Real-life can be far, far weirder than fiction and what our imaginations can sometimes come up with, and we’ve collected the proof. What you can do with a camera is practically magical, and we’ve got a lot of respect for all types of photographers (aka Light Wizards). They can use perspective and reflections to their advantage to stage some truly mind-bending images.
Bored Panda has painstakingly hand-crafted this list, featuring some of the most impressive and coolest photos from the internet, which are incredibly hard to believe aren’t photoshopped. However, they’re completely ‘natural’ and unedited, with all of their illusory effects captured either intentionally or entirely by accident.
Scroll down for some truly impressive unedited pics that look photoshopped to the max, and upvote your fave ones. If these photos inspired you to try something similar, we’ve got an extra dose of phantasmic and fantastical photography motivation for you right over here.
Professional photographer Dominic Sberna was kind enough to answer our questions about photography, recognizing photo-editing in images, and the importance of camera angles. You'll find our full interview with him below, so be sure to scroll down and read his thoughts, Pandas.
#1 The Perspective Makes This Dog Look Like A Big Monster
Image credits: jstrydor
Bored Panda wanted to get pro photographer Dominic's opinion on what amateurs can do so they can react to awesome photo opportunities and miss as few of them as possible.
"Take your camera wherever you go if feasible or at least bring it with you if it's not on your person," he said that having your gear with you is incredibly important if you want to be ready for everything.
#2 My Black Cat Looks Like My White Cat’s Shadow
Image credits: JoshuaForLong
#3 Clouds In Harrodsburg, Kentucky. No Filter
Image credits: Johannah McKinney Cheek
"Reacting to a quick situation is just something that takes practice and doing it over and over. Luck is probably a factor too, depending on the situation of course," he told us that amateur photographers shouldn't stress out too much about missing good opportunities; their ability to react to events will improve with time and practice.
According to Dominic, there isn't a foolproof way of knowing whether or not a photo has been subtly photoshopped, unless you know what you're looking for. Becoming familiar with different editing techniques and what is physically possible without manipulating an image is how you can understand if someone has altered the image.
#4 Cat Nearly Gave Me A Heart Attack
Image credits: CaptainFiddler
#5 My Broken Antenna On My Car Looks Like A Half Sunken Boat
Image credits: ogre_easy
#6 I Covered A Door In Mirror Paper Squares And Now It Looks Almost Like Some Sort Of Portal
Image credits: SketchySandwich
Meanwhile, when it comes to mind-bending images, Dominic has had some experience with them, but they're not what he focuses on usually. "I have taken some unique reflection photos, but it is not something I do regularly. Getting different angles also depends on the situation and what I'm trying to achieve with an image," he said that the angle from which a photographer snaps a pic can change a lot about image, and it all depends on the pro's intent.
Previously, Bored Panda had an in-depth interview about ‘all-natural’ images and editing pics with professional photographer Anna Chii.
“Often when people hear the word ‘Photoshop,’ they imagine Instagram girls which make their faces unrecognizable by “photoshopping” them and think that Photoshop is used just for that. Actually, people mistake it for other apps like ‘Facetune.’ Photoshop is a software package for working with digital imagery and is used not only for photography but also for design, video editing, photo manipulations, and more,” photographer Anna told us earlier.
#7 My Cat Seems To Have Misplaced His Body Somewhere
Image credits: 0MattyJ0
#8 Floating Above A Manhole
Image credits: woonie
#9 Spotted A Construction Worker Glitching Today
Image credits: momarortotinon
“When we talk about photography, there is no single proven way of using this software when it comes to editing pictures. Every single photographer or retoucher has his or her own style, way of editing, or set of skills used for making the best photos possible,” she told us.
“That’s why photoshopped pictures can look wildly differently: from waxy or plastic faces to an absolutely natural look. From drastic changes in face or body features to just color corrections. From creating a fantasy world around your subject to simply removing unwanted objects from the background,” Anna explained that every photographer has their personal approach.
