Artist transforms travel photos with paper cutouts

By Chuck Thompson, CNN
Updated 9:22 AM EST, Mon November 2, 2015
Rich McCor's clever takes on familiar world monuments have earned worldwide attention. Photos like this one of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris made him an overnight Instagram sensation.
Unique vision —
Rich McCor's clever takes on familiar world monuments have earned worldwide attention. Photos like this one of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris made him an overnight Instagram sensation.
Courtesy Rich McCor
Londoner McCor's project started on a whim when he snapped this photo of the city's Big Ben clock tower. "A young girl and her father came round and asked to see the photo I'd just taken," McCor says. "They asked if I had more of these. That encouraged me to see what other icons I could shoot."
Where it all began —
Londoner McCor's project started on a whim when he snapped this photo of the city's Big Ben clock tower. "A young girl and her father came round and asked to see the photo I'd just taken," McCor says. "They asked if I had more of these. That encouraged me to see what other icons I could shoot."
Courtesy Rich McCor
McCor shot this one of Copenhagen's landmark Cirkelbroen bridge for Lonely Planet, which sponsored part of a trip around Europe.
Alien abduction —
McCor shot this one of Copenhagen's landmark Cirkelbroen bridge for Lonely Planet, which sponsored part of a trip around Europe.
Courtesy Rich McCor
McCor added some whimsy to Charles Petillon's already whimsical "Heartbeat" temporary installation of 100,000 white balloons in London's Covent Garden.
Escape artist —
McCor added some whimsy to Charles Petillon's already whimsical "Heartbeat" temporary installation of 100,000 white balloons in London's Covent Garden.
Courtesy Rich McCor
"It's just a hobby, it was only in June I started doing it," says McCor of his pictures. "Now it's taken off and gone viral. I went from 5,000 followers on Instagram to about 60,000 in a week." Shots like this one of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen are one reason for the popularity.
Classic modern portrait —
"It's just a hobby, it was only in June I started doing it," says McCor of his pictures. "Now it's taken off and gone viral. I went from 5,000 followers on Instagram to about 60,000 in a week." Shots like this one of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen are one reason for the popularity.
Courtesy Rich McCor
"It's totally just for fun, for my own amusement," says McCor about his pictures. "When I started doing it I was just Instagramming for myself and friends." This inventive London Eye image has helped him make new friends.
Wheels in the sky —
"It's totally just for fun, for my own amusement," says McCor about his pictures. "When I started doing it I was just Instagramming for myself and friends." This inventive London Eye image has helped him make new friends.
Courtesy Rich McCor
There was no need to go inside the Paris Louvre to see its most famous exhibit when McCor positioned the Mona Lisa on its roof.
Hover craft —
There was no need to go inside the Paris Louvre to see its most famous exhibit when McCor positioned the Mona Lisa on its roof.
Courtesy Rich McCor
In the intricate glass ceiling at Amsterdam's Maritime Museum, McCor, who works for a London creative agency, saw something less man-made.
Design sense —
In the intricate glass ceiling at Amsterdam's Maritime Museum, McCor, who works for a London creative agency, saw something less man-made.
Courtesy Rich McCor
"When it started to get a little bit of interest a part of me thought I could I carry on doing it," says McCor. "And I love traveling." The project has taken him around Europe, including Montmartre (pictured) in Paris.
Why would the Internet not love this? —
"When it started to get a little bit of interest a part of me thought I could I carry on doing it," says McCor. "And I love traveling." The project has taken him around Europe, including Montmartre (pictured) in Paris.
Courtesy Rich McCor
With the storied Hunchback at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, McCor couldn't resist adding one icon to another.
Insta-legend —
With the storied Hunchback at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, McCor couldn't resist adding one icon to another.
Courtesy Rich McCor
The statue of Eros in London's Piccadilly Circus is made of aluminum. McCor's cutouts are made with cardstock and what he calls "a scalpel-like knife."
Old town, new look —
The statue of Eros in London's Piccadilly Circus is made of aluminum. McCor's cutouts are made with cardstock and what he calls "a scalpel-like knife."
Courtesy Rich McCor
McCor adds relevant trivia to his posts: "When the Abbey National bank had its London headquarters at 215-229 Baker Street, they had a member of staff to respond to letters to Sherlock Holmes at 221b," he says.
See anyting interetsing? —
McCor adds relevant trivia to his posts: "When the Abbey National bank had its London headquarters at 215-229 Baker Street, they had a member of staff to respond to letters to Sherlock Holmes at 221b," he says.
Courtesy Rich McCor
McCor says being called an artist sounds "phony," but he's earned acclaim with pics that mix in some "The Lord of the Rings" symbolism by topping London's St. George Wharf Tower with Tolkien's Eye of Sauron.
"I'm no artist!" —
McCor says being called an artist sounds "phony," but he's earned acclaim with pics that mix in some "The Lord of the Rings" symbolism by topping London's St. George Wharf Tower with Tolkien's Eye of Sauron.
Courtesy Rich McCor
Turning London's St. Paul's into an ice cream cone? That's one way to make church more enjoyable.
Sunday morning daydreams —
Turning London's St. Paul's into an ice cream cone? That's one way to make church more enjoyable.
Courtesy Rich McCor
"Just beyond the courtyard from Stockholm's City Hall are two bronze sculptures 'Sangen' and 'Dansen' ('The Song' and 'The Dance')," says McCor. "I thought I'd add a bath brush and a head full of foam to make it 'The Shower Dansen.'"
Natural talent —
"Just beyond the courtyard from Stockholm's City Hall are two bronze sculptures 'Sangen' and 'Dansen' ('The Song' and 'The Dance')," says McCor. "I thought I'd add a bath brush and a head full of foam to make it 'The Shower Dansen.'"
Courtesy Rich McCor
McCor was apparently thinking about the weekend when he re-imagined these fountains near London's Tower Bridge.
Top of the pops —
McCor was apparently thinking about the weekend when he re-imagined these fountains near London's Tower Bridge.
Courtesy Rich McCor
It took Landseer's Lions at Trafalgar Square in London to remain unmoved by McCor's creativity. For the rest of us, they're catnip. You can follow Rich McCor and see more of his photos on <a href="https://instagram.com/paperboyo/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.
Typical feline —
It took Landseer's Lions at Trafalgar Square in London to remain unmoved by McCor's creativity. For the rest of us, they're catnip. You can follow Rich McCor and see more of his photos on Instagram.
Courtesy Rich McCor
Artist transforms travel photos with paper cutouts
CNN  — 

