Pictures can be deceiving, and these ones are certainly no exception. What we know for sure is that there is more than meets the eye with these photos that seem fake. That, and that they are pretty amazing to look at!
21 Incredible Photos That Seem Fake But Aren’t
Photos that seem fake are a popular topic on the internet. Why? Because they’re so cool to look at! Sometimes they are optical illusions, sometimes they are simply taken from the right angle to produce a really cool effect. Either way, these are some of our absolute favorites.
1. Trees After A Storm
This photo was taken the day after a, particularly harsh storm in lower Saxony in Germany. Due to their proximity to the road, these trees have developed a rather shallow root system. This meant they were no match for the hurricane-level winds. The resulting aerial photo is pretty sweet!
2. A Real-Life Drawing
This photo looks as though someone sketched a car onto it. This is, however, a real-life 3D “sketch” of a car made by artist Benedict Radcliffe. It’s a life-size wireframe sculpture that he sprayed arctic white to make it stand out at nighttime.
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3. A Quick Lunch
Talk about a perfectly timed picture! The photographer snapped it just before this tiger shark inhaled this grouper fish whole.
4. Frozen Bubbles
This is a photo of Lake Abraham in Canada in the wintertime. Underneath the ice’s surface, even the air bubbles have frozen. Though chilly to take the picture, it is certainly worth the effort of layering up to see it.
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5. Bee People
This takes “dress to impress” to a whole new level! This is a photo of She Ping 460,000 bees attached to his body. They say you should be bold with your fashion choices but we’re not sure this is what they meant.
6. Realism
Ron Mueck’s sculptures are incredibly realistic – almost scarily so! Other than the size (and the fact that it is just a head), this could almost be an actual newborn infant.
7. Cloud Dust Storm
What does this photo look like to you? A wall of fire? A gigantic red wave in the ocean? Well, it’s neither of those things. It is the Arcus cloud dust storm in Australia. Pretty incredible, isn’t it?
8. The Floating Faucet
It looks like a real fountain, but wait – it’s not? This one definitely tricks the eyes. Perhaps it’s more obvious in person but this sculpture certainly has us confused.
9. The Sinkhole
No, this is not a scene from an apocalypse movie – this is for real. This giant sinkhole appeared in Guatemala in 2010. It is 60 feet wide and 200 feet deep. How scary is that?
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10. The Power Of Makeup
If there’s anyone who knows how to create an illusion using makeup, it’s drag queens. This photo is of Candice Cane and drag queen Detox at the season 5 finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race. That’s right – both people in this photo are live human beings.
11. The Giant Cruise Ship
From some angles, this looks like it is a cruise ship so large that it looks like it’s floating on land. In reality, it is actually the Sun Cruise Resort and Yacht in South Korea. Check out the image below to see what this resort actually looks like.
12. Not A Painting
This photo seems fake, and it is very confusing. Part of it looks like a painting and part of it looks like a photo. Well, it is a real photo – no paint involved! It is of two fishermen in China paddling their way through an algae-filled river.
13. The Calm And The Storm
Normally, you see a rainbow after a storm. In this case, one decided to make an appearance in the middle of one. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime capture!
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14. The Arcus Cloud
Clouds are some of the most incredible parts of nature. This amazing image is of an arcus cloud that is passing over a city. Imagine what it must have been like to be driving the car on the highway and witness this amazing event!
15. Realistic Art
This is a permanent art installation in Las Vegas. The colors really pop in the various shades of the grey background. It creates an interesting optical illusion effect.
16. Is It Really A Shelter?
This wooden cabin in the Arizona desert has alternating mirrored panels that reflect the view around it. From the outside, it almost looks like a half-invisible building. We can assure you, however, that it is real!
17. The GOAT of All The Animals
No, this isn’t photoshop. These are actual real goats perched in this tree. Goats are some of the best climbers in the animal kingdom, and their balance is top-notch.
18. A Painted Hillside
From a distance, this hillside almost looks like it has been dusted with purple paint. You can see more clearly in the foreground, however, that these purple “paint” strokes are actually flowers. These are the purple flowers of Takinoue Park in Japan.c
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19. Stairway to Heaven?
This art installation is by David McCracken and can be found in Bondi Beach, Australia. It is titled Diminish and Ascend. The piece features steps that get progressively smaller creating an illusion that they reach all the way to the clouds.
20. Walking Among The Clouds
Have you always wanted to know what it’s like to walk amongst the clouds? Well, if you take a visit to the giant salt flats in Bolivia, you can get pretty close. These flats are renowned for their perfect reflection of the sky above.
21. An Abstract Cover-Up
While this building is under construction, the workers put up this abstract tarp to maintain the city’s unique charm. The illusion is equal parts cool, interesting, and confusing for the eyes.
There you have it, photos that seem fake but are actually real. Some of them I still don’t believe. How about you?
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