Home Top Stories Incredibly Tricky Pictures That Will Make You Do A Double-Take

Incredibly Tricky Pictures That Will Make You Do A Double-Take

MJ Staff - AS September 1, 2023

Photography is a tricky form of media. It’s hard to get the lighting and shadows just right to capture the moment you’re after, and sometimes things don’t come out quite as you’d expect. Light refractions, lens flares, and other bits of trickery have been known to make certain aspects of photos hard to discern. Remember the blue and black versus white and gold dress debate that took over the internet a few years ago? Well, there are plenty more incredibly tricky pictures floating around the internet that will make you do a double-take. Be prepared to scratch your head and wonder what you’re looking at as you check out these tricky pictures!

A Starry Puddle

This first picture should give you a moment of confusion. When you first look at the image, it appears to be a simple photo of the night sky. However, as you take in the full length of the image, you’ll realize that all is not as it seems. A Reddit post explains that the photographer of this photo tried to take a picture of the reflection of some trees in a puddle. The gravel on the road gave the appearance of a starry night sky. See the rippling of the water toward the bottom?

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A Very Hairy Arm

Did you blink in confusion when you saw this picture? At first glance, it seems like the girl on the right has an abnormally hairy arm, but when you look closer, you can decipher what’s really going on here. The two girls in the photo are squeezed close together, and the hairy appendage belongs to a (presumably) male friend lounging on the bed next to them. It’s not her arm you’re seeing- it’s his leg!

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A Home In The Clouds

What would you do if you walked outside to see this gorgeous view? Would you stop to admire the breathtaking scenery, or would you panic thinking your home had been lifted into the clouds? One Redditor walked out of their parent’s house to see this view, and it’s quite startling at first glance. Of course, the home and property hadn’t actually been transported into the sky overnight. The lake is just so glassy that it’s created a perfect reflection of the clouds and sky above, giving off this unique optical illusion effect.

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A Pit To Hell

There are some places in the world with truly unbelievable features. This photo may seem like it’s been photoshopped or a very impressive and realistic painting, but it’s a real lava pit. The chunky lava looks like the souls of the damned being sucked into the fiery pits of hell, but it’s actually a natural phenomenon. Still, it’s probably best not to get too close to this lava pit- just in case.

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Is It A Concert Crowd?

Do you see an excited concert crowd in front of bright stage lights when you look at this picture? Well, that’s just a trick of your eyes because what you’re actually looking at is a cotton picker running at night. It’s kind of crazy the way our minds manage to create shapes and faces on things based on the lighting and shadows on an image.

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A Fancy Apartment Or An Instrument?

This picture looks like the inside of a fancy and spacious apartment that would charge a big chunk of change for monthly rent. Would you be surprised to learn it’s actually the inside of a guitar? Most people have never seen the inside of a guitar like this, so you can’t really blame your mind for telling you it’s something else. Plus, if this were an apartment, the giant raised sections on the floor would make placing your furniture a serious challenge.

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Giant Pigeons

This is an example of a pretty common optical illusion caused by the way you framed things in pictures. The person behind the camera wanted to take a photo of two pigeons sitting on the ledge of a parking garage, but the photo didn’t come out exactly as they’d intended. Instead, it appears as if two massive pigeons are sitting next to these stars and staring at them. Thank goodness pigeons aren’t actually that giant in real life!

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A View Of Earth From Space Or Ice On A Windshield?

Anyone who lives in a cold climate knows the frustration of waking up extra early every morning to let your car warm up and scrap layers of ice off your windshield. Someone went outside to start that process in the early hours of the morning and snapped this picture of an impressive layer of ice on their windshield. The photo came out looking like a picture taken of Earth from space!

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Her Dogs Are Very Close

A Redditor came home from work one day, opened her door, and found her two dogs waiting for her on the other side. There’s nothing too out of the ordinary about this, except for the fact that her two dogs appear to have merged into one! The dog on the right was desperate to squeeze in and see his beloved owner, which gave the appearance that both dogs share a single body. It’s a little creepy to look at, but once you stare at it for a few minutes, you can see the separate pups.

