Lunar loving artist creates mind bending photos of the moon

You might have asked for the moon on a stick – but how about the moon in a jar?

Photographer Daniel Antoniol, from Brazil, produces mind bending snaps where it looks like he’s playing football with the moon, and even loading it into the boot of his car.

In Daniel’s artistic photo series, his clever manipulation of perspective makes the moon look as small as a lightbulb and light enough to hold. 

In others he’s carrying the moon in a wheelbarrow, screwing it into a light fitting and lifting it up in a crate. 

His love affair with the moon began during lockdown in 2020, while he was stuck at his parents’ countryside farm in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil.

The 36-year-old said: ‘The moon was a great companion during the Covid pandemic and it was with her that I managed, even in lockdown, to go out to travel the world and the universe with my imagination.’

While he now works as a civil engineer by day, Daniel has always been passionate about photography. 

During these isolated pandemic days, he looked skywards for inspiration. ‘The idea came to me to combine it with another passion; the moon and the universe,’ he said.  

It can take several days for Daniel to set up a shot before he has a frame he’s happy with.

He said: ‘I take pictures of the moon in all its phases, it’s a real passion.’ 

The photos themselves take a few hours to complete, as capturing the moon in sharp focus is no easy feat. 

After that, Daniel uses a collage technique to insert the moon into the original photograph. ‘A complete job, from photography to treatment, usually takes no more than a day or two,’ he said.

To get these amazing images Daniel uses a Canon T6 with a 75-300mm lens for the moon and a 18-55mm lens for the scenery.

Over the years, Daniel’s photos have become quite successful, but he ‘doesn’t dream of being a celebrity’. 

‘[The photos] convey peace. This is my biggest goal with this artwork. 

‘Unfortunately going to the moon is an impossible dream. But through art, I can take people there with me.

‘My goal on social media has always been to bring people good energy… My dream is to immortalize my art and the Moon has made it possible.‘