You might remember Jan von Holleben’s photo series Dream of Flying, in which she placed children into surreal action sequences horizontally.  Slovenia photographer Matej Peljhan uses the same technique for photos of 12-year-old Luka to put a twist on classic children’s book The Little Prince in a collection called Le Petit Prince. The difference is that Luka has muscular dystrophy.

Due to the degenerative disease, Luka is unable to do even the most basic of everyday activities such as washing himself, dressing, and eating. His physical capability is mostly limited to tiny movements of his fingers, which allow him to move about in his electric wheelchair. He is also able to hold a colored pen, with which he can slowly turn his imagination into drawings in a notebook.

During a conversation he had with Luka, Peljhan learned that the boy wished to see himself in photographs walking, exploring, and getting into mischief. Rather than use some type of digital trickery to make this dream a reality, Peljhan decided to simply use a different perspective.

The photographer didn’t rely on Photoshop or special effects to create a whimsical world for Luka to be photographed in — he simply changed his perspective, literally.  See Luka breakdancing, swimming, and even flying at PetaPixel.