Look Again: 40 Charming Optical Illusions

There are times that what we see at first glance might not really be the real thing. We might see something unbelievable at first, but when we take a closer look at it, it turns out that our eyes are playing tricks with us, and it is something totally normal. These are called optical illusions, which are images created by our mind which always try to see the easiest images we can recognize. However, there are times that some photos we see are enhanced in some way to produce an image that will enable our minds to see an optical illusion at first glance instead of the real thing. Thus, these images form a cool optical illusion that will leave our minds blown away at any given time. Here are forty optical illusions that are sure to impress you.

Falling in Love at First… Smooch?

We were all taught that it is possible to fall in love at first sight. However, this optical illusion doesn’t speak to that. The heart-fluttering feeling each of us might have the first time we saw the man or woman of our dreams, and when our eyes met, makes for a truly unforgettable moment.

A woman was seen playing with two fish, rubbing their lips against each other to make them appear they’re kissing. What’s funny here is that her face was sacrificed in her efforts to create a romantic image; hence, she looked like she has eyes that are too small for a human being to have. Still, it ended up a totally hilarious photo.

King of the Concrete Jungle

Lions are known to be the jungle king, with their glorious mane, agile speed, and ferocity to devour other animals as their prey. They are called like that for a reason. This photo, on the other hand, redefined who the king of the concrete jungle is.

In this photo, a dog was seen having a lazy yawn with his master on their front porch. However, at first glance, you might see how the head and the mane of the dog perfectly match his master’s body, creating an optical illusion that is really out of the box.

Party in the US-Hey

We all know how much we want to let our hair loose and party every once in a while. The office can be totally stressful, and being an adult alone adds to the already long list of woes we have. Thus, it is okay to have fun with friends on several occasions, such as this photo.

The photo, at first glance, shows two people having the time of their life — a bearded man jumping and holding hands with a… bearded woman. However, upon closer look, the hairs of the lady came flying to her face, just in time. It looks like someone has to tie their hair back when partying next time.

A Heavenly Spray

We always regard the natural beauty of the skies as works of art created. This photo shows how the photographer created the clouds in the sky by using a widespread household tool — spray paint. So many artists have replicated it in their own ways.

This photo makes it appear that the hand holding the spray paint can be the one who created the wispy, thin clouds in the bright blue skies. The angle of the hand and the interesting shape of the cloud truly made it a work of art, making this optical illusion one for the books.

The Kiss of Nature

We are quite sure receiving a kiss makes most people smile, giggle, or even fall head over heels. Receiving a kiss from someone special can make for a truly memorable moment, but receiving a kiss from a plant can make for a weird experience, or at least that’s what the photo is showing us.

This photo shows a plant with luscious, red leaves that form an interesting lip shape, complete with puckering and moist lips. The way the leaves were folded can really fool anyone into thinking that this is a close-up photo of someone’s luscious lips. Oh, the many ways our mind tries to fool us…

Defying Gravity

At a very young age, we were taught that gravity is the force that keeps us grounded and makes it easy for us to walk and run because we do not float in the air. This photo, however, defies gravity. And no, we are not talking of the famous song from the musical Wicked.

At first, it can be fascinating and a bit freaky. Someone posted this cool photo of a man standing in the middle of a busy street. His feet lifted inches away from the ground, with a shadow underneath him. Still, upon closer inspection, the “shadow” was a small pool of water, and the guy is standing with his two feet on the ground.

What Time is It?

Without the concept of time, it would be confusing and chaotic to live on Earth without having something to remind us we should stop working or start getting some rest after a hard day at work. Time is indeed significant, and no one else holds time in their hands… Or so we thought.

This photo shows a person holding two arrows, reminiscent of the minute hand and hour hand in the clock, which tells us what time it is. These hands were placed on the face of the moon, making it look like this photo is a modern interpretation of Janus, the god of time and new beginnings in Roman mythology.

Lips on the Ground

There’s an old Filipino saying. “All the walls have ears, the ground has lips, and the news has wings.” Well, if someone needs a representation, this photo can be a visual aid for them. This means that there is a way someone will find out that someone without the person realizing it is backstabbing them.

At first glance, it can be seen that the pale white ground has lips as red as a rose. However, upon closer look, you can see that the lips were not really lips, but a single fallen leaf on the sidewalk. At least, we can be glad that the ground does not have any lips. That would be very freaky.

The Thinker Redefined

Most of us are familiar with the famous sculpture “The Thinker” by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The statue represents humanity thinking about the future and its possibilities and opportunities for the next generations. This photo would be a modern-day take on the sculpture.

This photo shows a black and white image of a man printed in a newspaper. Nothing special, right? That is until you take a look at the hands holding the paper. We can easily realize that this looks like the man from the newspaper has gotten back his life and is totally judging you right now.

