Most of A. K. Nicholas’s photographic compositions depart from reality in some aspect: alien colors, fugitives from gravity, or a general incongruity. Here are selected surreal photographs that are most inspired by the surrealist art movement that, from the 1920s to 1960s, explored the irrational nature of the mind. One of the first times his interest in art was piqued was the opportunity to take a surrealism art history class in high school. A visiting professor from the nearby university taught us for a semester. He did his report on Salvador Dali, his favorite artist (as a teenager)—and an influence for the first two years of art school.

Although you won’t find any melting clocks here, you will notice bizarre irregularities that make the images seem like hallucinations from the subconscious. The surreal aspects include unusual use of perspective, items that don’t normally belong together, or aspects that seem out of scale. A figure grasps an oversized pencil as tall as her in one; in others, the figures are seemingly lighter than air. These curious visions of the female form can appeal to art photography collectors who want something unusual.