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UFO Flying Over The Forest

When you look at this picture, your eye will instantly go to the bright spot. It appears to be a source of light coming from a UFO as it flies over a dense forest, but the reality is far less fantastical. You’re actually looking at a car door that’s desperately in need of a power wash. Sorry UFO believers! You definitely don’t want to add this picture to your collection of evidence.

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Is It An Ice Tornado?

You might think you’re looking at a terrifying act of nature when you scroll past this picture, but don’t worry! There’s no such thing as ice tornadoes, but the framing of this picture does make it seem as though that’s what you’re looking at. In reality, this person snapped a photo of snow slowly melting off their roof while they stood on their front porch. They have quite a view from their porch, and the slowly melting snow adds to the surreality of the landscape.

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This Anteater Has A Permanent Panda Friend

We actually had to look at this picture several times to understand what we were looking at. It looks like there’s a panda permanently attached to this anteater, but that’s just the anteater’s leg. How did this animal develop such a specific color pattern on his fur to make it seem like one of his legs is an actual panda? It’s a mystery, and super interesting to look at.

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Don’t Sit On These

Most people would assume these barstools are a comfy place to sit, but you’re not seeing what you think you are. These aren’t barstools at all! They’re espresso martinis sitting on the counter of a bar. Something about the lighting and the angle at which this picture was captured gives the impression these martinis are actually barstools waiting for you to sit and relax in. But you definitely shouldn’t try to sit on a martini. If you do, you’ve probably had enough to drink for the night!

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Lobster Giant Takes Over Metallic Planet

You could write a pretty crazy novel or create a wild short film based on the impressions this photo gives off. It looks like a giant lobster is sitting on the surface of a metallic planet, but thankfully, there’s a more logical explanation for this picture. This lobster is actually sitting in the bottom of a bucket, and the water droplets all around him look just like stars.

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Mobile Pie Selling Unit?

Does anyone want some pie? Most people would think twice about buying freshly-baked pies out of the back of a car, but if you look more closely, you’ll realize that’s not what’s happening in this picture. The image is actually a type of mirage. This bakery has a pie rack with freshly baked pies for sale, and the image of the pie rack is reflected on the window. The reflection makes it look like the pies are sitting in the back of that car, but in reality, they’re safe in the bakery.

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Tropical Island Or Mossy Rock?

No one will look at this picture and assume they’re looking at a mossy rock, but that’s what you’re seeing! This mossy rock is sitting in the middle of a frozen puddle and only the tip is peaking out from the ice. The ice surrounding the rock looks like wavy ocean water, and the way the sunlight is hitting the rock gives the appearance of shallow waters close to the rock and deeper waters further out. This could easily be mistaken for a picture of a tropical island in the ocean!

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An Inappropriate Wedding Photo?

Everyone wants their wedding pictures to be perfect! After all, they’re supposed to capture some of the happiest moments of your life! The bride and groom look ecstatic in this picture, but there’s something about it that doesn’t seem very appropriate. At first glance, it looks like the woman’s legs are hitched over her new husband’s shoulders! Of course, this is just a trick of matching colors and angles, but it’s hard to see anything else.

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A Sunset In The Clouds

A picture-perfect sunset appears to be contained inside this beautiful opal. The photographer manages to capture a picture right as the sun shined down and lit up the core of the opal, giving the appearance of an almost magical sunset in the clouds. Can you imagine the odds of getting such a perfect picture? The photographer must have had a very good camera and the perfect set of circumstances to get this image.

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That’s A Giant Piece Of Broccoli

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. No one ever just feels “meh” about broccoli. What if you were faced with this massive piece? Well, don’t panic broccoli haters because it’s not what you think! This is just an average tree, but the leaves appear extra clumped together, and the lighting makes their color look just off enough to give it a broccoli-like appearance.

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Ocean Waves Or Early Morning Fog?

Nature creates some stunning phenomena, and this is just one of many examples. Certain places around the world get very intense waves of fog during the early mornings and evenings, which looks absolutely stunning, but can create this fascinating optical illusion. This image looks like ocean waves, but it’s actually a dense fog covering the top of this forest.

