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In the age of AI and reality-manipulating technology, computer and internet literacy is a must. Critical thinking and a healthy dash of skepticism also helps.

But not everything online is necessarily fake news or AI’s attempt at breaking free from its technological shackles to try to take over the world. Nope, sometimes it is much simpler than that. Think confusing perspective, perfect timing, and other lucky kinds of photo shots.

You see, on rare occasions, when the photo lens meets that one split second coupled up with that one particular angle, you have photo-ops like the ones featured below—pictures that bend the mind and require a double-take (or twelve) to actually make sense of things. And if you don’t know just how lit that is, read on!

#1

The Sky Over Minnesota Reminds Me Of That Scene Of Interstellar When They're On The Water Planet

The Sky Over Minnesota Reminds Me Of That Scene Of Interstellar When They're On The Water Planet

MyNameGifOreilly Report

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Dozingdahlias
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Before I scrolled down all the way I thought it was a stormy sea lol

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    #2

    I Hung Up This Picture That Depicts The Four Seasons Based On The Angle You View It From. Hung It Up Next To A Mirror For Added Coolness

    I Hung Up This Picture That Depicts The Four Seasons Based On The Angle You View It From. Hung It Up Next To A Mirror For Added Coolness

    viewerdoer , viewerdoer Report

    #3

    A Still Image From The Phenomenon That I Was Lucky To Capture At Yosemite Falls

    A Still Image From The Phenomenon That I Was Lucky To Capture At Yosemite Falls

    gregharlowmedia Report

    If you’ve been on the internet for long enough, you’ll very likely be aware of what confusing perspective is. As a phenomenon, it’s quite literally what it sounds like—pictures of things that are placed in ways that make it look like it’s other things. We know this description leaves much to be desired, but it’s what it’s.

    #4

    This Shadow From Two Different Trees In My Parking Lot

    This Shadow From Two Different Trees In My Parking Lot

    UnholyFire23 Report

    #6

    Insanely Well-Timed Picture

    Insanely Well-Timed Picture

    Stidgen Report

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    A popular hub for sharing all things confusing and perspective is a subreddit of the same name. Created back in June of 2014, r/Confusing_Perspective is today home to 1.9 million members and is ranked in the top 1% by size on Reddit. So, there is definitely a following of sorts online.

    #7

    Thought The Sky Looked Interesting In This Photo From My Trip To Belgium

    Thought The Sky Looked Interesting In This Photo From My Trip To Belgium

    TheDoob Report

    #8

    This Photo I Took In Versailles That's Not Two Photos Spliced Together

    This Photo I Took In Versailles That's Not Two Photos Spliced Together

    ronneldavis Report

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    #9

    A Rare Optic Sight, The "Brocken Spectre" Occurs When A Person Stands At A Higher Altitude In The Mountains And Sees His Shadow Cast On A Cloud At A Lower Altitude

    A Rare Optic Sight, The "Brocken Spectre" Occurs When A Person Stands At A Higher Altitude In The Mountains And Sees His Shadow Cast On A Cloud At A Lower Altitude

    bisector_babu Report

    Confusing perspective photos are more or less illusions of sorts, except the methods of the matter differ. And illusions are a whole bucket of chum that requires an understanding how the human brain works.

    The tl;dr version is that the brain is a blind blob of neurons and has to rely on the eyes for guidance, but the brain has to use its own imagination anyway.

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    #11

    The Light Coming From The Bathroom Window Makes My Cat Look Like She Just Had A Great Idea

    The Light Coming From The Bathroom Window Makes My Cat Look Like She Just Had A Great Idea

    lucyvlt Report

    #12

    Apparently My Dogs Have Merged This Morning

    Apparently My Dogs Have Merged This Morning

    NegativePitch Report

    But if we were to look into it in more detail, the brain is all about interpretation and nothing about perception. Since it doesn’t have eyes, ears or any of the other senses in and of itself, it relies on the appropriate sensory organs to tell it what’s what.

    And this is where the fun begins because the brain doesn’t necessarily understand everything that these organs tell it. And so it has to resort to filling in the gaps.

    #14

    Sioux Falls, SD Turned Green (No Filter) During A Huge Storm Tonight

    Sioux Falls, SD Turned Green (No Filter) During A Huge Storm Tonight

    SoDakZak Report

    #15

    Sometimes You'd Swear It Was The Mast Of A Ship Passing By

    Sometimes You'd Swear It Was The Mast Of A Ship Passing By

    opie2 Report

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    Leigh
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You can't fool me. That's the flying dutchman. Davie Jones is at the helm.

