Small world: how a photographer creates destinations in miniature without leaving home

Small world: how a photographer creates destinations in miniature without leaving home - Vatsal Kataria, a commercial photographer based in India, likes to travel. But he never leaves home.

Instead, he visits destinations around the world by creating scenes of well-known places and historic landmarks in miniature.

Browse the gallery and see how big a small world can be.

0 / 31 Fotos

Preparation - Vatsal Kataria uses several production tricks to reproduce climatic conditions. For this image he wanted to create a snowy environment.

1 / 31 Fotos

The result - This photograph could have been taken in frozen wastes of a Nordic country, but all Kataria really did was to "travel" to a room at home and use various day-to-day materials to create the scene.

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A study in concentration - The photographer posts images on his personal Instagram account that detail the production process. Setting the scene requires a high degree of concentration and attention to detail.

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The result - Kataria will then use post-production editing software to complete the picture.

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Visiting the pyramids - The photographer has the skill and ability to reproduce dozens of different scenarios in all kinds of weather conditions.

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Antiquity in miniature - In many cases his images are more fascinating to the eye than those taken live.

6 / 31 Fotos

Welcome to Stonehenge - Kataria likes to recreate scenes of famous landmarks and monuments.

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Stonehenge revisited - And to capture this ancient and historic landmark, Kataria didn't even have to travel to the UK.

8 / 31 Fotos

Temple of Apollo Epicurius - As a photographer, Kataria saves on travel and takes advantage of the various materials at his disposal in order to recreate these fantasy worlds.

9 / 31 Fotos

A picture of Greece - At first glance you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a real photograph of the temple rather than a miniature reproduction.

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Setting the scenes - The photographer recreates all sorts of scenes and environments, and has even been able to promote brands through his techniques.

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Life imitating art - The realism he achieves makes it hard to believe that the abandoned car in this image is actually a miniature model.

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One room studio - The photographer only requires a room and a small working space to reproduce images that leave many speechless.

13 / 31 Fotos

From studio to road - Kataria's visionary and creative skills are difficult to ignore, especially when the results are so realistic.

14 / 31 Fotos

An art for all - Kataria embraces many scenic themes and works with several renowned clients.

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The real thing? - The finished result makes you want to jump into this Volkswagen camper van and drive off into the night.

16 / 31 Fotos

Monument to love - Kataria created this extraordinary structure by using rolls of kitchen paper.

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Labour of love - A miniature world made possible through great artistic talent.

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Cave man - Many of these miniature worlds are created by using everyday household materials.

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The finished result - Complementing Kataria's model making ability is his photography, which adds another dimension to the cave's interior.

20 / 31 Fotos

Achieving the right look - The photographer never skips on detail and will always use the materials required in order to achieve the correct textual look.

21 / 31 Fotos

A door into his world - It's not hard to imagine a place like this located in the real world.

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Preparing for race day - At this stage of production, the sports cars are static. But Kataria will complete the picture by making them appear as if racing full throttle against each other. Take a look at the next image.

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At full throttle - At first glance it's as if the two cars are driving at speed, like a photograph taken at a real motorsports event.

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Snow fall - Using the correct materials to achieve the right result is crucial if a realistic effect is to be created, especially when working in miniature.

25 / 31 Fotos

Classic image - Combined with photographic know-how and refined post-production techniques, the final scene is truly memorable.

26 / 31 Fotos

Tricks of the trade - For this shot, Kataria transformed a simple box into a luxury garage, good enough to park a vintage motor car in.

27 / 31 Fotos

Model looks - And the car in question? A prestigious Bugatti, in reality a miniature model. Katari's work is always worth a second look.

28 / 31 Fotos

Making fantasy a reality - Vatsal Kataria is not just someone who recreates scenes or historic landmarks from the real world. He's also adept at imagining and building worlds of fantasy.

29 / 31 Fotos

A world of imagination - And this extraordinary scene was completed in just 24 hours, a fact Kataria revealed in one of his Instagram posts.