“From personal experience, after many years of learning and experimenting, shooting takes the least amount of time in comparison to the other parts of the process—planning and retouching,” she said that the editing part can be very time-intensive.
“I mostly take portraits. Usually, my clients are not professional models with heavy makeup, which covers all of their imperfections and barely requires any retouching. My models are people who want to have lovely pictures of themselves, who want to portray their lives and experience fun time while freezing those moments—without pressure or fear of being imperfect,” she told us a bit about how she works and what her professional philosophy is.
#10 Shadow And Slope Makes It Look Like He’s Floating
Image credits: tommytwooo
#11 The Reflection Of My TV Makes It Look Like Girl With The Pearl Earring Is In My Backyard
Image credits: SleepingLesson
#12 The Pic I Took Of This Fire Looks Like A Deer
Image credits: GayForChopin
“I do believe that my clients need to get the best result they can get. And making a regular picture great requires not only taking pictures correctly from a technical point of view, but also adding some magic to each and every one of them,” she said that she retouches every single photo, even if it’s just a bit.
“And it’s not about changing features, or making people look perfect and not representative of the way they look in real life. It’s about the small details, which make the photo stand out without making it look unrealistic. It’s about colors and lighting. About mood,” she explained why editing photos is so important, overall.
“Every person that I shoot has their own story and a unique aura. I want to make my pictures reflect the feeling I get when being with the person and share it throughout the final image. And it can take from half an hour to a couple of hours per image. Depends on the emotion I want to portray in the final picture,” Anna told Bored Panda.
#13 This Window Makes My Backyard Look Like It’s In 4 Different Seasons
Image credits: pommiegurl130
#14 Cat God
Image credits: amandahys7
#15 The Clearest Water In The World, Melissani Lake, Greece
Image credits: JustSadd
“If we are talking about portraits, I do believe that if you have a great team (assistant, makeup artist, hairdresser, stylist), you have a beautiful location with the lighting set up correctly, you have a model with clear skin and everything is under your control, then you can take really good pictures and editing could be almost unnecessary,” she said.
“But usually, you don’t have all the people and props which could help to create a great image. When you work alone, sometimes mistakes slip past the cracks as you need to cover many areas during the photo shoot,” the photographer pointed out that photographers can’t do everything perfectly, so they end up fixing small mistakes during the postproduction process.
#16 This Restaurant That Looks Like It Was Drawn
Image credits: masternoice
#17 My Daughter, Where's The Rest Of Her? Oh I See, Do You?
Image credits: MK24ever
#18 The Dew Forming On This Trampoline Is Squared Out By The Fabric
Image credits: No_Name_James_Taylor
“For me, Photoshop is not about changing the person in the picture, but about enhancing the quality of the picture. Correcting shadows and lighting, enhancing colors, correcting small details like wrinkles on clothes or makeup makes a huge difference,” she said.
“It can be done with the help of professionals—makeup artists, assistants, stylists. Before and during the shoot they will correct makeup, clothes, hair, hold a reflector for better light. And it can also be done during post-production in Photoshop. Almost the same result, simply a different way of achieving it. Producing a quality photograph requires time and effort. So Photoshop is not an easy way to get beautiful pictures with just a few clicks of a mouse.”
According to the pro photographer whether or not someone ends up editing their photos depends on the purpose of their pictures.
#19 My Cat Sitting On The Back Of My Chair Makes It Look Like She’s Wearing A Leather Jacket
Image credits: jubjub666
#20 This Lava Looks Like A Pile Of Body Limbs
Image credits: Palana
#21 Any Interstellar Fans Out There?
Image credits: shainese
“Photos are like a form of art, images for advertising, family pictures, nature, product posters and many other genres. All of them serve a different purpose. The viewer should also have critical thinking while looking at the images and understand the nuance and the nature of the photos in question.”
She continued: “People have different beliefs on every subject possible. Some think girls with makeup are unnatural, some think it makes them prettier and more feminine. The same goes for photography. I think it’s a really lovely thing to have something you do like as well as something you don’t like about the final images.”
