20 Photos With Brain-Breaking Optical Illusions

Carly Tennes Published 04/15/2024 in ftw

Though nothing is ever truly as it seems, some photos test the logical limits of this old adage. Optical illusions happen all the time in photography, with angles, lighting and strange shadows making ordinary objects look like they're floating, falling or even three-legged freaks of nature.

From the sweet confusion of marble-dipped cookies to a man-dog hybrid, here are 20 photos with brain-breaking optical illusions.

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1. “Leg swap"
2. “Grandpa’s going all in”
3. “Wholesome pic turned into an illusion”
4. “This is one photo”
5. Tandem Ride?
6. “Took me a min”
7. “Marble-dipped cookies made my brain hurt”
8. “At first you see a rock floating in the air and then”
9. “Excuse me miss”
10. “Some see a lake, some see a wall what do you see? Do you see them all?”
11. “This dress”
12. “It takes a few seconds until you realize…”“I couldn’t see the cats body, THEN I LOOKED CLOSER”
13. “A 'superior mirage' photographed off the coast of Cornwall”
14. “The Great Pyramids as viewed from the top”
15. “I couldn’t see the cats body, THEN I LOOKED CLOSER”
16. “This is not a bird. Look again.”
17. “All cars have the same size.”
18. “Is it ice in the ocean, a dog or drywall?”
19. “One photo.”
20. “Never miss your ARM days.”

1. “Leg swap"
2. “Grandpa’s going all in”
3. “Wholesome pic turned into an illusion”
4. “This is one photo”
5. Tandem Ride?
6. “Took me a min”
7. “Marble-dipped cookies made my brain hurt”
8. “At first you see a rock floating in the air and then”
9. “Excuse me miss”
10. “Some see a lake, some see a wall what do you see? Do you see them all?”
11. “This dress”
12. “It takes a few seconds until you realize…”“I couldn’t see the cats body, THEN I LOOKED CLOSER”
13. “A 'superior mirage' photographed off the coast of Cornwall”
14. “The Great Pyramids as viewed from the top”
15. “I couldn’t see the cats body, THEN I LOOKED CLOSER”
16. “This is not a bird. Look again.”
17. “All cars have the same size.”
18. “Is it ice in the ocean, a dog or drywall?”
19. “One photo.”
20. “Never miss your ARM days.”