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    The filling in of the gaps is in part due to the fact that the sensory faculties use simple language to describe things to the brain. We shouldn’t expect an eye to know Shakespearean, right? So, the brain makes due with what it gets, but pulls its weight around by adding more details to things to the best of its knowledge.

    #16

    Once In A Lifetime Shot. Sunny Reflection In A Stormy Sky

    Once In A Lifetime Shot. Sunny Reflection In A Stormy Sky

    riccarjo Report

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    Kat Hoth
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I only think about the birds that die because of the 'glass wall' buildings.

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    A perfect example of this is peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is essentially side vision—everything that is to the extreme side, off the center of our visual focus. The way our eyes work don’t really allow as much peripheral vision as we can actually sense when we look at things. But the brain expands upon the field of view by assuming the things and projecting an image for us.

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    #19

    Sky Color Matches Up With The Local Supermarket

    Sky Color Matches Up With The Local Supermarket

    ivanza1 Report

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    Tuesday
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    it's time you found out, your local supermarket is made from the clouds

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    #20

    The Way The Sunlight Reflects Off My Vase Makes It Look Like Smoke

    The Way The Sunlight Reflects Off My Vase Makes It Look Like Smoke

    SimpleSpyder Report

    #21

    These Birds In Hyde Park

    These Birds In Hyde Park

    reddit.com Report

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    Paul C.
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is this like when office nerds say something like " Get all our ducks in a row"......but different?

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    So, circling back at the issue of how illusions work—images with ambiguous representations confuse the brain, abusing its superpower of filling in the gaps, but the brain fails to do so correctly. Remember, it tries to guesstimate visuals and make sense of them, and it can be wrong about it. This is why some illusions get trippy in our eyes.

    #22

    Flying Cruise Ships Illusion Spotted On The South East Shores Of Cyprus

    Flying Cruise Ships Illusion Spotted On The South East Shores Of Cyprus

    LSD25hoffmans-potion Report

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    Tuesday
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    that's fricking insane. someone physics, tell me what's going on!

    Hi!
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    An inverted mirage is an optical phenomenon that occurs when light rays pass through layers of air at different temperatures. When light travels from a cooler layer to a warmer one, it bends towards the warmer, less dense air. This bending of light, known as refraction, can cause images of real objects to appear in the wrong place. For example, on a hot day, the air near the ground is warmer than the air above it. Light from the sky bends as it passes through these layers and can create an image of the sky on the ground. This can often look like a pool of water on a road, which is actually an inverted image of the sky

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    Bear Hall
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I saw a show where they claimed the main reason for the Titanic catastrophe was a mirage covered the approaching iceberg on the horizon till it was too late.

    Stephanie Did It
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    glowworm2 identified it correctly as the Fata Morgana type of mirage.

    g90814
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Saw this sometimes in Long Beach, CA, but usually cargo ships instead.

    Surenu
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not exactly fluent in conspiracy, but I think there'd be something about the Soros-funded UN-built giant projectors making the world look round because [insert group and/or person you don't like] said so malfunctioning.

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    AshTheArtist
    Community Member
    7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT BOAT?! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME! — Oh, and Ginny dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud."

    Black Garbage
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don’t worry. The map hasn’t loaded in yet. Just increase your render distance and graphics.

    Gandalf the Pink
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The earth is not spherical, it is not flat either, it is obviously just weird

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Of course it is. It’s an ellipsoïde, the description of which I’m pretty sure is often spheroid. (Am relieved you don’t think it’s flat! 😘)

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    #23

    “Gap”, Photographed By Kenichi Ohno. Yes, This Is Not Photoshopped

    “Gap”, Photographed By Kenichi Ohno. Yes, This Is Not Photoshopped

    Kenichi Ohno Report

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    Epsilon
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ok, I'm confused. Someone know what's going on? (Edit: See SkyBlueandBlack and Laura Maeflower's comments. Thank yall!)

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    #24

    The Way The Snow Stuck To My Car, Making It Look Like It Was Shaded

    The Way The Snow Stuck To My Car, Making It Look Like It Was Shaded

    M_O_Beast Report

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    Tuesday
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You can't fool me, that's clearly a pencil drawing from a talented artist

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    Due to these deficiencies in how our brain works, we can also only see one side of a picture. My Wife and My Mother-in-Law is a great example of this. It’s the famous picture in which some folks only see a young woman facing away or an elderly woman facing to the side. Some folks can see both, some only see one of them. But it’s fun stuff, right?

    #25

    It Was So Orange This Morning

    It Was So Orange This Morning

    Microtonicwave Report

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    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning." - so if you see the sky red/orange in the morning, bad weather is on its way!

