ILLUSIONS
Rick Archer, May 2007
Updated: June 2009

Everyone loves illusions.  The picture on the right is a Halloween costume.  When I first saw this picture in the Houston Chronicle back in 1987, I was completely fooled. I thought it was two men!  It took me quite a while to figure out there is only one person.  Then I thought about it for a while.  Where are the man's legs?  Hmm...  gotta be there somewhere!

That's when I realized the man in the cage is the one with the legs, not the gorilla. Is that clever or what!?

Another popular illusion is the sidewalk artwork of Julian Beever.  One of these days I will have an entire page dedicated to his extraordinary work.

Here are some examples of Illusion artwork.  Pretty clever.

This picture was staged.

This remarkable picture likely was not staged.

This one is obviously staged.

On the other hand, this picture is real.

This silly photo was staged without a doubt.

This picture also was staged, but I like the creativity.

I am not sure what to make of this one.  I think it is
photography that was digitally altered.  You decide.

Kissing the Sphinx.  This one is no riddle... it was staged.
 

I doubt this picture was staged.  It looks real.
Cats are notoriously uncooperative.

The basketball picture on the right was definitely staged.
Who cares?  It is so creative!!

That statue can really shoot the Three!
Check out the follow thru in the wrist!

I don't think this one was staged.  Take a close look
and you will see two shoes and one leg.  If I were to guess,
one shoe is empty and he is perched on one leg.

This one was obviously staged.
Too bad they couldn't find someone with hair.
 

No comment.  Hmm.  I take that back.  I do have something to say -
I think this picture is a fake.  It is funny, but I don't believe it.

No comment
 

I can't hear you!

This is one was staged with some definite imagination.
 

This picture was staged as well.
 

I think this is the same hawk in action twice
 

I would say the fishing is pretty good for this guy
 

I love this picture.  The bear doesn't even have to move
 

Pretty darn cute
 

Somebody captured both dogs walking on air!
 

Yummy!
 

I can't imagine how a photographer managed to capture lightning!
 

I confess - I don't have a clue what this picture is.
 

At first I thought this was a giant brown bear, but on closer
inspection I see it is a long jumper.  Quite a picture!
 

Looks like someone caught this cannon just as it sent a shell flying.
 

Too cute.
 

Is this what they mean by a Mexican standoff?
 

Nice timing on this shot!
 

Mirror Mirror on the wall
 

Tug of War!
 

Siamese Horses
 

An unusual way of feeding the dog
 

An unusual way of feeding the cat
 

What a great picture!   It looks like a ship has just shattered a huge wave in a million directions.
 

This picture was probably staged.

This remarkable and quite ironic picture likely was not staged.

This one is probably staged.

I wonder if there is an airplane hidden by the bird.

This silly photo was staged without a doubt.

This picture is too cute!

I have no doubt this one was staged. The photographer told the men to move
till the angle worked correctly.

I have no doubt this one was staged either, but I think it is clever.

I like this picture.  It is funny.

And here's the pitch!

Clever.

This one may have been an accidental picture.

Animal pictures are probably accidental. 

Aw shucks.

Illusion picture created by a 90 degree twist of the photograph.
 

another Illusion picture created by a 90 degree twist of the photograph.
 

This is one was staged with some definite imagination.

I love this picture.