There is so much happening in the world today that most of us find it hard to see the good in every situation. In a fast-paced world that demands so much, how do you stop and smell the roses?
Source: Pixabay
But we are still surrounded by beauty – even in the simplest things. All you have to do is take a look at things in a different way. Here are some unique and interesting pictures that will surely make you see the magnificent in the mundane.
Rebel in the crowd
Sunflowers love the sun and they are known to grow always face where the sun is. They love the sun’s warmth so much that they spend the day slowly turning to where the sun’s rays are.
Source: Explored Planet
But in this picture, you can see that one sunflower is the exception. This single sunflower refused to follow the crowd and is actually facing the opposite direction. We bet nobody could ignore it.
Giant on the mountain
Who would have thought that the tales of towering giants are real? Well maybe not – but this picture of a giant human standing in the mountain fog with what seems to be a rainbow is definitely not edited.
Source: Explored Planet
This is called the “broken specter” which is a magnified shadow of a person. This happens when a person’s back is against the sun at a higher altitude in the mountains and the shadow is cast on a cloud.
Zombie rising
Imagine being alone in the forest. You hear a strange noise and you start running. Then, you stumble on the ground and see this. It’s like somebody who has been buried is clawing their way out of the ground.
Source: Explored Planet
But in reality, this is not a dead man’s hand, reaching out to grab your foot. It is actually a fungus that naturally forms at the bottom of some trees. Think of it as a strangely shaped mushroom but take note that these are not edible.
Heaven is opening up
This shot looks like a scene from the Netflix TV series “Stranger Things.” As if the community alone does not look eerie enough at night, the sky looks like a portal to another dimension is about to open
Source: Explored Planet
Somebody was able to take a shot of this massive lightning formation during a lightning storm. The lightning is not only huge but it also comes with a rare and eerie combination of purple and orange glow.
Bird in flight
One look at this picture and anyone would think that this is an amazing capture of a bird in flight. But if you take a good, long look, you will see that this is actually a chipped windshield that is reflecting the sky.
Source: Explored Planet
The story behind this picture is that a stone somehow hit the windshield of this car. But before the owner called the mechanic, he can’t help but noticed how the crack looked like a bird. Talk about beautiful damage.
Contrasting fields
The farmer who planted these wheat and lavender fields side by side is a genius. And you can tell that he did a good and precise job with it too. The neatness of the whole thing makes it a visually appealing sight.
Source: Explored Planet
You can easily see how the fields were divided between the two crops in a straight line. The job was also done perfectly in a way that there was no cross growth between the two even if they are growing so close next to each other.
Alien planet
Anybody who has seen this picture has never gotten it right. It looks like a barren frozen planet with large smoke plumes erupting from the surface. It’s hard to imagine that this is somewhere on Earth.
Source: Explored Planet
The truth is, you are looking at a frozen field with frozen trees in Finland. In this place, temperatures can drop to below -40 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes snow freeze on the trees.
Ghostship sighting
Ghostship sightings are definitely unique. Who would have thought you would see a ghost ship in the sky? This could easily be the famed Flying Dutchman sailing in the clouds above seaport towns.
Source: Explored Planet
As cool as this scene would have been, the truth is far from the haunting beauty of spotting a ghostship. In reality, it is the top of the Sutro Tower peeking out of the thick fog in San Francisco.
Residential bubbles
This looks like a miniature residential model but would you believe that this is an actual neighborhood in Denmark? Some neighborhoods in the country enclose their properties using circular, tall hedges.
Source: Explored Planet
From this aerial shot, the hedges do not look that much. But on the ground, the hedges are actually huge and stretch for hundreds of feet. Just think about how much these people have to spend on the upkeep.
Cooling off
Wildlife photographers can show us how animals go about their day and they go through great lengths to get the perfect shot. Rahul Singh got to capture this incredible picture at dawn in India, where the heat can be horrible.
Source: Explored Planet
The small bird is caught in the act of using a petal of a banana flower as a bathtub to help itself cool down. Dewdrops gather and get stored sometimes in flower petals, giving this little cutie a chance to take a break from the heat.
Unbalanced proportions
Cargo-hauling traffics are very impressive in size. They are created with monstrous proportions to carry bigger things. This picture of one hauling a windmill propeller will astound you.
Source: Explored Planet
As we all know, windmills are quite big and they are not created on-site. This image reveals how the huge propellers are transported. Once on site, a crane will be used to secure the propeller in place.
Flying fish out of water
There was a time when a flying fish was thought to be a myth. After all, who would have thought that a fish could have wings? But today, we all know they are real. Yet, not everyone gets a close encounter with one.
Source: Explored Planet
And here is a closeup of one. You can see that their wings are almost exactly the same as the wings of certain birds. It is no wonder they can manage to leap at great lengths and even launch themselves into boats.
