Thought the black and blue dress was an optical illusion ? It 's nothing compared to these mind-boggling pictures by a Swedish photographer , artist , and Photoshop genius . Erik Johansson , 30 , who is based in Berlin , Germany , says he doesn ’ t capture moments , but instead captures ideas . He takes mundane scenarios , including houses , cars and streets and transforms them into optical illusions , which he describes as , 'surreal ideas realised in a realistic way with a touch of humour ' . Scroll down for video . Swedish photographer , artist , and Photoshop genius , Erik Johansson , has created mind-boggling photos like this inside-out house that look different on each glance . In this image called The Architect the subject seems to be both inside and outside the house . Erik , born in Gotene , Sweden , who aims to challenge and perplex the viewer , uses his artistry to confuse people who look at his work . From cars seemingly driving upside-down on bridges to spaces that , at a glance , appear to be a bedroom and then suddenly look like a field , his work is challenging , clever and full of subtle detail . Erik explains that he wants his work to evoke a problem-solving approach . Although one photo can consist of hundreds of different images merged into one , he always wants it to look like it could have snapped by a camera . He said : 'It ’ s the challenge : can I put this very weird idea in a photograph and make it look like it was just captured ? ' In a series of behind-the-scenes videos he gives an insight into his painstaking method . To make Landfall , a work of visual trickery that looks as though green fields - rather than water - are pouring over a cliff edge , he layered 235 separate images . He photographed the fields to provide the backdrop , then built a scale model of a house and landscape out of cardboard , which he covered in gloopy green paint and shot . He takes mundane scenarios and gives them a more interesting edge by flipping them on their head , like in Landfall . In Brain Games , a man is seen pulling aside the night sky as he would a curtain to reveal the dawn and green landscape before him . Using Photoshop , he turned the running paint into rolling fields and superimposed a photograph of a house on to the cardboard model , adding a photo of a water wheel to complete the fantastical and dramatic shot of a dreamy , bucolic landscape that seems to be falling over a cliff . On his website he writes : ' I get inspiration from all things around me . Anything from things I see in my daily life to other artist ’ s work and photography . I think it ’ s a lot about looking at the world from a different perspective . ' I think I get more inspiration from paintings rather than photos . But there are tons of inspiration online . Here are some websites and blogs I visit for inspiration . ' He cites Rene Magritte , Salvador Dali and MC Escher as artistic influences . Each image can anything from a few weeks to years to create . Erik says each idea starts with a sketch and if he thinks it 's good enough he will start planning how to do it . This image , entitled Do n't Look Back , shows a woman walking down a winding road that 's crumbling behind her every step . Is it a bedroom or a field ? In Closing Out , interiors and exterior meld as one in this seemingly simple tableau . In the optical illusion Cover Up , a man is hiding his real view with a better , more idealised image on wallpaper which he hangs on a line . He said : 'Once I ’ ve come up with an idea that I think is good enough to realise I need to find the places I need to shoot to put the photo together . This can take anywhere between a few days to several months , sometimes years . 'This is the most important step as it defines the look and feel of the photo , it ’ s my raw material . This step also includes problem solving , how to make the reflections , materials etc realistic . ' He then sets about collecting or creating all the aspects he needs to bring his vision to life . 'The final part is putting the photos together . This takes anything from a few days to several weeks . This is actually the easiest step , if I did a good job in the first and second step . 'This part is like a puzzle , I have all the pieces , I just need to put them together . ' he said . Reverse Opposite is mind-bendig as , with an MC Escher drawing , the car seems both on and under the bridge at the same time . In Erik 's description of this picture , called Cutting light , he describes it as 'the strongest light bulb there is . Cutting through wood , concrete and stone in just moments ' This image is called Dreamwalking and captures the state between dream world and reality . Although one photo can consist of lots of different images merged into one , he always wants it to look like it could have been captured as a whole picture . In Helping Fall , a woman is seen hoovering leaves off the tree to help the process along .
Swedish photographer , Erik Johansson , spends months photographing images to build up to the finished picture . Each image is made up of hundreds of separate shots and painstakingly detailed work by the expert retoucher . Erik , 30 , said : 'Can I put this very weird idea in a photograph and make it look like it was just captured ? '