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Epic Monkey Selfie

There are tons of places in the world where you can go through wildlife preserves in covered vehicles. Most people would love this experience because it gives you a chance to get up close and personal with the animals without feeling like you’re in danger. This lady was on one of these wildlife tours when a monkey got close to the vehicle. She took a picture of the monkey, but the reflection on the car’s window made it look like the monkey was taking an awesome selfie!

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Is It Clouds? A Mountain? The Ocean?

Some of these pictures really need to be looked at multiple times before you can figure out what’s going on. This picture shows a bluish-gray textured mass that could be mountain peaks, ocean waves, or dark and angry storm clouds. However, if you look closely at the picture, you’ll see the tops of homes lining the bottom of the image. So, if you guessed these were crazy-looking storm clouds, you’d be correct!

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Personified Glasses

Okay, let’s start with the facts we know about this picture. There’s a pair of reading glasses sitting on a table, and they appear to have eyes looking out from the lenses. Could it be googly eyes? No, because the image is too transparent. Well, the person who took this picture posted it on Reddit to explain what’s happening. The eyes in the glasses are a trick of the light! The person’s lamp is being reflected into each lens, creating the appearance of eyeballs.

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A Gorgeous Nebula?

Capturing images from space requires the right equipment. You can’t just hold any smartphone up to the night sky and capture an image of a nebula. This photo may appear to be capturing a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse into space, but it’s actually much more simple than that. During a 4th of July celebration, this person snapped a perfectly-time picture of the fireworks display, which lead to this picture.

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UFO Disguised As A Chandelier?

When you fall down the rabbit hole researching UFOs, you come across some interesting theories. Some people believe aliens will disguise their spaceships to look like ordinary objects, especially once they’ve landed in a field. However, we’ve never heard of a UFO disguised as a chandelier before! Of course, that’s not actually what we’re looking at here. This picture is just another example of the way objects can reflect on glass and appear to be in a different place when we take pictures. This person took a picture out of their living room window at night and the reflection of their light made it appear as though their chandelier was hovering in the sky!

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A Realistic Piece Of Art?

Some people are masters of art, and it’s not hard to believe that the images of two cats were cross-stitched onto the front of this carrier. It certainly looks possible, and it would be a cute way to decorate your pet carrier, but that’s not the case. The person who took this photo needed to bring both cats to the vet and only realized how inanimate they looked once they checked out the picture later that day. Don’t worry though, both cats are okay!

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The Floating Dog

Dogs are adorable, and they can twist themselves into some funny-looking positions. We’ve all seen pictures of dogs that turned their heads to lick far down their backs, making them appear headless. Well, here’s a picture of a dog who appears to be floating down the street without any legs! The reality is this dog absolutely hates walking over grates. When he comes across one, like the one in this picture, he leaps over it and tucks his legs close to his body. It creates this moment where it appears as though he’s floating through the air, which the owner was lucky enough to capture in this picture.

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Proof For The Matrix Theory

Have you heard about the Matrix theory? Basically, the theory is that we’re all living in a simulated environment, most likely some type of computer game run by highly intelligent beings. Occasionally, people will find ‘proof’ of the Matrix. This photo looks like a bad video game render, but it’s actually a simple trick of the light. This is what happens when the sun is directly overhead in Hawaii. Don’t believe us? Go to Hawaii and see for yourself!

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This One Will Hurt Your Brain

You’ll want to look at this picture several times to get a full understanding of what’s happening. A Redditor posted this photo with the caption, “Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, this is my new profile picture.” At first, you think he’s just standing next to the tree, but then you realize the tree’s been ripped out of the ground due to the hurricane. This person is actually posed sideways on the ground next to the tree and holding himself up with one arm. The pose creates a startling effect. We have to give this guy huge props for being able to make it look so natural!

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This Is Not A Painting

No, we’re not messing with you. This is a real picture and it hasn’t been touched by photoshop. Give your eyes a minute to adjust to the vivid contrast in this photo and see if you can tell what you’re looking at. Still unsure? This photo is a snapshot taken at Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, during the early morning. The shadows covering the trees look unnatural, and the bright desert sun lights up the background of the photo in startling contrast. But this really is a picture of a real place in the world with zero photo editing.

