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Photographer Finds Look-Alikes That Are Not Actually Related By Blood But Look Incredibly Similar (30 Pics)

Sorry, but you aren't that special. At least when it comes to your appearance. Canadian photographer François Brunelle has released a twin photo series called “I’m not a look-alike!” where he features models that look very much the same and aren't even related.

The artist has been studying the human face since 1968 when he first started off as a photographer at the age of 18.

At first, François was searching for his models while traveling. Over the years, however, he has appeared in a TV interview, magazine articles, and lots of web media exposure which had lots of people around the world reaching out to him, tremendously helping his project.

More info: francoisbrunelle.com | Facebook

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François started the project in the year 2000 and has managed to capture 250 pairs of look-alikes since then. The models come from all around the world and the photographer categorizes them into 2 types of doppelgangers.

"Some people know each other already and when they reach to me sometimes it's been years that they live their likeliness," Brunelle told Bored Panda. "So, obviously, for them it is just fun to have a witness of that."

"Other people meet for the first time and then, they kind of have a surprise. Pleasant for the most part, as they meet someone who looks like them in a way or another. They feel safe and confident. And curious about the other person. Some of them in this category, but very few, remain friends, but it is definitely not the rule."

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Despite the fact that Brunelle has been working on the project for 20 years, he is still wondering about this likeliness thing. "I think that we are all the same but that our appearance changes how others perceive us. For the good and the bad."

Interestingly, he happens to look like a well-renowned actor in his city, Montréal. "A few times, when going to an opening or to a first time restaurant, people would address me thinking I was the actor. I thought it was funny and great to be told that I would get a better spot in the restaurant or offered a white wine 'as usual?'"

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As memorable as his project is, the humble photographer said he can't stop thinking about its impact. "The world is having a tough time at the present and I wonder if my work is relevant at all. I wish I could help. I wish my images could help us reflect on what we are after all and where we are going to. I am not the one who can tell. The only thing I can do is do my job: make photos."

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Dorothy Parker 4 years ago

Good similarly.

6points

Alina 4 years ago

Can't unsee the zoom icon...

2points

Mac! 3 years ago

the one on the left looks like a young jamie lee curtis

0points

Dnyaneshwari Raskar 4 years ago

Karen and Karen.

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This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

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Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

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What do you think ?

POST

Rick 4 years ago

I like these. On a planet with over 7 billion people living on it and we only ever meet less than 1 percent, I wonder how many doppelgängers out there we all actually have?

17points

Daria Z 4 years ago

Around 7 they say. It was in some recent post here.

9points

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Daria B 4 years ago (edited)

Never met mine, but it looks like she's hanging about the places where I live and where I work. Had a few awkward situations in the last 4 years. Or maybe I'm Lain. ♡

2points

Becca Gizmo the Squirrel 4 years ago

And think of all the people who have lived before.

1point

Dorothy Parker 4 years ago

A few were remarkably similar. Many is was the accessories, styling and intentionally identical expressions. My daughter and I look nothing alike, but people seem a great similarity because she has my facial expressions. Another aspect is many seem to come from the same area or ethnic background as their match. DNA testing would be amazing here.

11points

Laura Parker 6 months ago

I think that was intentional, so that people with no imagination could see it too.

0points

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Chris DiFonso 4 years ago

It's interesting, and somewhat disturbing, that siblings can look very different yet a person can have a doppelganger that isn't related by blood

9points

MacDudu 4 years ago

Why is the photographer so intent on having people touch who are probably complete strangers to each other outside of their physical similarities.

6points

Dippin Dot 4 years ago

I thought the same thing. Some of those poses looked really intimate too.

2points

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Danjal Nyberg 4 years ago

If you found your doppelgänger and a photographer would like to take a fun/awesome photo of you together wouldn't you pose with them? I mean, it's fine if you wouldn't want to, but because you have hang-ups about it doesn't mean everyone else has.

1point

Scott Brynildsen 4 years ago

Because then you see the similarities. It would be difficult to compare features if they were on the other side of the road from each other

1point

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

Everyone has their own fetishes.

-2points

Vicky Zar 4 years ago

I'm sorry but most of them just look a bit alike because they have the same hairstyle snd/ or glasses. Take that away and they will look very different from each other.

3points

Rissie 4 years ago (edited)

No, many do have very similar features. What is noticable though is the tiny differences that make them identifiable as unrelated. So it's commonalities on a larger level than we identify as looking alike. Kind like hair color and structure. But with for instance the combination of general eye shape, mouth shape and face shape, but without the little quirks that makes family family. That is why you can look absolutely nothing like a relative and still see familiarities.

3points

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slackjack 4 years ago

For some of these, I'd be asking for DNA tests.

2points

deanna woods 4 years ago

A few years ago, I went to a state fair with my family. We saw a girl that looked a lot like me. She had the same body shape, was the same height, and even the same hairstyle. Last year at my aunt's funeral, I got to meet this girl. Turns out she is my cousin that I hadn't seen in years. I think that my doppelganger being family is actually pretty cool. I know some people will say that family often does look alike, but my cousin could be my twin.

1point

enjoyinglife 4 years ago

They say we all have our doppelganger

0points

Niels Veldhoven 4 years ago

This proves my "theory"... They ran out of molds for casting people..