#22 We Can Now Project The News Into The Sky
Image credits: laudida
#23 Entrance Of An Underwater Observatory In Lake Zug (Switzerland). I Took The Photo At The Weekend, Reminds Me The Truman Show
Image credits: DIY_Maxwell
#24 Light Diffraction Made My Beans Look Like They Were A Picture Of Beans Sitting In A Dish
Image credits: CannedBeaner
She said: “If you like pictures without Photoshop and want to have a photo shoot for yourself—that’s great. Find a photographer that takes ‘natural pictures’ and hire her/him. And yet, I don’t believe that, if they are professionals, they will give you a photo without any (at least slight) retouching. Maybe the picture will look natural, but will it really be, is a different question (unless all a photographer cares about is to get the money and get rid of the client as fast as possible).”
In Anna’s opinion, photographers who aim to develop their skills throughout their journey as professionals need to be open to learning new techniques, including how to use photoediting software. In her mind, someone knowing how to Photoshop images is only a plus.
#25 There Was A Bird On The Very Top Of Every Tree At Work Today
Image credits: CarlJungus
#26 Space Needle In Seattle Over Clouds Looks Like The Cloud City From Star Wars
Image credits: boytijan
#27 A Giant Woman
Image credits: Fede-K
“But you can’t produce good photographs if you can’t take good photographs, Photoshop won’t help you create a good picture out of a terrible shot. If you don’t know how to use Photoshop, probably it will end up being the opposite. You can make a picture even worse than it was before. But if the photograph itself is good, then Photoshop can enhance it and make it a little bit better in a different way.”
#28 Family Selfie. I Have No Legs
Image credits: BeardoGREG
#29 Mr. Tiny Legs
Image credits: Ryanzler
#30 This Pic Of My Girlfriend Lying Down After A Hike Looks Photoshopped. She Looks Like A Sticker
Image credits: ExplosiveScorpion
Meanwhile, those who want to create natural, unedited pictures should aim to shoot on good old film. “Film cameras take lovely pictures. And it’s so fun to make. I would say, film cameras have a certain magic about them,” she said.
“After all, it’s all about your preferences. There is no good or bad photography. There are just the photos which you like and the ones you don’t. Remember, you are the one who chooses the photographer for your own photo shoot. So talk with a potential photographer, look at his/her work and decide if the style, mood, colors, outcome, attitude are the ones you would like to see in your pictures. And trust. Trust and believe in your photographer.”
#31 This Chair I Balanced Looks Like A Poorly Photoshopped Chair Image
Image credits: santtuteno
#32 A Friend On Social Media Spotted This One Pixel Glitch In The Matrix, India
Image credits: ssigea
#33 Sausage Fingers
Image credits: tUaDo
#34 Perfectly Timed Picture Of My Firework
Image credits: goddessofthecats
#35 The Sun Hit This Freshly-Paved Tarmac Just Right And Made A Real-Life Rainbow Road Through Polarized Lenses
Image credits: kenziemonsterrawr
#36 Headless Security Guard Officer
Image credits: WahyuYordan
#37 Schrödinger's Cat
Image credits: vo_xv
#38 Just A Guy Wearing A Hoodie
Image credits: zaferemre
#39 The Sun Is At The Right Angle To Make A Rainbow In My Faucet
Image credits: ItsyaboyAstro
#40 Colour Gradient Moss
Image credits: littlewrenbird
#41 Reflection On Window Looks Like A Massive Spaceship Landing
Image credits: empty_talks
#42 Weird Reflection Makes Man Look Like A Ghost
Image credits: TheSh0rt1