30 / 31 Fotos

0 / 31 Fotos

Preparation - Vatsal Kataria uses several production tricks to reproduce climatic conditions. For this image he wanted to create a snowy environment.

1 / 31 Fotos

2 / 31 Fotos

3 / 31 Fotos

The result - Kataria will then use post-production editing software to complete the picture.

4 / 31 Fotos

Visiting the pyramids - The photographer has the skill and ability to reproduce dozens of different scenarios in all kinds of weather conditions.

5 / 31 Fotos

Antiquity in miniature - In many cases his images are more fascinating to the eye than those taken live.

6 / 31 Fotos

Welcome to Stonehenge - Kataria likes to recreate scenes of famous landmarks and monuments.

7 / 31 Fotos

Stonehenge revisited - And to capture this ancient and historic landmark, Kataria didn't even have to travel to the UK.

8 / 31 Fotos

Temple of Apollo Epicurius - As a photographer, Kataria saves on travel and takes advantage of the various materials at his disposal in order to recreate these fantasy worlds.

9 / 31 Fotos

A picture of Greece - At first glance you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a real photograph of the temple rather than a miniature reproduction.

10 / 31 Fotos

Setting the scenes - The photographer recreates all sorts of scenes and environments, and has even been able to promote brands through his techniques.

11 / 31 Fotos

Life imitating art - The realism he achieves makes it hard to believe that the abandoned car in this image is actually a miniature model.

12 / 31 Fotos

One room studio - The photographer only requires a room and a small working space to reproduce images that leave many speechless.

13 / 31 Fotos

From studio to road - Kataria's visionary and creative skills are difficult to ignore, especially when the results are so realistic.

14 / 31 Fotos

An art for all - Kataria embraces many scenic themes and works with several renowned clients.

15 / 31 Fotos

The real thing? - The finished result makes you want to jump into this Volkswagen camper van and drive off into the night.

16 / 31 Fotos

Monument to love - Kataria created this extraordinary structure by using rolls of kitchen paper.

17 / 31 Fotos

Labour of love - A miniature world made possible through great artistic talent.

18 / 31 Fotos

Cave man - Many of these miniature worlds are created by using everyday household materials.

19 / 31 Fotos

The finished result - Complementing Kataria's model making ability is his photography, which adds another dimension to the cave's interior.

20 / 31 Fotos

Achieving the right look - The photographer never skips on detail and will always use the materials required in order to achieve the correct textual look.

21 / 31 Fotos

A door into his world - It's not hard to imagine a place like this located in the real world.

22 / 31 Fotos

23 / 31 Fotos

At full throttle - At first glance it's as if the two cars are driving at speed, like a photograph taken at a real motorsports event.

24 / 31 Fotos

Snow fall - Using the correct materials to achieve the right result is crucial if a realistic effect is to be created, especially when working in miniature.

25 / 31 Fotos

Classic image - Combined with photographic know-how and refined post-production techniques, the final scene is truly memorable.

26 / 31 Fotos

Tricks of the trade - For this shot, Kataria transformed a simple box into a luxury garage, good enough to park a vintage motor car in.

27 / 31 Fotos

Model looks - And the car in question? A prestigious Bugatti, in reality a miniature model. Katari's work is always worth a second look.

28 / 31 Fotos

Making fantasy a reality - Vatsal Kataria is not just someone who recreates scenes or historic landmarks from the real world. He's also adept at imagining and building worlds of fantasy.

29 / 31 Fotos

A world of imagination - And this extraordinary scene was completed in just 24 hours, a fact Kataria revealed in one of his Instagram posts.

30 / 31 Fotos

Small world: how a photographer creates destinations in miniature without leaving home

Take a look at these tiny versions of the world

07/05/18 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Photography

Commercial photographer Vatsal Kataria travels the world without leaving his home. He creates scenes from different places in miniature using an extraordinary array of materials and employing a variety of post-production skills and techniques.

Photographs posted on his Instagram account detail the complex production process behind each image, but here's an at-a-glance explanation of how he achieves such incredible results.

Browse the gallery for a fascinating journey around the world in miniature.