Taking pictures of famous landmarks is like writing a thank-you letter or ironing a shirt.

You’re sorta obligated to do it, and everyone does it more or less the same way.

So when someone figures out a unique style of getting the job done, people notice.

That’s what happened when Londoner Rich McCor began adorning pictures of British landmarks with whimsical paper cutouts and posting the results online.

Originally, the 28-year-old creative agency worker intended the photos for the amusement of himself and friends.

Then he got a lesson on the impact of “viral” when Britain’s “Daily Mail” publicized some of his photos.

“I went from 5,000 followers on Instagram to about 60,000 in a week,” McCor tells CNN.

According to McCor, Lonely Planet contacted him and sponsored part of a trip around Europe to put his artistic touch on monuments in Paris, Stockholm, Copenhagen and other cities.

Idea was bolt of inspiration

The whole thing started with a cutout of a watchband artfully placed in front of London’s Big Ben clock tower. (See gallery above.)

“In London there are so many iconic landmarks,” McCor says. “As a photographer, I wanted to find a way to photograph London in a way it hadn’t been done before.”

Copenhagen's Little Mermaid is apparently no selfie-stick snob.
Copenhagen's Little Mermaid is apparently no selfie-stick snob.
Courtesy Rich McCor

The inspiration for placing a cutout in front of the iconic clock came partly from some quick-stop animation work he’d done as a work project.

“A young girl and her father came round and asked to see the photo I’d just taken,” he says.

“They asked if I had more of these. I said no and they said you should do more.

“That encouraged me to see what other icons in London I could shoot.”

McCord uses cardstock and a scalpel-like knife to create his cutouts.

Some of the ideas come to him quickly. Others he ponders for a while.

Just don’t call him an artist

McCor isn’t in danger of being seduced by his insta-fame.

“The interest is exciting but I’m keeping my feet on the ground about the whole thing,” he says.

“I just stumbled upon this with Big Ben and the wristwatch thing and now people are calling me an artist, which feels so pretentious and phony.”

Even so, he hopes the popularity of his pictures might lead to bigger things.

“If I can, I’d like to make this into an opportunity to do more traveling,” he says.

“My ambition is to do something for the Olympics in 2016 [in Rio de Janeiro]. That’d be fantastic.”

You can follow Rich McCor and see more of his photos on Instagram.

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