Meet the Photographer Behind the Viral Mirror Self-Portrait

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

Last summer, 18 year-old Laura Williams from Cambridge, England, posted a photo she had taken on her Flickr page. The image, Invisible, immediately went viral, and Laura became an overnight internet sensation. She has since been featured in The Daily Mail, made the artFido Top 75 Pictures of The Year for 2013, and got her Flickr moment:

To date, Invisible has nearly 900,000 views on Flickr and continues to fool, confuse, awe, and inspire viewers. While the technique of using mirrors to create photographic illusions has been done before, Laura puts her own spin on it to come up with a beautiful and personal concept.

I guess it’s sort of a feeling that I have, and maybe we all have sometimes, of not being heard and people not seeing you and maybe hiding behind something.

Laura says she is inspired by so many things–dreams, nature, music, light, other photographers. The Invisible series was inspired by the old mirror featured in the image.

In her photography, Laura strives to trick the eye and loves the idea of fooling and intriguing people with her images. This particular photo has sparked many theories on how it was done. Speculation ranges from absolute belief that the image is unedited and was just taken as is, to viewers listing specific photo manipulation methods.

But, no matter where you stand on how she did it, you can’t argue that the final image is beautifully executed.

Since the Invisible photo went viral, Laura has been bombarded with new opportunities. Her obvious talent as a conceptual photographer is being recognized and praised in photography and art circles across the web.

Looking Through Time by Laura Williams

Whether you’re a photographer yourself or just appreciate the art of great photography, it’s super inspiring to go through Williams’ portfolio; some of the images are just mind blowing.