Harry Potter casts a long shadow. JK Rowling’s series has shaped perceptions of children’s books ever since they were first published, and has become a touchstone for the Millennial generation. It’s no surprise that any concept of a magical world co-existing with everyday reality will invite comparisons with Hogwarts.

Lev Grossman’s ‘Magicians’ books – now adapted into a TV series on the SyFy channel – imagine a magical academy in a much more gritty and grown-up world. The tones are darker, the characters more troubled – and, naturally for the screen, much sexier. Perhaps this is only fitting. The young readers who were the first to grow up with Harry Potter are in their 20s and 30s now, and the world they’ve grown up into is often an unstable and precarious one.

Arcangel photographers have explored some of these themes in their work. The image selection here suggests magic in the everyday, but often with a sense of doubt and lost innocence.

We hope you enjoy the selection, and if you’re designing for young adult or genre fiction you might find inspiration within!

Please click here to see the selection of images