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    #27

    I Took This Photo Of My Wife And Baby, And It's Just An Odd Wrist Angle

    I Took This Photo Of My Wife And Baby, And It's Just An Odd Wrist Angle

    clarkcw1 Report

    Why does any of it matter? Besides proving to be quite a fun distraction in life, it has opened up a vast sea of opportunity for research. You see, some illusions are based on brightness and apparent motion.

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    This alone has led to a better understanding of how our brain works by putting together several separate processing streams across multiple processing stages to make sense of things. This alone is proof of what kind of a powerhouse the human brain is. And if that doesn’t sound absolutely amazing, we don’t know what is then.

    #28

    I Genuinely Thought My Car Was Hovering

    I Genuinely Thought My Car Was Hovering

    theam107 Report

    #29

    This Angle Of My Cat Looks Like She's Only A Head On A Platter

    This Angle Of My Cat Looks Like She's Only A Head On A Platter

    ZoneFive Report

    #30

    When My Blind Is Open Just The Right Amount, My Bedroom Becomes A Giant Pinhole Camera

    When My Blind Is Open Just The Right Amount, My Bedroom Becomes A Giant Pinhole Camera

    bsiaste Report

    If you’ve enjoyed this listicle, keep in mind that this is one of several in the series. You are more than welcome to enjoy more unphotoshopped goodness or you can scroll on.

    In any case, do leave this listicle an upvote and comment on the submissions you enjoyed the most!

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    #31

    I Really Thought This Was Photoshopped At First

    I Really Thought This Was Photoshopped At First

    woweewow Report

    #34

    I Managed Perfect Timing While Soap Bubbles Flown Between Camera And Kiddo

    I Managed Perfect Timing While Soap Bubbles Flown Between Camera And Kiddo

    _Abnormalia Report

    #35

    Cat With Only Head But No Body

    Cat With Only Head But No Body

    nskd_sr Report

    #36

    This Confirmed. Birds Are Drones

    This Confirmed. Birds Are Drones

    Representative_Still Report

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    #39

    The Reflection Of This Building Makes It Look As If It's In The Sky

    The Reflection Of This Building Makes It Look As If It's In The Sky

    pliotta Report

    #40

    This Cat Emerging From A TV

    This Cat Emerging From A TV

    farts_tickle_my_nuts Report

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    Surenu
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That new The Ring remake does a lot of things better than the original.

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    #41

    I Thought My Brain Wasn't Loading Or Something

    I Thought My Brain Wasn't Loading Or Something

    Cahmomille Report

    #42

    This Rock Is Just Reflecting In Water That You Can't See Because Of The Fog

    This Rock Is Just Reflecting In Water That You Can't See Because Of The Fog

    Legal-Adhesiveness33 Report

    #43

    It Looks Like A Mockup Or A Giant, But It's Just Me On The Second Floor Of The College

    It Looks Like A Mockup Or A Giant, But It's Just Me On The Second Floor Of The College

    joalllucas Report

    #44

    Estonian Javelin Thrower Magnus Kirt Impaling Himself

    Estonian Javelin Thrower Magnus Kirt Impaling Himself

    oldlilpeep Report

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    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The "javelin" on his face is actually a shadow. You can see it if you zoom in/look at the original post on Reddit. I had a hard time believing the explanation until I zoomed in to like 175% XD It's the shadow from the javelin's shaft coming from BEHIND his head.

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    #45

    The Car Rollercoaster. It Looks So Not Real

    The Car Rollercoaster. It Looks So Not Real

    _deepsky Report

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    #46

    Square Cloud

    Square Cloud

    Trosenator Report

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    Darius S. (he/him) cis/grey
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    double quilted ------ silky layers of comfort to give you the clean feeling you expect and the luxurious feel you desire for yer buttbutt

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    #47

    Giant Dove

    Giant Dove

    Adan714 Report

    #48

    Here's My Photo From Cerocahui, Mexico. It Looks Like I Photoshopped It

    Here's My Photo From Cerocahui, Mexico. It Looks Like I Photoshopped It

    ChicoPacoPancho Report

    #49

    Rome

    Rome

    reddit.com Report

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    Bill Swallow
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, when the sky turns to static, you *know* we're living in a Simulation. Someone reboot the Graphics Driver!

