IN one photo, 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton looks downcast in a men’s restroom, an American flag dangling from her fingertips.

    In another, golfer Tiger Woods admires a passing brunette as he lounges on the stairs of a hotel, dressed in sports attire and holding a golf club.

    But these striking images are not as they first appear — they are actually celebrity lookalikes, captured by Canadian photographer John Hryniuk.

    Hryniuk, from Toronto, traveled to lookalike conventions in California, Nevada, Florida and elsewhere over five years to create the photo series. He said he was inspired to construct the series after growing tired of photographing real stars at the Toronto International Film Festival.

    “Every year I cover the festival shooting portraits for various magazines and news outlets,” he said. “I usually get three minutes in a boring hotel suite to photograph anyone from Michael Caine to Tilda Swinton. It’s pretty much impossible to get something interesting from these shoots.

    “I decided a project with the next best thing would be awesome. Celebrity lookalikes give you all the time in the world. I can take Elvis, Tiger Woods or Hillary Clinton into unique places. The Hillary Clinton shot was epic because I photographed her in the men’s bathroom of the hotel she was staying in.

    “This is where I would capture the real Hillary Clinton if I had the chance. One of the world’s most powerful women in a men’s bathroom. It says a lot.”

    Other photos in the series, titled “The Impersonators,” include Queen front man Freddie Mercury and “Guns N’ Roses” star Axl Rose partying backstage after a concert and former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, 51, reading a weapons magazine and sipping on a can of Budweiser while lying on a sun lounger.

    And one even features Darth Vader standing beside a row of urinals in a gleaming white-and-silver restroom.

    “I decide the settings to shoot the lookalikes in based on who they are,” explained Hryniuk. “I always try to say something about the real celebrity within when I photograph them.” He added, “I have a passion for what I do, and a drive to create for myself. I’m not a photographer for the money.”

    Hryniuk, who was born in Timmins, Ontario, and is working on a number of other projects, posts most of his pictures on Instagram and Facebook.

    He said the public’s reaction to “The Impersonators” — which also features Dame Edna Everage and Sean Connery — is typically “one of amusement.”

    “The impersonators I chose for this series look very close to the real thing,” he said. (SD-Agencies)