Paris Is Transformed Into a Cotton-Candy Wonderland in Surreal ‘Infrachroma’ Photos

Versailles in Infrared

Paris and the gardens of Versailles are well-worn territories for photographers, but John Kosmopoulos captures a fresh perspective on them thanks to his use of infrachrome—a special post-processing technique. The photos are part of Kosmopoulos' Infrachroma series, which sees him traveling around the globe to give decidedly different views on the common cityscape. The pink hue of these photos allows the viewer to literally see the world through rose-colored glasses, and immerse themselves in a surreal world.

From the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe to Versaille's beautifully manicured gardens, each scene is at once familiar yet unrecognizable. “When a familiar scene like the gardens of Versailles is made familiar-in-parallel through surreal, symbolic and sensory artistic expressions,” Kosmopoulos tells My Modern Met, “a perceptual twinning occurs that liberates the imagination to explore the power of place as a beautiful and colorful other-world.”

Through his work, the Canadian photographer seeks out the extraordinary in the ordinary. Fascinated by the relationship between photographer and viewer, and how an artist's vision can have an emotional impact on viewers, he's pushed himself to focus on moments of unexpected beauty.

And, of course, while we all know the Eiffel Tower is beautiful, the transformation of lush greenery into cotton-candy foliage gives the photos a different emotional response. His work upends our expectations in the best way possible and reminds us that even the smallest changes to what's familiar can create new sensations.

John Kosmopoulos transforms Paris into a cotton candy wonderland in his series Infrachroma.

Paris in Infrared

Arch de Triomphe in Infrared

Paris in Infrared

Infrared Photo of Paris and the Seine

Infrared Photo of Sacre Coeur

Infrared Arc de Triomphe

Paris in Infrared

Paris in Infrared

Paris and Versailles - Infrachroma Series by John Kosmopoulos

Eiffel Tower in Infrared

He also made the journey to shoot infrachrome photos of the famous Versailles gardens.

Versailles Gardens in Infrared

Infrared Photos of Paris

Versaille Sculpture Infra red

Versaille Infrared

John Kosmopoulos: Website | Instagram | Behance

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by John Kosmopoulos.

This article has been edited and updated. An earlier version mislabeled the series as infrared photography.

Related Articles:

Vibrant Infrared Photos Make France Look Like an Alternate Universe

Infrared Photos of Rome Capture the City of Love as a Pink Wonderland

Infrared Photography Transforms Central Park into Surreal Wonderland

Gorgeous Candy Colored Infrared Photos of the Snowy Dolomite Mountains

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.

Sponsored Content