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The Flying Dutchman

Have you ever seen a ship that appears to be flying over the ocean? Many sailors and people who spend a lot of time on the ocean have witnessed this phenomenon, which led to the famous myth of the Flying Dutchman. But what you’re looking at can actually be explained by science! This is a mirage known as Fata Morgana, and it can make ships appear as though they’re floating above the ocean. Don’t worry though, this isn’t a ghost ship. It’s just another trick your eyes and mind are playing on you.

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City Of The Dead

Travelers love sharing pictures of the unique sites they discover around the world, but this one made us scratch our heads a few times. An American traveling through Tokyo posted this picture on Reddit, which gained massive attention. He took this picture out of the window of his hotel, and at first glance, it appears to show a cityscape below him. However, you’re actually looking at a very crowded and well-kept cemetery!

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Unexpected Black Hole

Can you imagine walking into your bedroom and realizing a black hole has formed in your duvet? It’d be impossible to sleep there unless you want to risk getting sucked into another dimension! But that’s not what’s happening in this photo. What you’re really looking at is this person’s cat curled into an almost perfect circle. The cat looks pretty cozy all curled up like this, so we hope the owner simply took the picture and left their pet to continue their nap.

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It’s Not A Fossilized Ship

Ships sinking is an unfortunate fact of life, but we’ve never heard of a ship fossilizing on the surface of the water. That simply wouldn’t be possible, which is why we know this image isn’t actually showing a ship. It’s actually a very oddly-shaped rock, but you can’t blame us for taking one look at this photo and thinking it’s some kind of preserved ship!

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Cat With One Arm And Giant Head?

One of the best parts of being a pet owner is watching your pet stretch and twist themselves into hilarious positions. Dogs are known to get themselves into some funny-looking positions, but cats do it all the time too! This cat is lying on this chair in a way that makes it seem as though he’s entirely made up of a head and a giant arm. Logically, we know the cat is just chilling in a way that’s comfortable for him, but you can’t unsee the giant arm.

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The Ocean Inside The Rock

This sounds like the punchline to a bad joke, but it really does look like there’s a tiny ocean existing inside of this rock! In reality, what’s happening with this photo is similar to the photo with the opal we showed you above. This is an Ethiopian Welo Opal New Gem, which the photographer captured at just the right angle as light shinned through the rock. It creates a mystical appearance of a tiny ecosystem inside the rock, but that’s just the rock’s natural formation.

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Don’t Worry- The Camel’s Fine!

We actually laughed when we saw this picture! Everyone’s taken a picture like this at some point where their body is cutting off a key focal point of another person or object. The person in this photo was at the zoo, trying to stop a camel from stealing their coffee, when their friend snapped this picture. The angle of the person’s body completely blocks the body of the camel, which makes it appear as though he’s holding a decapitated camel head. Don’t worry though, the camel’s fine and no, it didn’t get his coffee.

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Like Something Out Of A Horror Movie

This picture looks like a scene from a horror movie. With the stormy sky, lightning bolts, boats on the water, and a giant UFO in the sky, it’s hard to tell that this is just an average photo taken from someone’s living room. While the stormy sky and most things in this picture are 100% natural, the UFO is actually a reflection of this person’s ceiling light. Still, you could use this image for inspiration for a short horror story.

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The Disappearing Floor

Just looking at this floor might cause some vertigo, but you probably won’t even notice the awkward appearance when you’re walking on it. The pattern of this floor and the angle at which the picture was taken makes it seem as though the floor randomly begins to drop off. However, it’s just an illusion, and you’ll be perfectly safe when you walk on this floor.

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A Perfect Storm Moment Captured

The optical illusion created by this photograph is pretty intense. A man stopped on the side of the road to take a picture as this storm progressed, and lightning just happened to strike at the exact moment he took the picture. It created this fascinating illusion where the scenery looks perfectly split in half. Plus, he managed to capture the reflection of the lighting on his car in the bottom right of the picture!

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An Ocean Wave In The Sky

Clouds can do some pretty crazy things. Have you ever seen a Mammatus cloud? If not, you’ll definitely want to look that up after you’re done reading this list! Anyways, the cloud in this is another example of the cool formations we get to see in the sky. The cloud resembles a perfect ocean wave as it crests, which is a sight surfers everywhere love to see.