0points

Lyone Fein 4 years ago

Honestly, I think that the majority of the "matches" were people who had racial or ethnic similarities in common. Like there are ways that all Italians, or Ethiopians, or Nepalese are going to resemble each other. Just because two older gents are the same weight and are both Irish that doesn't mean they look close enough to be brothers.

0points

Chris Watson 4 years ago

You could easily mistaken one person for the other!

0points

Alan Metcalfe 4 years ago

Apparently, there is a finite number of combinations for human DNA, that for the number of people on the planet, there are four lookallikes for everyone.

0points

Andrea Anthony 4 years ago

these pairs all feel like they could be siblings, not identical, which is still really cool. having grown up not knowing anyone I'm genetically related to, I like it!

0points

Living_Shadow 4 years ago

This photographer should meet my mom's brother. His look alike is the Indian actor Shahrukh Khan. When my uncle goes out, some people do a double take because he looks so similar!

0points

Eden-Rose Huntsman 4 years ago

I hope I can meet my doppelganger one day

0points

Sergio Serg 4 years ago

First 3-4 were similar then they were stretching

0points

Marnie 4 years ago

These was interesting, but I was uncomfortable thinking of non-model strangers standing in this intimate poses. I would have a hard time bringing myself to do that with someone I knew well, let alone a stranger. Anyway, very interesting overall.

-1point

Carole Reid 4 years ago

Some are a bit of a stretch but I have seen actual siblings that don't resemble each other at all. But the you might have to ask the milkman, as my Grandma used to say.

-1point

Pasi Ahdevainio 4 years ago

I can relate to these. I once saw a guy in a train that eerily looked like me. I thought "Is he a relative I'm not aware of?".

-1point

TheDragonPSA 4 years ago

They all look the same to me

-1point

Cuitlahuac Guerra 4 years ago

I don't see a resemblance in many of those couples. I can see the photographer trying to influence us with similar clothes and expresions, but that's it. Probable 4-5 legitimate doppelgängers but that's it. Reminds me of this episode of Friends, when joey hires his "identical twin", 😄

-1point

Cuitlahuac Guerra 4 years ago

some of these couples are not similar at all. The same clothes, glasses and pose force the perception a little. Buy hey, nice pictures.

-1point

Wiilka Qarniga 4 years ago

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TheKnightOwl 4 years ago

doppelgänger ...sorry, couldn't help it.

6points

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Rick 4 years ago

I like these. On a planet with over 7 billion people living on it and we only ever meet less than 1 percent, I wonder how many doppelgängers out there we all actually have?

17points

Daria Z 4 years ago

Around 7 they say. It was in some recent post here.

9points

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Daria B 4 years ago (edited)

Never met mine, but it looks like she's hanging about the places where I live and where I work. Had a few awkward situations in the last 4 years. Or maybe I'm Lain. ♡

2points

Becca Gizmo the Squirrel 4 years ago

And think of all the people who have lived before.

1point

Dorothy Parker 4 years ago

11points

Laura Parker 6 months ago

I think that was intentional, so that people with no imagination could see it too.

0points

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Chris DiFonso 4 years ago

It's interesting, and somewhat disturbing, that siblings can look very different yet a person can have a doppelganger that isn't related by blood

9points

MacDudu 4 years ago

Why is the photographer so intent on having people touch who are probably complete strangers to each other outside of their physical similarities.

6points

Dippin Dot 4 years ago

I thought the same thing. Some of those poses looked really intimate too.

2points

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Danjal Nyberg 4 years ago

1point

Scott Brynildsen 4 years ago

Because then you see the similarities. It would be difficult to compare features if they were on the other side of the road from each other

1point

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

Everyone has their own fetishes.

-2points

Vicky Zar 4 years ago

I'm sorry but most of them just look a bit alike because they have the same hairstyle snd/ or glasses. Take that away and they will look very different from each other.

3points

Rissie 4 years ago (edited)

3points

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slackjack 4 years ago

For some of these, I'd be asking for DNA tests.

2points

deanna woods 4 years ago

1point

enjoyinglife 4 years ago

They say we all have our doppelganger

0points

Niels Veldhoven 4 years ago

This proves my "theory"... They ran out of molds for casting people..

0points

Lyone Fein 4 years ago

0points

Chris Watson 4 years ago

You could easily mistaken one person for the other!

0points

Alan Metcalfe 4 years ago

Apparently, there is a finite number of combinations for human DNA, that for the number of people on the planet, there are four lookallikes for everyone.

0points

Andrea Anthony 4 years ago

these pairs all feel like they could be siblings, not identical, which is still really cool. having grown up not knowing anyone I'm genetically related to, I like it!

0points

Living_Shadow 4 years ago

This photographer should meet my mom's brother. His look alike is the Indian actor Shahrukh Khan. When my uncle goes out, some people do a double take because he looks so similar!

0points

Eden-Rose Huntsman 4 years ago

I hope I can meet my doppelganger one day

0points

Sergio Serg 4 years ago

First 3-4 were similar then they were stretching

0points

Marnie 4 years ago

-1point

Carole Reid 4 years ago

Some are a bit of a stretch but I have seen actual siblings that don't resemble each other at all. But the you might have to ask the milkman, as my Grandma used to say.

-1point