John Wilhelm is a Swiss photographer from Winterthur, a guy who works in IT by day but turns into a digital wizard by night. He calls himself a “photoholic” because photography is more of an obsession than just a hobby. He grew up around cameras his father was a hobby-photographer who started local clubs. But Wilhelm didn’t fall in love with photography until digital came along.
His work is wild, funny, and sometimes a little bizarre. He takes ordinary family photos and turns them into surreal adventures. His three daughters Lou, Mila, and Yuna are his main stars. They appear in scenes like fighting octopuses in the bathtub, lifting giant barbells, or howling with wolves. He also creates crazy wildlife images with smoking camels and clumsy elephants.
I love it to bring my fantasy to life with the help of my own images and Photoshop,” he says.
His process is intense. He shoots every element himself, which is his personal rule. He captures the girls, the backgrounds, the animals, everything with the same light and focal length. Then he spends anywhere from 5 to 20 hours in Photoshop putting it all together. He uses a Sony A7R camera and a Wacom Cintiq tablet for his digital work.
Q: Why does Wilhelm only use his own photos?
A: It’s his personal dogma. He believes in creating everything from scratch using only images he shot himself. It keeps the work authentic and gives him full control over the final result.
His images aren’t just random fun. He often sneaks in deeper messages about child safety, smartphone addiction, or the fear of the unknown. He wants you to look twice and think about what you’re seeing. That’s what makes his work more than just clever Photoshop tricks.
Working with kids isn’t always easy. Wilhelm says he gets about 2 or 3 minutes of attention from his daughters before they lose interest. He tells them stories to inspire the right poses, and sometimes sweets help keep them motivated. But they cooperate because they can feel how much it matters to him.
He’s been doing this for over six years now, and his work has gone viral multiple times. He’s been featured in ABC News, The Guardian, and The Huffington Post. Not bad for an IT guy who just wanted to bring his imagination to life.
Q: How long does it take to make one of his images?
A: Each image takes between 5 to 20 hours of Photoshop work. That’s on top of the time spent shooting all the individual elements. He puts in serious hours, but the results speak for themselves.
