Pictures Taken at Precisely the Right Moment
Photos are pretty incredible when you really stop and think about them. They’re little pieces of the past, preserved forever in a single frame, little slices of life and time that will never be forgotten, existing forever as a physical image for us all to enjoy again and again. Some photos have changed the world with their incredible power and timing, while others simply exist to make us laugh or smile.
A huge part of photography is timing. You need to be ready to hit that button at just the right moment to capture the scene or people in front of you exactly as you intended. Sometimes, photographers manage to take photos at the absolute perfect moments, even when they don’t intend to, resulting in some of the most extraordinary, ridiculous, and downright hilarious images the world has ever seen. Here are some of our favorites.
The Super Long Arm
Here’s an amazing example of how perfect timing can create unique visual tricks and optical illusions that might never have been seen if the photo had been taken just a fraction earlier or later. At first glance, this photo doesn’t seem real. It looks like it must have been edited, as it seems like the man in the background is stretching out his arm to a crazy length to touch this girl’s shoulder.
However, when you take a closer look, you start to see the illusion breaking down. In reality, the girl’s friend is the one with her hand on her shoulder. The man just happens to be reaching in the same direction and looking towards the camera at just the right time to create the effect.
Should You Be Driving?
Here’s another perfect example of an optical illusion created by someone snapping a photo at just the right moment, from just the right angle. It shows a dog poking its head out of the window as a human arm comes out at the same time, reaching over to the drive-thru ATM to grab some cash.
The angle of the photo really makes it seem like the dog is the one getting the money and driving the car. And if the photo had been taken a little more to the left or from a slightly different angle, it just wouldn’t have had the same effect. It’s a really funny photo, but we think dogs are best left in the back seat, rather than behind the wheel!
Looking Good
Some people just look good no matter what they do. If you photographed most people while playing an intense game of football or some other sport, they’d probably look pretty silly with their focused expressions and weird poses. Still, this guy was caught on camera looking like he was posing for a magazine cover or fashion shoot!
He can be seen holding the ball, right in the middle of being tackled, and yet he looks absolutely fabulous! He’s looking right at the camera too, with a small smile on his face, as though he knew exactly where the cameraman was and wanted to get a good shot before he got pulled down to the ground. If ever the football career didn’t work out, this guy could become a model.
A Very Cheeky Monkey
They say that monkeys are pretty cheeky creatures, but this shot totally proves it, and it was taken at just the right moment! A gust of wind blew past the scene, lifting this girl’s skirt up into the air at the perfect angle, letting the little monkey take a peek underneath. What a naughty guy!
The curious expression on his face really says it all, and he’s even stopped eating the snack in his hands just so he can take a look. It’s such a funny shot, and many of the best perfectly timed photos always seem to involve animals somehow, proving that our furry friends are often the best source of laughs.
A Mirror Image
The Christ, the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, is one of Brazil’s most famous landmarks. Every day, countless people flock to the statue and make the long walk up to it, or try to take photographs of it from various angles around the surrounding area. Someone was preparing to take a snap of the famous statue here when they got more than they bargained for!
A little plane flew in from the side as the photographer was preparing to take the shot and then curved upwards. Due to its wings and shape, it looks like the plane is performing a mirror image copy of the statue’s pose. The position is just perfect, and this is an extraordinary example of life imitating art.