Samuel has previously shared in an interview with Bored Panda that he became a fan of a mixture of live action and cartoons since he saw Robert Zemeckis' comedy "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" After he followed his father's footsteps and learned to edit with Photoshop, he decided to create something like that himself. He loved Disney since childhood and his photo manipulations not only bring memories back but are a lot of fun both for him and the audience.
We reached out to the artist once again to ask him to walk us through the process of his artwork and it turns out most of it is done in his own house.
"The first thing you need is a good photo idea. Sometimes I am doing everyday things at home and suddenly I am inspired to create a photo. Other times, inspiration comes to me watching Disney movies. When I know what photo I want to create, I just have to use Photoshop and create magic. The first thing I do is find the frames I need in the movies to create the characters. Then I take the photo in my house with my camera, and later I introduce the characters created in the photo using Photoshop."
It looks as if Samuel lives with these popular characters and each time, he surprises us with exciting crossovers. Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Phil from Hercules, and Stitch from Lilo & Stitch join Samuel for heated video gaming, Samuel is also helping Belle and Beast to get ready for a date night, tries to stay out of Cinderella's sisters' fight, rescues adorable Dalmatian pups from Cruella de Vil, does laundry with Aladdin, 'enjoys' karaoke with Yzma, Snow White, and Sebastian, watches horror movies with Timon, Pumba, and Jane Porter—anything is possible in Samuel's imaginary world.
Samuel's acting and directing skills came in handy in the context of this digital project. He photographs himself in carefully planned poses and with funny expressions that fit perfectly in the frame to make it seem like he actually interacts with cartoons in real life. Each image portrays different scenarios where the Disney world meets ours in the most simple yet amusing ways. Samuel told Bored Panda his skills help him choose the best scenes, lighting, and expressions for his photos.
We asked Samuel about the most challenging and the most rewarding parts of his Disney series.
"The biggest challenge with these photos is creating good lighting and shadows for the characters. If you do that right, it seems that the characters are with you in the scene. The most rewarding thing is seeing people's reactions when I post a photo. I like to see that something that I have created is liked by so many people."
This Disney series has enjoyed mad popularity online. With 309k Instagram followers, Samuel regularly cheers up Disney fans around the world with his fun content. However, the artist said he is not obsessed with the number of followers, and although it's very rewarding, he had never imagined so many people enjoying his work.
Having done nearly a hundred images up to date, Samuel shared what keeps him motivated and inspired: "I am still inspired because with each photo I create, I learn something new. I like to learn new things, and I still have a lot to learn. Creating these photos helps me improve my Photoshop skills."
So why Disney, you ask? Samuel has the answer: "I think Disney knows how to create movies with charismatic characters, unforgettable songs, and stories that make you forget your problems and live for a while in a world of magic and fantasy."
Samuel is a primary school teacher by day and artist by night. He admits that working with children is very rewarding and he learns a lot from them. His hobby also adds a fun twist to the job, which makes him probably the coolest teacher at school.
"My students have seen my photos and they have a lot of fun with them. Sometimes when we watch Disney movies in class, I show them my photos first so that they see that I am friends with the protagonists of the film."