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    #50

    A Picture I Took Partially Through A Firework's Flash. It Looks Like It's Day And Night At The Same Time

    A Picture I Took Partially Through A Firework's Flash. It Looks Like It's Day And Night At The Same Time

    shhivers Report

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    #51

    I Almost Lost My Boy To A Seagull. Good Thing His Brother Jumped In To Save Him

    I Almost Lost My Boy To A Seagull. Good Thing His Brother Jumped In To Save Him

    spannwx Report

    #53

    Foggy Morning In London With A Bit Of Sunlight Equates To A Ghost Building

    Foggy Morning In London With A Bit Of Sunlight Equates To A Ghost Building

    hollyisnotsweet Report

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    #55

    Interesting Reflection Caught On The Colorado River In Austin, Texas. Almost Looks Like An Underwater City

    Interesting Reflection Caught On The Colorado River In Austin, Texas. Almost Looks Like An Underwater City

    Expwar Report

    #56

    How These Trees Have Grown At An Angle

    How These Trees Have Grown At An Angle

    Nanikarp Report

    #57

    Sizable Glitch In The Matrix This Afternoon, Which Caused Trees To Only Be Partially Rendered

    Sizable Glitch In The Matrix This Afternoon, Which Caused Trees To Only Be Partially Rendered

    DoublePlusGoodGames Report

    #60

    This Pattern Makes It Look Like The Floor Suddenly Drops Off

    This Pattern Makes It Look Like The Floor Suddenly Drops Off

    starlinguk Report

    #61

    Reflected Lights Looks Like Alien Invasion

    Reflected Lights Looks Like Alien Invasion

    streakierzambo Report

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    #63

    It Looks Like This Man Is Playing Billiard On My Car

    It Looks Like This Man Is Playing Billiard On My Car

    nobodynowherex86 Report

    #64

    Not A Glitch In The Photo. Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad

    Not A Glitch In The Photo. Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad

    jatadharius Report

    #66

    A Long Exposure Shot On My Phone Made This Ghost Train

    A Long Exposure Shot On My Phone Made This Ghost Train

    TimebombChimp Report

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    K Tigress
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Infinity Train just left the station. Just picked up the latest distraught passenger. Must get that number down to escape! FYI based on this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_Train

    #67

    Artificial Grass Seating Looks Like It Was Photoshopped To The Scenery

    Artificial Grass Seating Looks Like It Was Photoshopped To The Scenery

    kennyheard Report

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    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    BTW, artificial turf can get SCORCHINGLY HOT in the sun. WAY hotter than grass or even asphalt. We have artificial turf front "lawns" at home, and I've used a temperature gun on them during the height of summer. They're usually at least 110F (43C), and the hottest I've clocked them at is 127F (53C). So, be careful with your pets and children on artificial turf on sunny days. It's hotter than you might think!

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    #68

    A Lady In A Sports Direct Bag

    A Lady In A Sports Direct Bag

    reddit.com Report

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    #69

    The Sand Dunes Where Star Wars Were Filmed Dosn't Look Real. It Looks Like Someone Drew Them

    The Sand Dunes Where Star Wars Were Filmed Dosn't Look Real. It Looks Like Someone Drew Them

    thewerdy Report

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    Tuesday
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Obviously. They filled it in with a lower opacity brush then added in strokes to make it look like there are shadows.

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    #70

    A Guy About To Demolish A Building With His Foot

    A Guy About To Demolish A Building With His Foot

    ThunderAlex2 Report

    #71

    Image I Took 3 Years Ago While Helping My Dad With Rooftop Work

    Image I Took 3 Years Ago While Helping My Dad With Rooftop Work

    hombrebonito Report

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    Nimitz
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Took me a while to realize it's curved, but you can see the curve if you look at the sun's reflections

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    #73

    A Cloud That Looks Like A Hat

    A Cloud That Looks Like A Hat

    SequenceStar Report

    #76

    The Building Looks Semi-Transparent Due To Reflection

    The Building Looks Semi-Transparent Due To Reflection

    silvercoated1 Report

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    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ironically, this building is ALSO in Chicago, IL (see the other post in this article with the triangular building.) This building isn't triangular, but looks that way from this photo's angle XD (This building is located at 151 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL)

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    #79

    So Called "Blood Rain" Evening Last Week In Gibraltar

    So Called "Blood Rain" Evening Last Week In Gibraltar

    GregMeger Report

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    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reddish sand from the Sahara desert mixed into the water molecules, for those wondering :)

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    #80

    I Took A Photo Of This Bed Frame I'm Selling And The Angle I Took The Photo At Doesn't Show Any Shadows So It Looks Like A Photoshopped Image Of A Bed

    I Took A Photo Of This Bed Frame I'm Selling And The Angle I Took The Photo At Doesn't Show Any Shadows So It Looks Like A Photoshopped Image Of A Bed

    lukemcpimp Report

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    Nimitz
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not really though. The shadows on the wood work and behind the slats are immediately perceived

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