Glasses, light bulbs, tea cups, and books—items we all probably have sitting somewhere around our house or apartment… but have you ever used them to flex your Photoshop muscle and create something cool?

For his unusual still life photos, 500pxer Valentino Grassi does exactly that. He takes household objects that might seem mundane and uses them to create something surprising.

The steam rising off the hot surface of a cup of tea become a hummingbird or ballet dancer; the tiny bit of ice cube left in a glass of vodka is now the lonely home of a solitary polar bear; the story of Moby Dick literally emerges from the page.

Valentino’s work was a joy to discover and browse through. Here are 10 creative still life photo manipulations he’s put together and shared on 500px:

Fireflies by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

Cold Vodka by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

Smoking Dancer by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

. by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

Little World by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

Little Bulb by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

Sailors and Whales by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

Sailors by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

Lumen et Umbra by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

spring tea by Valentino Grassi on 500px.com

To see more of Valentino’s work—which goes, by the way, far beyond still life photo manipulations into self-portraits and other creative creations—head over to his 500px account and give that blue Follow button a press.

You can also find him on his website and Instagram.