45 Photos Which Are Hard To Believe Aren't Photoshopped
Last edited Mon Oct 14, 2019, 01:02 PM - Edit history (1)
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, some photos are so astounding that a thousand questions bubble to the surface of our thoughts the moment we see them. In the 21st century, one of the first questions usually is: “Was this photoshopped?”
Whether you think that Photoshop should never be used to edit pictures ever or you believe that it’s an inseparable part of a photographer’s existence in the digital age, the fact is, more and more pictures are being post-processed than ever before. Simply because of how easily accessible cameras and editing software is nowadays. However, once in a blue moon some very intriguing photos pop out from the woodwork. Photos that look photoshopped, but that aren’t.
We love collecting stunning eye-candy for you to gaze at all day long. And today’s no exception. We’ve gathered the finest examples of fascinating pictures that definitely weren’t photoshopped. Grab a cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa, get your scrolling finger ready, and enjoy what our team of hard-working Pandas prepared for you. Upvote your favorite photos, share this post with your buddies, and let us know in the comments what you think of each picture. And check out our previous posts about incredible photos that weren't photoshopped right here and here.
Scroll down for Bored Panda’s exclusive and in-depth interview with professional photographer Anna Chii about the ‘morality’ of editing pictures, her take on ‘all-natural’ photos, her philosophy of photography, what clients usually expect, as well as the importance of trust between a photographer and their clients.
Many more amazing photos and descriptions at the link above. Enjoy!
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I shoot RAW files, to maximize the data in the image. RAW files are kind of like undeveloped film, in that they need processing. That processing, to extract all that data, must be done in a computer application such as Lightroom or Photoshop (or many others). The images shown in the O/P were probably RAW files, and as such were extremely dull. They were almost certainly processed in Photoshop or a program like it.
"Photoshop" has taken on a perjorative connotation in contemporary parlance. What it is often considered to mean, usually erroneously, is the significant alteration of the original image with the intent to pass it off as the real thing. A oft seen internet photo of a "rare" double moonrise over the Taj Mahal comes to mind. Or the photo of Nessie swimming in the streets of a flooded Houston.
So, my guess is all of these fine images were indeed "Photoshopped," but not in a bad way. Here is a "Photoshopped" image of mine from the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon:
I can experience a beautiful, saturated landscape with surreal light, take a picture, and be completely let down by how dull and washed out it seems -- mainly in the way the camera captured the light, or in the way the lens only exposed properly for part of what's in the frame (like maybe just the well-lit parts) and not everything else. In person, your eye moves across a scene, automatically adjusting for light and glare and focus, but the camera has one fixed combination of aperture and focal length at any given moment -- including the moment the shutter is pressed. And the emotional impact of, say, a sunset does not necessarily get captured by the lens the same way your mind and eye witnessed it together. Thus... what the camera recorded may need some "fixing" so it become the scene you personally experienced. Then, for another viewer, the photograph conveys the same you-are-there feeling as you felt when you were, indeed, there.
Well, that's my musings anyway. I'm actually still at work. 
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Dog covered in Holi powder, not on fire
Black car that is so shiny after a wash it looks like a mirror
Black and white Santa costume
From inside a tent
English viaduct
Try to get bored panda working, maybe a different browser or disable some plugins. There are amazing photos every day.
Horsetail Falls Yosemite
or so it would seem from the photo.