Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved fairy tales, but as a teenager and later as college student, that interest morphed into both a research and art subject. While I’ll refrain from regurgitating more than half of my college writing portfolio, some of my favorite images have come from the fascination, and more especially the focus on objects in fairy tales. May they be shrouded in old silk and gauze, or lined in gold, the fairy tale object is a tantalizing subject. It’s the ultimate McGuffin, it’s your magic mirror, your sword in the stone, your glass slipper. It will change the story or maybe it will not.
It defines the main characters and their struggles. After all, what is Red Riding Hood without her cloak or Sleeping Beauty without a spinning wheel? Not all are as embodied with meaning as the red cloak (a deep dive worthy subject, if I’ve ever seen one), but when it comes to photographs and more specifically, stylized stock photography they’re low-hanging fruit. Who doesn’t need an ornate mirror on silk? I certainly do.
So here are a handful of images from a photoset I did that focused on dark fairy tales with moody, brassy golds and the hint of age.
Sarah Penney Designs 