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3D projections turn trees into divinities

Clement Briend

That is not a photoshop, it's the work of French photographer Clément Briend.

Shot for the series Cambodian Trees, the image was created by using multiple projectors to turn trees in Phnom Penh, Cambodia into light sculptures. Briend's 3D projections are created quite organically. He starts with an idea, and then slowly works on the projection points by hand until what you see above takes shape. The sculptures (the whole series is available on his site) depict divinities and other supernatural beings.

Animism and magic are part of Cambodian -- and much of South East Asian -- culture, and Cambodian Trees plays with those themes. By casting these forms onto trees within urban landscapes, Briend connects the natural with the magical, and the city to the spiritual.

The Big Picture is a recurring feature highlighting beautiful images that tell big stories. We explore topics as large as our planet, or as small as a single life, as affected by or seen through the lens of technology.