Air traffic
This picture looks like an air traffic control nightmare. It is enough to make one feel dizzy. It looks like a lot of planes are flying out in different directions. If this was real, there will be a lot of collisions in the sky.
Source: Explored Planet
But this picture came to be when a woman captured an airplane departing overhead on a rainy day. The raindrops that were already on the glass captured the plane’s reflection, which resulted into this dizzying image.
Futuristic pistol
Would you believe that this gun was created in the 1950s? It was designed with a futuristic vision – a nod to the space age. The 0.22 caliber pistol is called the “Whitney Wolverine” designed by Robert Hillberg.
Source: Explored Planet
The atomic age-influenced weapon was considered to be the luxury model gun during its time. Only 13,000 models were made so today, it is no surproise that you barely see these guns around.
Zoom in
Ever wondered how a toad feels like seeking shade under a mushroom after hopping around the forest? This is what they actually see. Pretty, isn’t it? No wonder they love to hang out by the mushrooms.
Source: Explored Planet
This is a macro shot of some mushrooms being sold at a local farmer’s market. The mushrooms look so clean too, which proves that they are not as dirty as you think. You are actually looking at somebody’s future meal.
Flying first class
Ever wonder how they transfer a bunch of horses overseas when you need to in a rush? Most people think they would be transported by boat but it is actually possible to fly them out.
Source: Explored Planet
This picture shows how horses are being flown inside a large cargo plane. They are kept in place with the help of individual stalls. I bet that’s something you do not get to see every day.
Alien bottom
The giant water lily is native to South America and is the national flower of Guyana. The pads can grow up to nine feet in diameter and a fully matured pad can carry a hundred pounds.
Source: Explored Planet
This is why when you see a person sitting on a lily pad, it is actually possible. But most people never think about what a lily pad looks like when turned upside down. And as you can see, it actually does not look as nice.
Hole on the wall
Could you imagine someone putting holes in a building wall? In this case, the building does not have ordinary holes. They spell out the word “vile.” Obviously, it is an abandoned building but it’s not every day that you run into this level of vandalism.
Source: Explored Planet
But in reality, the entrance to the building is the only hole in there. The letters are actually painted on optional illusion. If you view it from a different angle, the whole thing is actually a flat, solid surface.
That’s a pawful
Have you ever looked at a cat’s paws up close? They can be one of the cutest things you have ever seen – especially if you are seeing it pressed against a glass pane. And this cat happens to have more toes than usual.
Source: Explored Planet
This cat happens to have a condition called polydactyly. It is when an animal is born with extra fingers or toes. As you can see, he has it on every foot. Humans can have this condition too.
Giant spaceship
This picture is proof that we are not alone – there are aliens out there and the government has captured one. But we’re just kidding. This is actually a warship and this is how it looks out of the water.
Source: Explored Planet
Not everybody gets to see the underside of a huge warship. Thanks to this picture, we now know how these monstrous ships keep afloat in the ocean. It kind of reminds one of the helmet stormtroopers wear, right?
View from behind
The Mona Lisa is probably the most popular piece of art in the world. Everyone is transfixed by her smile – a smile that looked like she knows a secret. But did you know that a lot of people who have seen it up close ended up disappointed?
Source: Explored Planet
First of all, the Mona Lisa is smaller than what most people expect it to be. Second, the backside of the frame is in such bad shape. But then again, any attempt to make it look better will just put the Mona Lisa at risk.
Same place, different weather
Imagine stepping out of the house, looking up, and seeing that the sky is divided off this way. On one side you have smooth-looking clouds while the other half looks so extraordinary.
Source: Explored Planet
Somebody had the chance to take a shot of the sharp contrast between the different cloud formations outside their home. A temperature change most likely is the reason behind this divide.
Pop-out veins
One look at this picture and you’d instantly wonder what’s wrong with this person to make his veins pop out this way. It can be very disturbing to see for somebody who does not know what is really going on.
Source: Explored Planet
This is a picture of an athlete’s legs after doing the Tour de France. His veins are looking that way because his vascular system is still in overdrive after all the physical exertion his body has been through.
Pressing your luck
A four-leaf clover is considered to bring the finder good luck because they are very rare since clovers normally come with three leaves. The four leaves are believed to represent luck, love, hope, and faith.
Source: Explored Planet
And while most people would not even get to see one in their lifetime, someone else has gotten all the luck. This person managed to collect 200 four-leaf clovers and have them pressed into a notebook as you can see in this picture.
Star Wars experience
If you are a huge Star Wars fan, one look at this picture is enough to excite you. It definitely looks like the person who took this photo is on the set of a Star Wars movie. But this shot is actually taken in the sky.
Source: Explored Planet
This photo was taken from an airplane window and you can even see a part of the plane in the frame. The plane was flying over a huge flat cloud. Part of the cloud in the far left even looked like one of those AT-AT Walker from The Empire Strikes Back.