# Surreal Urban Cityscapes Photographer Swopes Captures Submerged Stills on his Instagram Page By Jana Pijak | Published 2015-01-26 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/urban-cityscape References: [fubiz.net](http://www.fubiz.net/2015/01/26/surrealist-pictures-of-new-york/) & [instagram](http://instagram.com/swopes/?modal=true) Photographer Elise Swopes' [Instagram](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-generated-world) page has nearly reached 250 000 followers thanks to her inspiring and surreal urban cityscape portraits. The Chicago native captures iconic city scenes and infuses them with gorgeous and sometimes scary elements. From [cascading waterfalls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transposition-installtion) to submerged skylines, the artist's works are both captivating and dreamlike in their aesthetic. In addition to being beautiful to look at, Elise Swopes' Instagram posts also serve as a social commentary on today's fragile environmental state. Resembling stills from apocalyptic films like '2012' and 'The Day After Tomorrow', her urban cityscape photographs paint a beautiful but dystopian picture of American metropolises and their future. This photo series will appeal to the environmentally conscious art lover and those with an appreciation for [surrealist imagery](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.2/10 - Popularity: 49% | Activity: 10% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Surreal Cityscape Photography:** Opportunity for photographers to create captivating and dreamlike urban scenes by infusing them with unexpected elements. - **Social Commentary Through Art:** Chance for artists to use their work as a means of addressing and highlighting social and environmental issues. - **Apocalyptic Aesthetics:** Potential for artists to depict dystopian future scenarios through their visual artworks. ### Who This Affects Most - **Photography:** Photographers can explore opportunities to create unique and visually striking cityscape photographs. - **Art:** Artists can leverage their creativity to deliver thought-provoking messages through their art. - **Film and Entertainment:** Filmmakers and designers can draw inspiration from surreal urban cityscape photography to create visually stunning and immersive apocalyptic film scenes. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI-Generated Real-World Transformations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-generated-world.md) - [Public Art Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paul-anthony-smith.md) - [Digital City-Inspired Art Works](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grand-central-station.md) - [AI-Generated Poetic Photo Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emilio-alarcn.md) - [Statement Street Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1.md) - [Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contemporary-urban-art.md) - [Chalk Streams Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/british-conceptual-landscape-photographer.md) - [Striking Urban Wildlife Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clare-allin.md) - [Suburban-Inspired Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/suburbaninspired-art-exhibition.md)