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The world’s weirder than you think. And it can take looking through your camera lens from a peculiar angle for you to finally realize you’re living in Wonderland. Welcome to the wonderful world of illusions and intriguing photography, brought to you by the aptly named ‘Confusing Perspectives’ subreddit.

The 1.51-million-strong r/confusing_perspective subreddit celebrates “puzzling perspectives, confusing angles, and missing context,” and their pics offer a glimpse into how something completely ordinary can look downright bizarre by moving just a few inches. Take a peek at the very best optical illusions shared on the subreddit, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that you enjoyed the most, Pandas. Let us know in the comments which of these made you look twice (or, let’s get real, thrice in some cases). No, that cat isn’t really floating… or is it?!

Are you in the mood for some more puzzling-yet-gorgeous photos? If so, then you really need to make yourself a cup of coffee or tea and check out Bored Panda’s first article about the ‘Confusing Perspectives’ community right over here. It’s the kind of stuff that really makes you want to be a professional photographer, doesn’t it?

Professional photographer Dominic Sberna, from Ohio, was kind enough to share his insights about the importance of perspective with Bored Panda. Check out what he told us as you scroll down, Pandas.

#1

These Clouds In Minnesota Look Like The Ocean

These Clouds In Minnesota Look Like The Ocean

foxynipz Report

Perspective really is everything in photography (well, alongside lighting, of course).

"The angle of vantage for the photographer can really change an image," photographer Dominic told Bored Panda that changing the perspective can completely change what the photo makes the audience feel.

"It all depends on what you're going for. It's best to play around and try different things to see what looks best and what works best depending on your subject," he urged other photographers, veteran and amateur alike, to experiment and play around with different angles.

#2

Charles Davis Captured This Image Of Australian Budgerigars (Budgies) In A Tree. There's No Leaves

Charles Davis Captured This Image Of Australian Budgerigars (Budgies) In A Tree. There's No Leaves

yeoyoey Report

#3

Trees With Christmas Lights Under The Snow

Trees With Christmas Lights Under The Snow

XXmynameisNeganXX Report

Bored Panda wanted to get Dominic's opinion on what photographers ought to do if they've got a project in mind and they're experimenting with perspective techniques they've never tried before. He told us that focus is key here.

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"Make sure to not lose sight of what you're trying to achieve in your image," he told us. "Have a clear goal in mind with what you're trying to convey."

#4

Bert From Sesame Street Spotted On The Street

Bert From Sesame Street Spotted On The Street

tFighterPilot Report

#5

The Eagle Statue Turns Into A Pirate At Night

The Eagle Statue Turns Into A Pirate At Night

Exotic-Custard-8293 Report

#6

Floating Cat?

Floating Cat?

Flamind666 Report

Meanwhile, photographer Dominic shared some of his thoughts on how to avoid creating confusing perspectives by accident and, instead, create the desired effect.

"Follow the rules of composition and don't make things too small. I have photos of rock climbers at a national park in Nevada, where I personally feel the overall perspective is a bit lost," he said that every professional has some pictures that they now see could have used a bit more work or a few more snaps.

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"Make sure the audience is able to understand what it is they're supposed to be seeing and comparing the perspective to the surroundings at hand," he said.

#7

My Pet Bird Taking A Bath Looks Like It's Being Boiled Alive

My Pet Bird Taking A Bath Looks Like It's Being Boiled Alive

NOCHNOY_ Report

#8

When You Can’t Find Your Sandwich

When You Can’t Find Your Sandwich

Flimsy_Researcher Report

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#9

Giant Cat

Giant Cat

DragonDrawer14 Report

The ‘Confusing Perspectives’ subreddit recently celebrated its 8th birthday. Around since the ancient era of 2014, the community has grown absolutely massive thanks to the friendly members, competent moderators, as well as the interesting angle (pun totally intended) of the pictures themselves.