A Toast of Fire and Ice

We’re quite sure everyone loves to have a toast of champagne, wine, or margarita after a long day at work. It is one perfect way to relax and chill while enjoying the weekend and the tons of free time you’ll be having for two days. Some cocktails have fires on them, which adds to some visual appeal, but when this cocktail is served to you, be prepared to get shocked.

This photo looks like just any photo of a cocktail glass filled with some alcoholic liquid waiting for its drinker. At first glance, however, you can see the sun setting at the brim of the glass. The sun’s angle sits perfectly on where the glass is, and this one is indeed a fantastic shot.

Upside Down, Inside Out

Earlier, we talked about a photo of a guy who seemingly defied gravity in his shot. That one was effortlessly cool, right? This time, it’s the gravity playing tricks on everyone in the photo, or at least that’s what the photo wants the viewers to see.

At first glance, you might notice that all of them are either upside down or the houses are built that way, with doors built like trapdoors and stuff. Upon closer look, you might realize that it was the angle of the camera and the way the people were posed in this picture.

Targets and Bulls Eyes

This photo makes us feel like we are pinned in the middle of a dartboard, in angles that are both interesting and genius. This photo plays with the optical illusions and what they can do to the viewer’s brains to make them think they see something else.

Set in a predominantly white setting, the hallways were made to look like they are pulled straight out of a James Bond movie, with the red rings forming target lines, meant to play tricks with the viewers’ eyes. The red paint used to make the circles is meticulously arranged in a seamless pattern, therefore adding to the creativity of the whole shot.

Abbey Road Revisited

One of the most iconic photos taken of the Beatles was their group photo where each member was crossing the street. Known as the Abbey Road, this road became famous thanks to that photo that graced the cover of what is considered one of their best albums.

This photo has the aim of nodding to the iconic photograph. The photographer chose a location that perfectly fits the photo on the album cover, recreating the famous photo that everyone recognizes and tries to recreate when they visit England.

Spewing Steam into the Sky

“I’m a little teapot, short and stout…” Most of us can easily identify the age-old nursery rhyme about a nice little teapot. Perfect for every afternoon English tea, this teapot was seen as the inspiration for this photographer to take a photo of the teapot doing magical things.

The photographer angled the teapot perfectly, thus making the wispy cloud formations look like the steam coming out of the teapot when our moms brew some piping hot tea. Like the spray paint sky art mentioned earlier, this photo captured the best angles of the sky.

Will You Marry Me?

Proposals are indeed one of the most highly celebrated events in a person’s life. Engagements and the proposals tied around it are meant to be totally unforgettable experiences that the future husband and wife will share with their children and grandchildren. Thus, couples race to think of the best proposal sketches and themes to be the most memorable ones.

This photo is an instant favorite without even trying. We can see it as a transformation of something 2D and nondescript, evolving into something 3D and can be seen and appreciated from all sides. Those who are behind this amazing proposal idea should put this in their resumes.

A Celestial Meal

It is essential for us not to skip any meals. Having three full meals a day helps us become more energetic and enthusiastic about finishing the day’s tasks and replenishing our energy used in fulfilling those tasks. This person decided to grab a meal and a unique one at that.

The photograph here gives us the illusion of a man having a meal by eating the full moon as part of his entrée. This one is cute and unique, making objects that look too big to be touched or appreciated by humans look like they can touch and grab this with their bare hands.

Beauty in Death

Most people say that beauty fades, and a person is most beautiful when they are in their peak stages of life. A person’s beauty blossoms the same way as flowers bloom in the spring, with spring symbolizing the person’s most beautiful stages.

This photo seems to prove otherwise. In this photo, you can see an unassuming flower having a uniquely chilling image of a skull right at its center. Seeing this in a different light can mean that there is beauty in all things, dead or alive.

La Vie en Rose

Roses are known to be one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. Depending on the color of the rose, it can symbolize love, loyalty, passion, and many other emotions. Thus, giving someone a bouquet of roses can express love, a sincere apology, or a pledge of loyalty towards the recipient.

This photo is a charming one, in the sense that the shape of the rose fits perfectly on the young lady’s skirt. This photo makes it feel like this girl here is a princess of the flowers, with her purity and innocence leaving a fragrant scent to be loved by everyone around her.

Grabbing by the Edge

Sometimes, optical illusions provide comic relief to the viewer. The messages can be anything — from a confession of love, a spewing of anger, or an encouragement meant to soothe the most tired of the hearts. This message makes it appear like this young man’s life is hanging on by a thread, grabbing the edge of the cliff to survive.

