Today, everyone’s a photographer, grabbing their iPhones for a quick snap. Pictures are posted at a moment’s notice on Facebook and Instagram, so there’s never a void of visuals. Perhaps this image saturation is why surreal photo manipulation is particularly intriguing; smartphone cameras and social networking can’t hold a candle to an artist’s vivid imagination.

One such visionary is veteran photographer Thomas Barbèy. Raised in Geneva before working for 15 years in Milan, this inspirational artist has spent more than 20 years perfecting his craft. Today he resides in Las Vegas and works exclusively in black and white, including sepia toning, masterfully transforming colorless photomontages into surrealistic fine art.

Some of his techniques include putting negatives together and then photographing them from above, along with traditional retouching and photoshopping. The result is a powerful collection of imaginative works that tantalize the eye. Sit back and enjoy Barbèy’s amazing art — and remind yourself how fantastical a photo can be.

Which of Barbèy’s images is your favorite? Have you ever experimented with surreal photo manipulation? Tell us in the comments.