Weirdness fascinates us. And in a world where visual media is king, pictures that get us to do a double-take don’t just stand out from the crowd. They go viral. Visual puzzles are fun to figure out, and they make us consider how we could repeat the same effects.

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Obviously, a lot of you Pandas are bound to follow r/confusing_perspective after looking through this list. However, there are some rules that you have to be aware of if you want to be a productive member of their community.

#10

Firetype Cat

Firetype Cat

ARYAN_108 Report

#11

The Clouds Look Like The Ocean

The Clouds Look Like The Ocean

Intermeatconnection Report

#12

Face Off

Face Off

mogulee Report

First of all (and not surprisingly), the content has to be on point. The goal of the sub is to feature photos and videos with confusing perspectives. So that’s what you should post. Memes, cartoons, sketches, and anything that’s been modified “to deceive the viewer” will end up removed by the mod team. Low-quality images and screenshots of other Reddit posts are also a no-go.

Meanwhile, make sure that the title of your post is accurate and descriptive. Try not to mislead other redditors. The titles have to be factually correct and can’t be low-effort. In short, avoid clickbait.

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Even if you stumble upon an amazing pic that you think would be perfect for ‘Confusing Perspectives,’ don’t just rush off and post it. Take some time to do a bit of research: check if someone else from the community hasn’t already shared that particular pic recently. The sub shares info in the sidebar on how you can quickly check for reposts.

#13

Caterpillar

Caterpillar

mopeiobebeast Report

#14

Thought They Were Miming Their Awards

Thought They Were Miming Their Awards

dbpsyfi Report

#15

From An Ask-A-Vet Group. I Thought It Was About A Birth Defect

From An Ask-A-Vet Group. I Thought It Was About A Birth Defect

Quiet-Overall Report

Instances of pareidolia, the totally awesome phenomenon where we see faces and familiar shapes everywhere we look, is a bit of a grey area. Sometimes, the mods allow pareidolia-related content if it involved forced perspective (a bit on that below). However, as a rule of thumb, pareidolia pics should be posted on r/Pareidolia.

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Forced perspective is a technique that helps photographers create optical illusions by playing around with the size of objects. Pros can change the angle of the pic and make certain people or objects appear larger or smaller than they actually are. This way, they manipulate our perspective and create a lot of fun content. Yup, ‘holding’ the Eiffel Tower or the Tower of Pisa in your hand are two examples of this.

And last of all, the team running the sub asks all members to be civil towards each other. That means no hate, political discussions, or creepy compliments. There’s no tolerance for intolerance in the group.

#16

Dirt Bike

Dirt Bike

mickeyslim Report

#17

Dog Reading A Pamphlet On The Bus

Dog Reading A Pamphlet On The Bus

phantomvibrations Report

#18

The Flying Catmobile

The Flying Catmobile

lofoforos Report

Some of the photos shared on r/confusing_perspective are downright spooky. It almost feels like we’ve stepped into The Twilight Zone (or accidentally proved the existence of The Matrix… or both!).

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A while back, Bored Panda spoke with Doug Murano about why people love weird content and have such a fascination with the supernatural. Doug is an award-winning editor and writer, and knows why mystery, horror, and strangeness are such huge hits.

"I suspect that most of us—regardless of our spiritual beliefs—have a longing for something beyond this life. Human beings seem to be pre-programmed with this urge," he shared with Bored Panda.

"My professional expertise is limited to fiction, but I'll say this: I've seen enough real magic and wonder in the world to make me think twice about whether the supernatural is real—and I think that's a healthy thing. It's perhaps less important to believe any given tale than it is to remain open to experiences while leaving room in your head and in your heart for belief."

#19

Dog In A Bubble

Dog In A Bubble

pgh_dude412 Report

#20

It's Not A Guy Putting His Hand In The Front Of His Friends Pants

It's Not A Guy Putting His Hand In The Front Of His Friends Pants

Schwarzmodh Report

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#21

What A Great Pic

What A Great Pic

Thryloz Report

Meanwhile, let’s circle back a bit to pareidolia. Previously, Bored Panda spoke about the phenomenon with Professor Kang Lee, from the University of Toronto.