However, the photographer plays with the angles here, with the model just lying on the ground on his stomach and grabbing a single cobblestone sticking out on the street to make it resemble a photo of encouragement, telling someone that they have to hang in there for good things are meant to come in the end.

A Scientific Discovery

The world of animals has always left us humans speechless. This photo can be submitted to a group of scientists and proclaim this to be an insane discovery. A bird usually has two legs, but this one has a whopping nine legs on it.

Upon closer look, we should note that this bird is the mother bird. The baby birds who own the small, thin legs poking out from the mother’s stomach hide beneath her wings and feathers. This goes to show that mothers are the best protectors in all species.

Blown Away by the Wind

When taking photos of our trips, we want to make sure we take photos to remind us that this particular trip was truly remarkable. Photos where people are suddenly bigger than the others are major hits. And this photo is not different.

The biggest person in the picture has this great idea of blowing his friends by a gust of wind coming out of his mouth to show how powerful he is to the people looking at the photo in the future. He did a great job, and this photo is sure to be put on display.

Walking in Time

Sometimes, photographers use optical illusions to create worlds different from the one we have right here. Their creativity and a keen eye for detail make them great artists who can use anything as subjects in their artworks, shot by their camera lenses.

In this photo, the photographer used the out-of-this-world quality of the artwork in the museum. It seems like people are walking on air and are unafraid of falling. The photographer made it seem like his photo showed everyone that defying gravity is entirely achievable.

Bubble Eyes

We have never seen the words bubble and eyes together in one sentence until this one, so we cannot help but wonder what type of optical illusion our minds will present to us by looking at this simple and unassuming photo of someone having fun with themselves.

The photo shows a girl playing with bubbles, but what’s special here is that a couple of bubbles have landed in front of the girl’s face, right where her eyes should be seen. The perfect timing of the photo showed this image, which can bring a few laughs and is a fun conversation starter.

Wheels of Fate

For some people, having a car is a dream because, with a car, they can go to different places and explore different sights while enjoying their lives to the fullest simply because they can go anywhere with it. Others who have a skateboard can feel the adrenaline rush through their veins when they ride.

For some people, this might symbolize the coalescence of their childhood dreams (as represented by the scooter) becoming crushed by the car’s weight on top of it (symbolizing people’s current priorities as adults). In optical illusions, anything and everything can happen.

A Cosmic Trip

Some people are fascinated with life beyond Earth. Believe it or not, some truly believe that aliens exist, and they observe us with their curious lenses as they live their lives in peace wherever they are in the solar system.

This photo is a cute one because, at first, you can see how the kid is being “abducted” by the “UFO” in the photo. The kid does not seem afraid of the aliens “abducting” him because, upon closer inspection, you can notice that the UFO is just a paint drawing.

A Total Slam Dunk

This photo shows a cool interpretation of a seemingly normal sport enjoyed by people of all ages — basketball. With so many NBA players dunking and shooting these balls into the rings without any problems at all, who would have thought that the sun can also be used for the same purpose?

This photo shows the sun shooting hoops as it goes down to rest. When the photos were taken, the angles of the photo and the photographer’s patience all blended so well to create an amazing photo that we love looking at.

Body Crushing

Fashion can bring out the crazy in so many people. Some designs out there are not to be worn for everyday lives (we’re looking at you, Alexander McQueen), while some designs take some nerve and courage to pull it off effortlessly.

This photo shows a man wearing a shirt, but it seems like a clenched fist is wrapped around his weight and is trying to crush him. The man’s uncomfortable expression also adds to the character of the photo, making it realistic as it can be. This shirt’s design is not as extreme as some designers’, but this one is also meant to spark conversations.

Raking the Sky

So many optical illusions are caused by people seeing different images in two different situations. Nature provides us a cool backdrop to make all of these happen. This photo is another example of someone turning the skies into his canvas, leaving the viewer’s imagination to do the rest.

Just like the first two ones using the wispy clouds on a blue sky as a work of art, with their spray paint and kettle, respectively, this photo shows a hand holding a plastic rake, as though raking the skies for something, with the clouds leaving marks similar to what a rake leaves on the ground.

Cuddly Camouflage

One of the things where optical illusion happens is when things are camouflaged, like the army uniforms hiding soldiers among the lush foliage of the forests. Optical illusions sometimes hide someone in the background until the viewer gets a closer look.

This photo is a cute representation of that. As we can see in the photo, we can see a fluffy white puppy almost perfectly hidden on the shaggy white carpet where it takes a short nap. We say almost because the nose gives it away. Still, it makes for a cute photo moment.

Fishing for More Time

The optical illusion also represents intangible traits, such as justice, time, honesty, and beauty. Since we do not have a fixed image for these words, photographers use optical illusion to fool their viewers into thinking that these intangible objects have a tangible image.