#43 This Frozen In Place Spoon
Image credits: CyprienVerseux
#44 Photo I Took On My Phone Looks Like Live Action GTA
Image credits: kalbycool
#45 This Picture I Took Of My Daughter Holding Praying Mantis Babies Looks Badly Photoshopped
Image credits: ehutch2005
#46 Horse Lady
Image credits: itzmatoy
#47 My Dog Likes To Sit Here, But He Isn't Right Now
Image credits: sodiumboss
#48 Alternate Realities
Image credits: amcclurk21
#49 That Is Indeed A Big Palm
Image credits: TheRealCarvax
#50 He’s Charging Up For His Special Attack
Image credits: PoonSwoggle
#51 The Shutter On My Analog Camera Glitched And Now My Friend Looks Like He's Floating
Image credits: sunkengiraffe
#52 The Apple's Skin I Cut Looks Like From A Low-Poly Game
Image credits: universe-atom
#53 I Think Taking This Dump Will Start A New Mission
Image credits: DanielInternets
#54 I Saw A Lenticular Cloud Over A Cumulus Cloud That Made It Look Like A Helicopter
Image credits: Zulu_x
#55 Fan Looks Like It’s Missing A Blade
Image credits: cttaft
#56 The Shadow From A Rivet Makes It Look Like Sacajewea's Smoking A Blunt
Image credits: pillowcurtain
#57 A Shot Of Burning Man That Looks Like A Solar System
Image credits: JillandherHills
#58 8 Hours Worth Of Detailing A Black Car
Image credits: gemao_o
#59 Veterans' Cemetery
Image credits: ltearth
#60 Managed To Get This Perfectly Timed Photo Of My Pom Today
Image credits: janeyk
#61 This Colorful Pigeon I Saw Today
Image credits: SaintJuneau
#62 The Tapestry Above My Bed Made A Pretty Sweet Reflection In My Coffee This Morning
Image credits: reddit.com
#63 By Complete Coincidence, The Trees Along This Street Matched The Colors Of The Buildings
Image credits: Bomurang
#64 The Shadow On His Shirt Makes It Look Like The Guy In The Back Is Badly Photoshopped Into The Picture
Image credits: frameRAID
#65 Young Girl Posing With A Bag Of Popcorn
Image credits: shellybean23
#66 I Took A Picture Of A Window With Rain On It And It Looks Like A Planet Surrounded By Millions Of Stars
Image credits: norfo
#67 This Photo Of Toronto Looks Like A Scene From Blade Runner
Image credits: RenegadeMoonshine
#68 At The Right Time Of Day, My Dog's Favorite Napping Spot Makes Him Look Really Magical
Image credits: ladyname
#69 World's Tallest Bus
Image credits: RankinFoolStup
#70 This Picture Of Firefighters In Texas Looks Like A Still From A Horror Movie
Image credits: PHIL-yes-PLZ
#71 The Reflections Of Ceiling Lights Appear To Be Alien Ships Descending On Shreveport
Image credits: SoVeryKerry
#72 Sharp Teeth Boy
Image credits: maraa5
#73 My Sister's Hand Passing Through My Cat's Body
Image credits: Francis__99
#74 The Black-And-White Costume
Image credits: brodyqat
#75 An Un-Edited Photo Of My Mate I Took Today That Somehow Makes Him Look Like The Teletubbies Sun Grew Up
Image credits: lolitstrent
#76 Floating Upper Body
Image credits: julex
#77 Someone Broke The Cat
Image credits: phi_rus
#78 My iPhone Looks Like It's Disappearing
Image credits: jontheboss
#79 These Clouds At The Beach Make It Seem Like The Sky Was Badly Photoshopped
Image credits: donfuria
#80 This Lucky Perspective Shot Makes It Look Like A Reckless Giant Snail Is Dangerously Overtaking The Car On The Turn
Image credits: GallowBoob
#81 Power Of Shadows
Image credits: Roverprimus
#82 Taken At Royal University Of Phnom Penh
Image credits: b2utynthebeast
#83 The Photo I Took Of My Dog On My Phone, Looks Like I Photoshopped Him In
Image credits: fukwhutuheard
#84 This Picture Of My Cat Looks Like It Badly Photoshopped
Image credits: Mausinmyhaus
#85 The Flash From My Phone Made It Look Like My Fiancé’s Legs Were Animated/Photoshopped
