We took our son out to dinner for his birthday, and after a delicious meal, we asked the waiter if he would take our photograph with my cell phone. When we dropped Evan off at his apartment, he said, “Will you please send me a copy of that photo?” As we pulled away, I sent it to him.
Before we arrived at our house—only a mile away—my cell phone rang. “Mom, did you see the optical illusion?” I had no idea what he was talking about. “Open the photo and look at the straw on the table. It looks like the right side of it is levitating.”
Sure enough!
You’ve heard the saying, “Don’t believe everything you think.” Well, don’t believe everything you see, either.
What was your most recent encounter with an illusion?
Tuesdays with Laurie 
That is spooky, Laurie!! My son took a photo in the summer when I was swinging a flag around and on the photo three flags appeared, all hovering in the air around me without the flag pole!! A lovely photo of your family, Laurie!😃❤️
Annika — You need to write a post using that flag photo that your son took! 🙂
Great idea, Laurie…I just found the photo! It does look eerie. 😀
A great photo of you and your son. Love the levitating straw!
Darlene — Thank you, we had fun 🙂
Belated Birthday wishes to Evan. Plus awesome picture of the 3 of you. 🎂🌈
Mona — I’ll pass your wishes along. I’m glad you like the photo, I think it turned out pretty well (levitating straw, and all) 🙂
so photographs can “lie.” Thanks for the insight, Laurie.
Michael — They can, indeed!
I guess it’s how we look and how we look. 🙂
Arlene — It sure is 🙂
In our wedding photos, a candle behind me seemed to be “growing” from the crown on my bridal veil. One day my artist in residence photoshopped it out. 🙂
In our wedding photo, I’m crowned by a large arrangement of gladiolas fanning out above my veil. Portent of something? Funny to share such an experience. I had not thought of digital surgery, but after 54 years and counting, probably not going to happen, LOL. 🙂
Sharon — By now, you’ve definitely gotta l-o-v-e it! ❤️
Marian — I l-o-v-e that story! 🙂
Shadow and light, I love the illusion!
There was a fabulous one in black and white when I took a picture of my parents and my mother was standing in front of a little tree and in black and white it looked as if she was wearing a huge wig! Amazing! Have a great week, Laurie.
Olga — That photo would make a great post! 🙂
So, can you prove it wasn’t levitating?
Barbara — You just made me SMILE 🙂
That straw is great! The illusion was that we were getting bigger raises at work….oh, wait! That was delusion! 🙂 Happy Tuesday, Laurie.
LoisaJay — Oh my gosh, now I’m cracking up 🤣
Levitating straw, fun! All too real around here, unless you consider the season of autumn masquerading as winter.
Audrey — Aha! I’m so glad we’ve still got autumn in Boise (although with the nip in the air, we know that winter’s hovering just around the corner).
And a very Happy Birthday to your son Evan, Laurie! The illusion is very interesting & definitely reminds me not to take things at face value. My most recent encounter with an illusion happened a few days ago. What I ‘perceived’ to be a closed path (in the distance) turned out to be walkable after all. I rerouted based on the ‘illusion’. Cher xo
Cher — Now THAT’S interesting… to “reroute based on illusion.” 🙂
Thank you, Laurie! Which leads me to think…….how often do we reroute based on illusion? I think I have a point to ponder today; thank you, Laurie! Cher xo
Beautiful family photo—and fun straw! All is, indeed, not as it appears. 😊
Linda — Thank you. And you’re right, “All is, indeed, not as it appears.” 🙂
In the middle of the night, stumbling to the door to let the dogs out, I momentarily took a large new plant for a baby elephant.
Cindy — Oh, how funny! 🐘
I love it…. It certainly seems to be levitating…. Cool!!!. Looking forward to unraveling new mysteries behind your pics 😀 Happy Tuesday, dear Laurie ❤
Aquileana — I’m glad you enjoyed the photo, it was a fun evening. Happy Tuesday, right back atcha 🙂
That’s awesome. Have you seen the artwork where street painters create optical illusions? Giant holes in sidewalks and such.
Craig — I’ve seen it in San Diego and in Madison. Waaaaay Cooooool! 🙂
First of all, Happy Birthday to Evan.
I seem to fall victim to optical illusions all the time. Trying to find wonderful wildlife is the best one. Many years ago, scanning the horizon for whales from a boat in western Scotland, I excitedly called out saying”Yes, there is one over there”, only to find out seconds later that it was a seagull!!! It’s been a joke between Peter and I ever since. 😂😂😂
Fatima — I can see why that one would be tough to live down 🤣
And it is only getting worse, with my eyesight fading quickly with age!!!! Thank goodness for reading glasses.