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Perfectly Framed Kite

We honestly love when perfect moments like this happen. There’s no better place to fly a pirate ship kite than at the beach, and this person managed to take a photo of the kite in the air at the perfect time! The photographer managed to get the kite into the frame where it appears to be sitting on the water, creating the illusion that there was a giant pirate ship on the water.

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This Is Not Concrete

When you first look at this picture, it’s easy to see a strip of gray concrete, but that’s not what you’re looking at. You are actually looking at an image of New Delhi taken from the sky. It’s astonishing to see how overcrowded that city is when you look at it from this angle. Now you have a new perspective on the idea of overpopulation.

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The Godzilla Bug

Anyone with entomophobia (the fear of bugs) should probably scroll past this photo because this is your worst nightmare. A person working in an office building looked up from their computer one day to see this giant-looking bug staring in at them. The bug isn’t actually massive, but it certainly appears to be! Of course, the person had to take a picture and share it on Reddit. It does look pretty terrifying!

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The Last Unicorn

Mythical creatures like unicorns aren’t usually spotted in the wild, but sometimes we see structures that resemble these creatures. This person was exploring The Faroe Islands when they came across this uniquely-shaped rock covered in moss. The moss growth and the general structure of the rock make it look as though a unicorn has laid down there.

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A Lonely Soldier

The way our brains are hardwired to create recognizable shapes out of literally everything is one of the most fascinating aspects of human psychology. This person took a photo of a piece of lint on their windowsill, and everyone who’s seen the photo sees the same thing. It looks like the top half of a lonely soldier raising his gun. What is he trying to fight off? Maybe the encroaching dust.

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It’s Not A Picture Frame

Plenty of people enjoy exploring abandoned ruins all around the world. They can provide us with a fascinating glimpse into the past, and sometimes you come across an interesting moment like this. The person exploring this ruin in the Australian Outback snapped a photo of the outside, and it looks as if there’s a picture frame hanging on the wall. The dichotomy between what can be seen inside and outside is pretty startling.

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A Group Of Phoenixes?

Everyone knows about the myth of phoenixes. These legendary birds supposedly rise from the ashes, and it seems as if that’s what’s been captured in this picture. A person went into their backyard to burn old wood and pallets they no longer needed. Some of the materials burned in an odd way, leaving behind little bits of themselves. These left-behind pieces kind of look like birds sitting next to the fire and watching the flames. It’s pretty spooky!

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Incredibly Tricky Pictures That Will Make You Do A Double-Take

A Starry Puddle

A Very Hairy Arm

A Home In The Clouds

A Pit To Hell

Is It A Concert Crowd?

A Fancy Apartment Or An Instrument?

Giant Pigeons

A View Of Earth From Space Or Ice On A Windshield?

Her Dogs Are Very Close

UFO Flying Over The Forest

Is It An Ice Tornado?

This Anteater Has A Permanent Panda Friend

Don’t Sit On These

Lobster Giant Takes Over Metallic Planet

Mobile Pie Selling Unit?

Tropical Island Or Mossy Rock?

An Inappropriate Wedding Photo?

A Sunset In The Clouds

That’s A Giant Piece Of Broccoli

Ocean Waves Or Early Morning Fog?

Epic Monkey Selfie

Is It Clouds? A Mountain? The Ocean?

Personified Glasses

A Gorgeous Nebula?

UFO Disguised As A Chandelier?

A Realistic Piece Of Art?

The Floating Dog

Proof For The Matrix Theory

This One Will Hurt Your Brain

This Is Not A Painting

The Flying Dutchman

City Of The Dead

Unexpected Black Hole

It’s Not A Fossilized Ship

Cat With One Arm And Giant Head?

The Ocean Inside The Rock

Don’t Worry- The Camel’s Fine!

Like Something Out Of A Horror Movie

The Disappearing Floor

A Perfect Storm Moment Captured

An Ocean Wave In The Sky

Perfectly Framed Kite

This Is Not Concrete

The Godzilla Bug

The Last Unicorn

A Lonely Soldier

It’s Not A Picture Frame

A Group Of Phoenixes?

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