Image credits: kingpharmacy
#86 Pulled The Card Quickly To Her Face Right As I Took A Photo Resulting In Capturing Both
Image credits: nswj3
#87 The Clouds Reflected Off This Building Look Pixelated
Image credits: Shdhdhsbssh
#88 This Photo I Shot Of Flying Birds Looks Like I Copy-Pasted Them In Photoshop
Image credits: mostlyharmlessghost
#89 Sat On A Bench Outside An Office And Noticed My Reflection In The Window Perfectly Fit In The Chair
Image credits: ScummyMoney
#90 The Building Across The Street Reflected Into My Room
Image credits: djbootybutt
#91 A Rock Created Bird Shaped Window Art On My Car
Image credits: AshlynnMartell
#92 Cool Ice Effect After Flood
Image credits: Willyyz
#93 Found This Chili With A Perfect "Mild To Hot" Gradient
Image credits: petriomelony
#94 Reflection Of Ceiling Lights In My Coffee
Image credits: srslynonsensical
#95 My Husband Is At Yosemite National Park. He Already Looks Like He Is Photoshopped
Image credits: k_hall_313
#96 It's Embarrassing Until You Realize They're The Reflection Of The Chairs In The Room
Image credits: imgur.com
#97 Bigfoot?
#98 I Put My Cat Under A Cover That Looks Just Like Him
Image credits: T0AST3DBR3AD
#99 Lake Charlevoix In Michigan Right Now
Image credits: iAmUncleToby
#100 This Art Nouveau Building Known As The "Het Bootje" ("Little Boat") In Antwerp, Belgium
Image credits: premiere_lumiere
#101 The Ice On This Street Lamp Makes It Look Like The Light Is Dripping Out
Image credits: str4wbewwymiwk
#102 What A Cold Front Looks Like
Image credits: mvikashkumar
#103 The Water Spilled In A Way So It Looks Like The Glass Is Levitating
Image credits: PauloLaMachine
#104 Reflections In The Window Look Like A Glitch In A Skybox
Image credits: RoosterjayP
#105 This Tree Looks Like A Graphics Glitch
Image credits: HembraunAirginator
#106 The Clouds Are Glitching In Phoenix Az
Image credits: YamchasSidePiece
#107 The Steering Wheel Reflection Looks Like A Planet In The Sky
Image credits: Baconlessness
#108 This Tibetan Cherry Tree At My Local Park Looks Like Copper
Image credits: connor_clark07
#109 The Clear Ice In My Absinthe Looks Like A Chunk Was Cut Out Of It
Image credits: merlinrising
#110 Photo I Took Of A Lake Through The Lense Of Binoculars Looks Like A Planet
Image credits: bob202t
#111 This Photo I Took Of A Bird Through My Binoculars Looks Like A Planet
Image credits: stanjolly
#112 The Melting Snow On This Chair Looks Like A Tree
Image credits: glassenthusiast
#113 My Friends Cow Looks Like Outer Space
Image credits: UnicornsAndJerky
#114 These Throw Pillows Look Fake, Almost Like A Poorly Done Photoshop Work, But It’s Just How They Reflected The Light
Image credits: rexeybb
#115 Caught My Aunt’s Dog Mid-Jump And She Looks Photoshopped
Image credits: alannamullins
#116 My Sisters' Dogs Look Photoshopped Into This Photo
Image credits: kehulk
#117 My Potato Looks Photoshopped
Image credits: Hovie1
#118 Objects Cast No Shadow On The Ground Making Them Appear As If They Have Been Badly Photoshopped. It's Known As "No Shadow Day"
Today April 25th at around 12:17 the sun was directly at the zenith in India.
Image credits: akhilkumarsuthar
#119 Enjoy This Pic Of Lahaina Noon In Singapore
During the high noon of that day, all shadows are cast directly downward, causing straight vertical poles to look like they are photoshopped, or are in a cheap indie video game.
Image credits: _sagittarivs
#120 I Took A Picture Of A Raven In Mid-Jump And It Looks Like It's Photoshopped
Image credits: WonkyWeeWheat
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