Answer: the last time I watched a politician open his mouth and speak on TV.
Chris
Chris — yes, Yes, YES! I’m always disappointed when a liar’s pants don’t actually catch on fire 🔥
Lovely family photo 🙂
ReadInPleasure — Thank you 🙂
Life is full of illusions. Or as Lois said, delusions. Like thinking I’ll really stick to an exercise program. Or clean out those cabinets that appear to have collected a large variety of – who knows what, which is why they need cleaning out.
More relative to your photo however, was when I first began to use baby Photoshop (Photoshop Elements) and learned how to remove/insert people in pictures. That’s when I learned that life is an illusion.
Carol — You’ve piqued my curiosity. Now I’m going to have to start playing with Photoshop Elements to see what I can do 🙂
After my recent cataract surgery on my right eye, my life was full of halos and rolling floors. With my new bifocals these things are less. I still have to be very careful stepping down off a curb. I am told this will clear up also. The really hard part is that I read on my desk top computer with my chin up in the air to use the reader part of my glasses. Stiff neck is us! When I can afford it I will try some reader glasses for the computer to fix the problem. Fun picture And Happy Birthday!
Patricia — Great real-life example! They have reader glasses specifically for the computer? Brilliant idea! I’m going to have to check that out 🙂
But I saw it on the Internet so it must be true.
Very cool effect. : )
Leanne — Now I’m laughing. Thank you! 🤣
Hmmm, Laurie. I will have to think about that one.
Sheila — Food for thought 🙂
Love this, Laurie!
Sent from my iPhone
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Michelle — I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
What fun Laurie and great photograph of you three! I have nor resent optical illusions to share. But I loved reading about yours and others that were posted. We have heavy rains and wind warnings for tonight again but nothing more than normal for this time of year. Now with cell data on my phone and iPad I don’t even need to let people know that O might be off line. How things change in just a few short years. All the best of the week ahead to you!
Terrill — Isn’t technology grand? And I saw a recent post where you’d had SNOW! 🙂
Laurie, I love to explore our backyard and surrounding area and I have been heavily warned about snakes, especially the Green Mojave Rattlers who love to hide in the greasewood and sage. Every crooked stick on the ground becomes a snake to me until proven otherwise. I have optical illusions laying all over my yard, waiting for my unwary steps, just to see me do the high jump.
Sandi — And you are oh so SMART to consider every single solitary stick on the ground a snake until proven otherwise!
Nice family photo, Laurie.
Byungafallgren — Thank you! 🙂
Gosh Laurie your son looks 50% like you and 50% like your husband …exactly. Sorry to bring this up as an observation but that is how I see it…oh and he’s 100% handsome of course 😉
We FaceTime our son twice a week and he often sits where the clock on the wall frames his head and he looks like an angel …which of course he is 😗
Cherryx
Cherry — Evan got a hefty dose of both Len and I.
I love that you FaceTime with you son twice weekly. And the added bonus is he wears a halo 😇
Spooky!
It’s the shadow underneath, which helps – I’m sure. Or maybe it’s just a sign of great things to come for all of you…? 😀
It’s a lovely photo of you and your family. Happy Birthday to Evan!
I have a photo of me and my husband standing in the church doorway after we were just married and someone looked at that and asked me instantly without prompting – who is the lady standing to your side? But no one else was in the photo with us!
Apparently it was my Nan – I can’t see it myself, but she was sure she could see an elderly lady. Plus, I never even knew this person, who said this, was sensitive to things like that.
Not quite the same story, but I felt it was an optical illusion, but at the same time, it was a nice thought if it was her…
Sassy Brit — I got happy goosebumps reading your story. I betcha a dollar to a donut it was your Nan! Now that’s neat!
It’s all in the angles. The world is cool that way.
Take care —
Neil S.
Neil — Yes, indeed. The world is cool that way 🙂
Wow, that straw DOES look like it is levitating! Ha! Mine was last year in Gettsburg where a ghostly head was discernible behind my son on the battlefield. Still haunting us!!!
Sam — I remember the blog post you did on that incident. That was eeeeeerie!
Considering my own skills in Photoshop, Video Studio, and Filmora, I have learned not to trust any picture or video without further investigation, especially if the pictures or videos come out of the Far East. I think the Far East is to fake pictures, videos, and stories like Nigeria is to spam.
Russel — With today’s technology, I think it’s fairly easy for people to manipulate photographs and videos. And it’s a shame when it’s done for deceitful purposes.