"Pareidolia illustrates the interaction between the visual cortex and the frontal cortex of the human brain. It suggests that our brain is highly sensitive and expecting to encounter and process some special classes of objects in our environment because they are biological and socially important to our adaptions to the environment," he said.

#22

My Friend Learning To Snowboard

My Friend Learning To Snowboard

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#23

Mr. Tiny Legs

Mr. Tiny Legs

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Camdyn Hilgendorf
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't know you shaved your legs! Or wore skirts. Or flipflops... Wait a sec...

Mr. Vr
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Couldn't figure it out until i saw the legless girl he was holding XD

Slim 864 GVG
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No doubt! What is up with that gnarly thumb? It has its own brain.

Karen Clark
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok. So those are the kid's legs, but where are the guy's legs?

Mistiekim
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the looks of it, she’s had too much wine. Don’t refill that glass.

Nathan Shaddock
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

Nathan Shaddock
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

Christof Irran
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Never mind whatever else is going in this image, what are those kids doing in a bar?

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#24

Never Skip Arm Day

Never Skip Arm Day

SteamedHaam Report

"For example, when you are walking in a dark street in the evening, your brain is on high alert to detect whether any threat will jump out any moment. In this case, you are more likely to have face or human pareidolia because it is important for you to err on the side of caution if you mistake a tree as a human being,” the professor explained to Bored Panda.

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“For some people, their frontal cortex’s expectation for certain objects (e.g., faces) become so high that they see faces in many situations where no faces exist. Even in this kind of situation, it is normal. There is nothing wrong with these individuals," he said.

#25

Getting A Real Handful

Getting A Real Handful

GreekNord Report

#26

Truck Looks Like It Has A Possum Logo

Truck Looks Like It Has A Possum Logo

Ih8hate Report

#27

He's Ringing His Little Bell

He's Ringing His Little Bell

Ibrahim_MK Report

"Pareidolia is different from paranoia or delusion or abnormal vision of individuals with psychosis. In fact, a recent study shows that those people with pareidolia tend to be more creative. Also, people who are religious may be able to see religious icons in non face objects as well."

According to the professor, our imaginations (centered in our frontal cortex) greatly affect our perception (based in the visual cortex, in the occipital lobe). Pareidolia, according to Professor Lee, proves that "what we see are not things over there in the world but actually the co-creation of what is out there physically and what is in our mind mentally through our expectations and imaginations."

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#28

8 Hours Worth Of Detailing A Black Car

8 Hours Worth Of Detailing A Black Car

gemao_o Report

#29

Thought This Was A Picture Of A Guy Swimming In The Ocean

Thought This Was A Picture Of A Guy Swimming In The Ocean

LurkingAlpaca Report

#30

Had No Idea My Wife Was Part Dog

Had No Idea My Wife Was Part Dog

mepfeiff Report

"Pareidolia is a broader phenomenon as it extends to touch and sound and other sensory channels. For example, you sometimes sense your phone vibrating when it is not, it is a tactile form of pareidolia. When you hear voices in a noisy environment, it is an auditory form of pareidolia."

#31

Flexible Footballer

Flexible Footballer

Flimsy_Researcher Report

#32

Conjoined Canines

Conjoined Canines

BeanzMeanzBranston Report

#33

Guy Behind Wife Snuck His Rather Large Hand On Her Shoulder, While Kid Behind Me Cupped A Feel Around My Love Handles

Guy Behind Wife Snuck His Rather Large Hand On Her Shoulder, While Kid Behind Me Cupped A Feel Around My Love Handles

SammoB Report

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#34

Bird Drinking Water

Bird Drinking Water

TheMostBacon Report

#35

Wait, Where Are We Going?

Wait, Where Are We Going?

