What makes the perfect photograph? Is it the subject? The lighting? The timing of the click of the lens? Sometimes it’s one thing or a collection of many things, but one thing is for sure — a great photograph can capture some of the most beautiful moments and places on earth.
The 30 photographs below are so incredible; it’s hard to believe that they’re real.
Get ready to have your mind blown. We swear — these aren’t Photoshopped.
1. At an outdoor theater in the Yunan province of China, performers climb in front of a red backdrop with the Jade Dragon Mountain above them.
Source:
SmugMug
2. Spring is captured in the rolling hills of Washington.
Source:
500px
3. Hotaru Ika firefly squids in Japan light up the dark ocean waters.
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Take Miyatake
4. A sunset and an eclipse coincide to create an epic celestial event.
Source:
National Geographic
5. Believe it or not — this is one photo. Not four.
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Bela Borsodi
6. Fog becomes trapped in as a village in Indonesia is receiving its first-morning sun rays.
Source:
500px
7. The Blue Pond in Hokkaido, Japan contains colors so vivid, they’re hard to believe.
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500px
8. Marlon Brando’s make-up transformation for The Godfather is incredible.
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Reddit
9. This UFO-shaped cloud could explain a lot of those inexplicable sightings.
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Daily Mail
10. As the sun hits the top of a hill just right, it looks like glowing with fire.
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Corey Arnold
11. Millions of flamingos gather at Lake Nakuru in Kenya, Africa; creating a swarm of pink.
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Michael Poliza
12. This vampire squirrel as the fluffiest, bushiest tail ever.
Source:
Science Mag
13. Volcanic activity creates a flurry of elecricity in the air above.
Source:
Take Miyatake
14. A surfer and a dolphin share a wave in Kalbarri, Australia.
Source:
Matt Hutton Photography
15. Horses are actually amazing swimmers.
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500px
16. Mount Fuji casts a 15-mile long shadow on the valley below.
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KJB Photographics
17. A group skydive brings 138 parachutists together mid-air.
Source:
Brian Buckland
18. The International Space Station captures a stunning lightning storm over the Arabian Peninsula.
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NASA
19. A cabbage’s geometric shape is almost mesmerizing.
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Reddit
20. The rock pillars in Zhangjiajie National Park, China defy gravity.
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WordPress
21. Sand cliffs of the Namib Desert drop off into the ocean.
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500px
22. The surroundings are like something out of a fairy tale in the Olympic National Forest.
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Justin Jung
23. A newborn sea turtle gets some assistance from a jellyfish.
Source:
Dive Photo Guide
24. Two seas meet — the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.
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Yandex
25. This sand bar has become a cemetery for ships that ran aground.
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LiveJournal
26. Autumn colors at a lake in Poland create an unbelievable masterpiece.
Source:
National Geographic
27. The kelp forest is a playground for a harbor seal near San Diego.
Source:
National Geographic
28. A slice of meteorite is truly out-of-this-world beautiful.
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Reddit
29. A shuttle launch was captured from a satellite.
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Imgur
30. Water drops from the crops as a farmer in Vietnam walks with his bounty.
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Source:
500px
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By Ashley Fike
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Ashley Fike is a contributor at SBLY Media.