In this photo, the man holds a net attached to a long stick. The shadow of the net ends at the bottom of the wall clock hanging by the wall. This photo shows that the man was seemingly catching the time by his net. This one is indeed a cool representation of people wanting to have more time in their hands.

Happy Dunk From Dusk

This next photo shows how basketball, a celestial object, and two people playing could turn a dream into reality. Optical illusions work the best when the boundaries of reality get expanded, allowing us to see images that will never be replicated in real life.

This photo shows two men playing basketball. This is pretty common, but they seem to be using the moon as their ball instead of the traditional one. One of them successfully shoots the “ball” into the ring, thanks to a slam dunk. The black and white filter used in this photo made this one look otherworldly.

A Dip Into the Cool Waters

One of the things we love most is taking a cool dip into the river, lake, or sea. Summer will never be complete without a trip to the beach or any body of water nearby and enjoy the coolness of the water as we swim with our friends and family.

It seems that they dipped their finger into the pond, with the ripples creating a clear image of the situation. Of course, his hands are not equipped enough to create a huge ripple like that. Still, the photographer’s creativity and ingenuity made this one activate the optical illusion it needs.

Blow Me One Last Kiss

In this photo, the woman seems like she is blowing colorful kisses into the air. This photo has taken things up a notch by elevating the simple motion of blowing a kiss. This one makes for a picture-perfect moment, with the lighting providing a cute atmosphere to the photo.

Blowing a kiss in photos is an ordinary gesture, as common as hugging or smiling in front of the camera. This photographer capitalized on the power of optical illusion to create timeless images, and it looks like he achieved that purpose with this amazing photo.

Crash Landing on You

Nope, this is not the famous Korean drama about a woman landing in North Korea by accident. This photo looks like a scene from a concerning car accident, but it is not what it looks like upon closer look. Again, the power of optical illusion has deceived us.

Upon taking a closer look, this is an art installation. The “car” was composed of several people contorted and painted. In another photo taken during this shoot, you see the “car” dismantled, and the makeup artists are seen adjusting the paint.

A Canine Passenger

Some people love taking their pets with them on vacation. With so many destinations offering pet-friendly accommodations perfect for everyone, it is indeed a good idea to fly somewhere and relax with their dependable furry friend. However, this photo looks like the furry friend is the one paying for the trip.

This photo of a passenger on an airplane looks normal from the neck down, but you can see a dog’s head where a human head should be found. Of course, this is not the real deal, but this photo is great enough to bring a couple of laughs.

Underwater Adventures

Of course, we all know water is not solid and can stand on its own without being in a container or dammed up behind a wall. So imagine the shock of the person seeing this surreal photo for the first time.

This photo shows two men sitting with their feet lying down on the side. At first, it looks like it’s a normal photo. But upon a second look, you might notice that they seem to be emerging from a wall of water.

Playing Around All Day

The sun has always proven itself extremely cooperative when it comes to photos activating optical illusion to the viewers. We have featured three photos with the sun being used as an everyday object used by humans in their daily lives, and this one is no different.

In this photo, we can see someone playing football with the sun as the ball. Of course, we know it won’t ever happen, but imagine if this photo is indeed a real one. That would be a total surprise, right? Fortunately, we can use our imagination to see more in this optical illusion.

Nitpicking for a Cause

Sometimes, we can’t help being super detailed in photos because these are meant to last a lifetime and enable us to tell funny stories and anecdotes about several aspects of our lives. Optical illusions elevate some photos up a notch by giving them life.

This photo shows a man seemingly using the twinkling of the lights as sequins, picking them up with tweezers. We can only imagine the designs of the dresses these were used on, right? The adjustments made on the photo in terms of filters have made this one a beautiful photograph.

Gulliver’s Travels Revisited

Some of us are familiar with Gulliver’s Travels — a story of a man reaching land where everyone is smaller than him, and when we say small, we mean tiny and minuscule people surrounding a full-grown man and tackling him to the ground.

We can see someone in the photo, an army guy, with his mouth wide open, seemingly devouring his colleagues who were so small they could easily fit in his mouth. Optical illusion tells us it is real, but upon a closer look, the angle of the photos mattered so much in this one.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Lastly, this photo is a cute example of how optical illusion can create the funniest images ever. We all know that Santa Claus comes out of his North Pole home in December to deliver gifts to every nice child and socks of coal for the naughty ones, right? This photo helps us understand what Santa does after the Christmas season.

At first glance, we can see a full-grown man having a full-grown mustache, blond and well-kept. Upon closer inspection, however, we can see that it was a wig made to look like a long mane of beard adorning this guy’s face. At least we know what Santa does when he’s not in demand, right?