Okay-Look Report

#36

This Man Is Really In Tune With Nature

This Man Is Really In Tune With Nature

MCA1910 Report

#37

Sailing Through The Sky

Sailing Through The Sky

sadturtle12 Report

#38

Catception

Catception

rushiiestoniia Report

#39

Floating Above A Manhole

Floating Above A Manhole

woonie Report

#40

Buff Dog

Buff Dog

SIRoA Report

#41

My Dog & I Recreated Van Gogh’s Smoking Skull Painting With Fabric, Clothes Etc. Original Painting On The Left, Our Recreation On The Right

My Dog & I Recreated Van Gogh’s Smoking Skull Painting With Fabric, Clothes Etc. Original Painting On The Left, Our Recreation On The Right

WearyFrog Report

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#42

Radiator Skyline

Radiator Skyline

atoady11 Report

#43

This Dj

This Dj

Tojcee Report

#44

Lahaina Noon When The Sun Shines From Directly Above In Hawaii

Lahaina Noon When The Sun Shines From Directly Above In Hawaii

equiinferno Report

#45

Big Feet

Big Feet

F**k_on_tatami Report

#46

Bodiless Dog

Bodiless Dog

Vixi0n Report

#47

We Can Now Project The News Into The Sky

We Can Now Project The News Into The Sky

laudida Report

#48

A Girl Lying Back Against A Dog

A Girl Lying Back Against A Dog

DelWentilator Report

#49

Camouflaged Road In Finland During The Continuation War (June 27, 1941)

Camouflaged Road In Finland During The Continuation War (June 27, 1941)

Jnsjknn Report

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#50

Those Are Not Grass Pants

Those Are Not Grass Pants

Flimsy_Researcher Report

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#51

These Burnout Marks

These Burnout Marks

monimikke Report

#52

Three Headed Deer

Three Headed Deer

Speeider Report

#53

Just Moving An Entire Apartment Block

Just Moving An Entire Apartment Block

teretnicilo Report

#54

Sometimes… Life Is A Bed Of Roses

Sometimes… Life Is A Bed Of Roses

Flimsy_Researcher Report

#55

Blanket Lines Up Nicely With My Dog’s Face

Blanket Lines Up Nicely With My Dog’s Face

Skratchy9 Report

#56

This Man Has Unexpectedly Smooth Legs

This Man Has Unexpectedly Smooth Legs

penguin198719 Report

#57

Catshelf

Catshelf

BandoSometimes Report

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#58

Spider-Cat

Spider-Cat

scot816 Report

#59

Tim Giving Some Love

Tim Giving Some Love

TheGayTrashcan16 Report

#60

Someone Broke The Cat

Someone Broke The Cat

phi_rus Report

#61

Bride Legs Over Groom Shoulder's

Bride Legs Over Groom Shoulder's

IMissYouSooMuch Report

#62

Was Told To Post This Dried Coffee Puddle From Last Night Here. Looks Like A Fantasy Map. Also Looks Like It’s Lumpy Or Has Elevation But It’s Completely Flat And Smooth

Was Told To Post This Dried Coffee Puddle From Last Night Here. Looks Like A Fantasy Map. Also Looks Like It’s Lumpy Or Has Elevation But It’s Completely Flat And Smooth

romero3500 Report

#63

It's Embarrassing Until You Realise They're The Reflection Of The Chairs In The Room

It's Embarrassing Until You Realise They're The Reflection Of The Chairs In The Room

