This is <strong>Dita Pepe</strong>. She's the one in the bridal gown. Except this is not her wedding, and this is not her family. <br /><br /><em>Click on the right side of the picture or on the arrows below to uncover the story. </em>
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
This is Dita Pepe. She's the one in the bridal gown. Except this is not her wedding, and this is not her family.

Click on the right side of the picture or on the arrows below to uncover the story.
Courtesy Dita Pepe
The Czech photographer (right) is a chameleon: manipulating her age, character, and social status to adapt to the people with whom she is photographed. Since 1999, the has created dozens of meticulously staged self-portraits in which she appears to be part of another people's lives, merging herself -- and, more recently, her family -- into the worlds of complete strangers.<br /><br />Here, she explains why she does it, how she achieves it, and what she has learned from entering into the lives of others...
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
The Czech photographer (right) is a chameleon: manipulating her age, character, and social status to adapt to the people with whom she is photographed. Since 1999, the has created dozens of meticulously staged self-portraits in which she appears to be part of another people's lives, merging herself -- and, more recently, her family -- into the worlds of complete strangers.

Here, she explains why she does it, how she achieves it, and what she has learned from entering into the lives of others...
Courtesy Dita Pepe
<strong>By email, she explains how it all started: </strong><br /><br />"When I was about nineteen I did not exactly know what to do with myself. At the age of 18 I ran away from home -- I lived at my friend's house. My schoolmates from the grammar school went to university and I went to Germany to work as an au-pair..."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
By email, she explains how it all started:

"When I was about nineteen I did not exactly know what to do with myself. At the age of 18 I ran away from home -- I lived at my friend's house. My schoolmates from the grammar school went to university and I went to Germany to work as an au-pair..."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
"Unconsciously, I was still looking for female ideals to inspire me. I took pictures of myself in different disguises. It was at around 1999 when the first series of self-portraits came to light."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
"Unconsciously, I was still looking for female ideals to inspire me. I took pictures of myself in different disguises. It was at around 1999 when the first series of self-portraits came to light."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
<strong>For 15 years she has arranged to meet people and perform photo-shoots. Each one would happen differently:</strong><br /><br />"To reach certain authenticity, I would dress into their clothes, use their personal belongings, clothes from their wardrobe or of their family. I would discuss with them their hair style, face expression, their typical pose or gesture."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
For 15 years she has arranged to meet people and perform photo-shoots. Each one would happen differently:

"To reach certain authenticity, I would dress into their clothes, use their personal belongings, clothes from their wardrobe or of their family. I would discuss with them their hair style, face expression, their typical pose or gesture."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
"It is a very interesting experience, kind of hard to describe verbally. I somehow completely forget about myself," <strong>Pepe says of her feelings on shoot.</strong><br /><br />"By using someone else's clothes, I think I am dressing into someone else's skin and change my body odor."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
"It is a very interesting experience, kind of hard to describe verbally. I somehow completely forget about myself," Pepe says of her feelings on shoot.

"By using someone else's clothes, I think I am dressing into someone else's skin and change my body odor."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
"After the shooting and meeting with them, when I go home, I am always totally exhausted, but also totally excited about that new experience."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
"After the shooting and meeting with them, when I go home, I am always totally exhausted, but also totally excited about that new experience."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
"The place I would do the shooting was also relevant and important to them... It was pretty much a game. For me, it is always very important that the photographed people feel well and not just like an object."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
"The place I would do the shooting was also relevant and important to them... It was pretty much a game. For me, it is always very important that the photographed people feel well and not just like an object."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
In the past, Pepe has posed the question: "<strong>What would it be like if I had been born somewhere else, in a different way, to other parents?</strong>" Today, she says she has learned a few things:<br /><br />"I feel some sort of humbleness, tolerance and remembrance that nothing is eternal..."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
In the past, Pepe has posed the question: "What would it be like if I had been born somewhere else, in a different way, to other parents?" Today, she says she has learned a few things:

"I feel some sort of humbleness, tolerance and remembrance that nothing is eternal..."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
"The individual meetings with different kinds of people, talking with them have enriched me a lot. And I do feel that with some of them, we became friends. I am still in touch with some of them."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
"The individual meetings with different kinds of people, talking with them have enriched me a lot. And I do feel that with some of them, we became friends. I am still in touch with some of them."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
Pepe titled her university thesis "Photography as a form of therapy," and many of her projects see the photographer and her subjects examining their view of themselves. <br /><br />In 2012, she published a book with writer Bara Baronová called MISSIS, which looked at the lives unmarried women in the Czech Republic.
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
Pepe titled her university thesis "Photography as a form of therapy," and many of her projects see the photographer and her subjects examining their view of themselves.

In 2012, she published a book with writer Bara Baronová called MISSIS, which looked at the lives unmarried women in the Czech Republic.
Courtesy Dita Pepe
<strong>Even today, each new shoot is a fresh learning experience, she says:</strong><br /><br />"I cannot really tell how deeply I get to know the people during a half a day shooting session... the meetings are very rewarding for me."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
Even today, each new shoot is a fresh learning experience, she says:

"I cannot really tell how deeply I get to know the people during a half a day shooting session... the meetings are very rewarding for me."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
<strong>The child pictured above is her daughter Ida</strong>.<br /><br />"My family is present in this project several times. I often take pictures of my daughters..."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
The child pictured above is her daughter Ida.

"My family is present in this project several times. I often take pictures of my daughters..."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
"I explain to them my concept of work as if I work on a movie, where I work as director, camera-man and actor at the same time."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
"I explain to them my concept of work as if I work on a movie, where I work as director, camera-man and actor at the same time."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
"Overall, I think most of the reactions were positive," she says <br /><br /><strong>Occasionally, she meets people who respond to her portraits with concern</strong> -- saying "that I must be kind of weird," she writes -- "but I do not take it as something negative."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
"Overall, I think most of the reactions were positive," she says

Occasionally, she meets people who respond to her portraits with concern -- saying "that I must be kind of weird," she writes -- "but I do not take it as something negative."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
<strong>After 15 years blending in with other families, Pepe is looking to the future:</strong><br /><br />"Now we worked on the last book about self-acceptance, called <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bara-dita.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">LOVE YOURSELF.</a> Currently we are working on a new project with the theme of INTIMACY."
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
After 15 years blending in with other families, Pepe is looking to the future:

"Now we worked on the last book about self-acceptance, called LOVE YOURSELF. Currently we are working on a new project with the theme of INTIMACY."
Courtesy Dita Pepe
"I am now preparing for a working trip to Japan, where I would like to take photographs of Japanese women," she says.
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
"I am now preparing for a working trip to Japan, where I would like to take photographs of Japanese women," she says.
Courtesy Dita Pepe
<strong>Pepe pictured at home this year with her real-life family.</strong>
Portraiture's chameleon queen blends into the lives of others —
Pepe pictured at home this year with her real-life family.
Courtesy Dita Pepe