The moai monoliths, more commonly known as the Easter Island Heads, are iconic. So when French visual artist Samir Belhamra approached the subject, he wanted to put his own personal touch on the image. The result is Gate Keeper to the Stars, a dreamy photograph of a monolith at an angle where it appears to be staring up toward the night sky. It’s a majestic view of an already imposing monument, made all the more impressive when one considers what we’re looking at.
Belhamra, who approaches his photography from an artistic point of view, actually transforms daytime photos into stunning night photography. Such is the case with his Easter Island photograph, where he pushed himself to show a new perspective on the famous statue. The transformation is incredible, particularly as one looks at the blue reflections of the night sky across the face of the statue. It’s these small details that make for a polished result, making it all the harder to believe that they were added in during post-production. In fact, it was so good that Photoshop even featured the image on its official Instagram account.
Belhamra loves sharing his creative process, which is why he also produces many tutorials and presets for others to use in their images. These tutorials include showing how he introduces cool tones to his work and how he’s able to create realistic night skies. It’s even possible to purchase specific tutorials, such as one that takes users step by step through the creation process of Gate Keeper to the Stars. And, if you are looking to hang this photograph on your wall, it’s possible to contact him for prints.
Watch how Samir Belhamra transforms an ordinary photo of a moai monolith into something truly special.
Here is more creative photography from Belhamra.