4BDUL4Z1Z Report

#64

Above The Clouds

Above The Clouds

Throwaway86747291 Report

#65

Down Bad

Down Bad

blake_HEADACHE Report

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#66

The Sun Is A Lightbulb

The Sun Is A Lightbulb

lizziegolucky Report

#67

Love The Smell Of The Fresh Sea Hair

Love The Smell Of The Fresh Sea Hair

braddamit Report

#68

He Is Thicc

He Is Thicc

brunanass Report

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#69

Shoulder Pads

Shoulder Pads

Smiffy60 Report

#70

This Is A Flat Wall

This Is A Flat Wall

gromulin Report

#71

Dog With Human Legs

Dog With Human Legs

Luxifer9000 Report

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#72

Hey Peta Come Here

Hey Peta Come Here

mpcamposz Report

#73

An Elbow

An Elbow

Substantial_Gur_8230 Report

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#74

Bendable

Bendable

lynivvinyl Report

#75

Giant Fish

Giant Fish

blob_ditddit Report

#76

4 Shades Of Blue In One Photo In Antarctica

4 Shades Of Blue In One Photo In Antarctica

Useful_Wolf_7027 Report

#77

Long Arm

Long Arm

Flamind666 Report

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#78

This Is An Octopus

This Is An Octopus

B-L-O-C-K-S Report

#79

My Brother’s Very Long Arm

My Brother’s Very Long Arm

solipsisticly Report

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#80

My Wife Had Feet The Last Time I Checked

My Wife Had Feet The Last Time I Checked

Aloof-Goof Report

#81

Those Giant Tomatoes

Those Giant Tomatoes

V1L0 Report

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#82

Girl Climbing Through A Metal Bar

Girl Climbing Through A Metal Bar

randumchicken Report

#83

Saw This On Ig

Saw This On Ig

Silvar1 Report

#84

Tennis Player Get His Grandad Courtside Seats By Smuggling Him In His Bag

Tennis Player Get His Grandad Courtside Seats By Smuggling Him In His Bag

Rockyfan123 Report

#85

Flying Kayak

Flying Kayak

GShockly Report

#86

This Absolute Unit Of A Truck

This Absolute Unit Of A Truck

SchrodingersCatPics Report

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#87

Hotel Hallway Makes Her Look Tiny

Hotel Hallway Makes Her Look Tiny

Relevant_Computer642 Report

#88

Giant Lady

Giant Lady

Kilika2 Report

#89

Four Legs vs. No Legs

Four Legs vs. No Legs

CharmanderBing Report

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#90

Huge Suit

Huge Suit

mg_slim Report

#91

Dog With Arms

Dog With Arms

fallacyfallacy Report

#92

A Very Hairy Wedding Dress

A Very Hairy Wedding Dress

VisDev82 Report

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#93

Oh Bother

Oh Bother

Chafeynipples Report

#94

Straight From LOTR

Straight From LOTR

Sankuchithan_ Report

#95

A Portal To Another Dimension

A Portal To Another Dimension

absolutelynotright Report

#96

Looking Up From The Lobby Of The Marriott Marquis, Atlanta

Looking Up From The Lobby Of The Marriott Marquis, Atlanta

tripacrossamerica Report

#97

Clear Wheel

Clear Wheel

Unibeetle Report

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#98

A Very Human Tumor

A Very Human Tumor

gxjxjd Report

#99

There Is No Water In This Picture

There Is No Water In This Picture

Exotic-Custard-8293 Report

#100

She Does A Lot Of Leg Stretches

She Does A Lot Of Leg Stretches

kabukistar Report

#101

When You Get A Labrador Thrown At You

When You Get A Labrador Thrown At You

jamesnaranja90 Report

#102

There Aren't Any Clouds In This Picture

There Aren't Any Clouds In This Picture

CatDadMilhouse Report

#103

Headless Security Guard Officer

Headless Security Guard Officer

NixothePaladin Report

#104

Dog Has Long Legs

Dog Has Long Legs

Themusicison Report

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#105

Highrise Window Washer Using New Footsqueegee™ Technology

Highrise Window Washer Using New Footsqueegee™ Technology

mkraft Report

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#106

Me As Stretch Arm Girl

Me As Stretch Arm Girl

needleandtorch Report

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#107

This Toll Gate In Seoul, Korea

This Toll Gate In Seoul, Korea

SilverHead7 Report

#108

My Dog And His Shadow Decided To Spend Some Time Apart

My Dog And His Shadow Decided To Spend Some Time Apart

BigDende Report

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#109

Haid Al-Jazil, A Miniature City Or Full Size City

Haid Al-Jazil, A Miniature City Or Full Size City

Fresh2791 Report

#110

Just A Cow. Its Name Is Bertha

Just A Cow. Its Name Is Bertha

Shpinc Report

#111

Who Let This Panther In My House??

