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'This is her ice castle': Photographer talks Frozen-inspired Middle Cove shoot

A magical scene from Disney's Frozen can be seen in real life, but you don't have to climb a mountain to spot it — just head to Middle Cove beach in Newfoundland.

Middle Cove "Frozen" shoot

10 years ago
Duration 2:20
Photographer Kit Sora describes the photo shoot that led to wonderful "Frozen" pictures from Middle Cove

A magical scene from Disney's Frozen can be seen in real life, but you don't have to climb a mountain to spot it  just head to Middle Cove beach in Newfoundland.

An ordinary walk to the beach one winter day turned into inspiration for an ice queen photo shoot, featuring a model dressed in full costume as ice queen Elsa.

Photographer Kit Sora said she got the idea for a Frozen-themed photo shoot after coming across the frozen falls.

"It was just a normal walk on the beach, my boyfriend and I came down just for fun, and I had a suspicion that the [ice wall] was there but I didn't know to what expect. It kinda surpassed my dreams, I guess," she said.

Sora added that the scene was a big inspiration, and once she saw it she knew she had to do a shoot there. She got her friend Mae Dalton to dress up in full costume as Elsa, the main character from Frozen.

"We had blankets, we had books and socks and coats and the whole nine yards, ready to go," said Sora.

"The ice wall was definitely the selling feature because Elsa eventually makes an ice castle and that's kinda of where she resides and hangs out, and that's where she discovers herself and it's a beautiful part in the movie and [the icewall] resembled that part of [the movie]."

Natural wonder

Since the photo was shared around on social media, Sora said the response has been "overwhelming."

"I've gotten so many messages and comments saying 'where is this, I don't believe it's here,' and people say it's photoshopped, like, 'This can't be real,' but ta-da, it is,'" said Sora.
Photographer Kit Sora says she's received a lot of messages asking if her Frozen-inspired photos were photoshopped, but she says the only change was in the tone of the blue to match the colours from Frozen. (CBC)

Sora said the only thing that's been altered in the photographs is a bit of blue colouring added to the dress, to match the colours in the original film.

According to Sora, the original intent of the photo was to promote Sci-Fi on the Rock, an annual sci-fi convention in St. John's. The pictures will still be used for that purpose, but they've also spread it around on social media.

While most of the frozen wall has melted in the warmer temperatures, the photos remain as evidence of the scene that didn't need any movie magic to bring to life.