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Here's what couples look like when they sleep — in surreal time-lapse photos

Gus Lubin
Wednesday 26 October 2016 18:59 BST
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(Gallery Johannes Faber)

Paul Maria Schneggenburger has always been fascinated with sleep."It’s an unconscious state of mind where scientists still haven’t really figured out yet what’s going on," he says.

Early in his career, Schneggenburger would take pictures of sleeping people where ever he saw them: "On the park bench, trains, at the party."

In 2010, he had the idea to take six-hour exposures of sleepers: first himself and then couples, families, and anyone else he could convince to come into his Vienna studio. Shot on black sheets in a dimly lit room, the images are intimate and surreal.

"The Sleep of the Beloved" is an ongoing series. Schneggenburger invites anyone who is interested to contact him about recording their own sleep.

Check out a selection below.

"The Sleep of the Beloved I"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved III"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved IX"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LI"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LIII"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LVI"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LX"

(Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber (Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LXI"

(Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber (Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LXIII"

(Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber (Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LXIV"

(Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber (Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LXV"

(Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber (Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LXVI"

(Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber (Courtesy Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LXVIII"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LXXI"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved LXXIX"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved V"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved VI"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved VII"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved VIII"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved X"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XI"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XII"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XIV"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XIX"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XLIII"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XLIX"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XV"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XVI"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XVII"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XXI"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XXII"

( Gallery Johannes Faber) (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XXIII"

( Gallery Johannes Faber) (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XXIV"

( Gallery Johannes Faber) (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XXV"

( Gallery Johannes Faber) (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XXX"

( Gallery Johannes Faber) (Gallery Johannes Faber)

"The Sleep of the Beloved XXXI"

(Gallery Johannes Faber (Gallery Johannes Faber)

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