Who Let This Panther In My House??

Latter-Prize-5847 Report

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#112

Not Sure If I Was In Lane Number 1 Or 0

Not Sure If I Was In Lane Number 1 Or 0

aliwalisaurus Report

#113

Half Boob

Half Boob

izacktorres Report

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#114

Floating Pizza

Floating Pizza

ultraviolencebeam Report

#115

An Unsafe Bridge Across Doggo Chasm

An Unsafe Bridge Across Doggo Chasm

EyeOughta Report

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#116

A Child Hugging His Decapitated Mother

A Child Hugging His Decapitated Mother

FuntCungus Report

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#117

Floating Upper Body

Floating Upper Body

julex Report

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#118

Fade Into The Floor

Fade Into The Floor

nissin00 Report

#119

Accidental Cosplay

Accidental Cosplay

PleadingMackrel Report

#120

Window Heater Melted The Window

Window Heater Melted The Window

sashatikhonov Report

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#121

Tiny Arm Is Tiny

Tiny Arm Is Tiny

louisrobbins Report

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#122

Look At Those Two Buildings In The Background. Which One Is Closer ?

Look At Those Two Buildings In The Background. Which One Is Closer ?

Exotic-Custard-8293 Report

#123

Candle On Snow

Candle On Snow

applied_upgrade Report

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#124

Your Shoulders Doing Okay?

Your Shoulders Doing Okay?

plshelpmyssn Report

#125

Parallel Universe Behind The Fence

Parallel Universe Behind The Fence

Meskalink Report

#126

This Is Not A Room, Turn Your Phone 90° To The Left

This Is Not A Room, Turn Your Phone 90° To The Left

h0d0d0r Report

#127

New Star Wars Show Has Butts Driving Speeders

New Star Wars Show Has Butts Driving Speeders

ScarySpencer Report

#128

Glass Truck

Glass Truck

Teillu Report

#129

What A Fan

What A Fan

Dennis_Gachanja Report

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#130

Looking At This Marble Floor Mosaic At The Santa Maria Del Fiore In Florence, Italy Is Like Gazing At The Light At The End Of A Tunnel

Looking At This Marble Floor Mosaic At The Santa Maria Del Fiore In Florence, Italy Is Like Gazing At The Light At The End Of A Tunnel

toeprint Report

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#131

Legs

Legs

EscapeFromSiberia Report

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#132

A Single Pic Or A Collage?

A Single Pic Or A Collage?

sinmantky Report

#133

This Broken Wine Glass Looks Like It’s Standing Upwards

This Broken Wine Glass Looks Like It’s Standing Upwards

SamSchw Report

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#134

Underwater Pine Trees In A Flooded Canyon

Underwater Pine Trees In A Flooded Canyon

drempire Report

#135

This Empty Microwave

This Empty Microwave

haybe26 Report

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#136

Some Dude Does A Peace Sign While Holding A Sign With Both Hands

Some Dude Does A Peace Sign While Holding A Sign With Both Hands

kenthekungfujesus Report

#137

Dua Lipa She Hulk Arm

Dua Lipa She Hulk Arm

Core10thGen Report

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#138

Base Camp Looks Like Scattered Trash

Base Camp Looks Like Scattered Trash

_Volta Report

#139

Photo Of James Webb Space Telescope Makes The Man In The Middle Look Tiny

Photo Of James Webb Space Telescope Makes The Man In The Middle Look Tiny

GeneralMustard2 Report

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