (and you should), here's what worked for me:
Start with one strange idea. A lampshade as a hat. A cloud above her head. Just one.
Mix real and printed props. A real red phone next to a paper lamp feels so much more dreamy.
Hide the face. It sounds backwards, but removing the face makes people look at the shapes, colours and story.
Keep the colour palette tight. Green, blue, red and gold did most of the work here.
Ask for help. Seriously. Ask a friend to hold a light, cut paper, move a chair.
Surrealism isn't about expensive things. It's about playing with logic.
What I want to do next
I honestly cannot wait to do more of this.
I want to keep collaborating with Facebook Marketplace sellers. I love the idea that a random listing can turn into a creative partnership.
I want to work with other small businesses and brands, whether it's a campaign, product shots or full editorial concepts.
And someday, I'd love to work with magazines and see my editorial photography published. That's a big goal, and I'm putting it out here so it's real.
So if you're a business owner, a seller, a stylist or just someone with a strange and wonderful idea, message me.
Maybe your next listing is my next shoot.
Come say hi on Instagram @laragracecreativestudio or email info@laragracecreativestudio.ca.
