in the thick of it

When I first saw these photographs, I loved how my eye could automatically tell that parts of the photographs were three-dimensional and parts, the backgrounds, were flat. At first I thought it was some interesting trick of the camera to give them that look. And then I read this: 

"Thoroughly captivating and inescapably eerie, Elsewhere is an exploration of nine natural history museums throughout the United States, documented as never before. Drawn to the inherent mystery and melancholy of 'real nature' as constructed by history museums, photographer Nealy Blau sought to document more than just the contents of each diorama. the end result is a dreamlike collection of photographs that captures the true experience of each exhibit - a delicate balance of the real and unreal." 

And then I loved them even more.

Source: Nealy Blau via Terrain