Timing is everything in photography, but sometimes the perfect picture can happen totally by accident. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in these incredible optical illusions.

There’s a lot to be said for being in the right place at the right time. And that extends to taking the perfect photo – even if it’s not what you were originally intending to shoot. Yes, these mind-melting adventures in amazing alignment will surely make you double-take, as your brain slowly catches up to what’s actually going on.

Liev Schreiber has clearly gone method for his next role as a slender young woman. Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite committed fully to the cause, as he’s still rocking that baseball cap and sideburns. Plus, you know, his regular face. Yeah, maybe someone should have a word with the casting director…

Is this actually a chopper for ants? Okay, so it’s really just a matter of perspective, but it takes a few seconds for your brain to catch on. And in those glorious few seconds, it really does look like either the world’s smallest helicopter, or the world’s largest ant. We know which one we’d prefer.

We’re not sure which edition of The Lord of the Rings this woman is reading, but the less said about that front cover, the better. Unless, that is, you can do something as hilarious as this with it. Hands up who else thought Aragorn was sitting on this couch, even if just for a split second…

There’s neigh way the designer of this reception desk didn’t know this would happen. In fact, if you ask us, that may have been their mane objective when painting it. Okay, we’ll quit horsing around now, but you’ve got to agree this has lined up almost too perfectly.

At first glance, the male half of this ice-skating pair looks like he takes great care of his legs. Okay, so you’ll pretty quickly work out those aren’t his gams. But the overlapping outfits around the arm still makes this optical illusion tricky to unravel.

Is this woman a giant, or has she somehow stumbled on a secret society of miniature people? Well, look closely enough and you’ll probably realize that it’s neither. Indeed, the truth is that she’s stood on some steps in the foreground – they just blend in perfectly with the background.

Honestly, we’re surprised this woman hasn’t got a much bigger audience, unless they’re all just out of frame. After all, who wouldn’t want to turn up to see the world’s first floating carpet? It’s like all our Disney-inspired dreams have come true at once.

It looks like Ridley Scott’s latest Alien sequel will take a turn for the outlandish, as the Xenomorphs begin infecting horses. Really, there’s something particularly creepy about this perfectly-timed photo. Even when you figure out what’s going on, the shadows still trick your brain into seeing something else.

Keep staring at this picture – you’ll probably need some time to figure it out. Don’t worry, we’ll wait. Still stuck? Try rotating it 90 degrees clockwise. What you’re likely picturing as the dog’s left eye is actually its nose, and what looks like its nose is actually its right eye. It doesn’t get much more brain-melting than this.

This is presumably what happens when you give arm day at the gym a miss. Yes, you simply become the sassiest queen in town. Really, though, what are the odds that someone with the exact same color shirt as this guy would position themselves perfectly behind him?

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… neither of those things. And it’s not Superman, either. No, this is just a regular black cat, which happens to have turned its head in such a fashion that it looks like a huge, creepy raven. Freaky much?

Mr. Fantastic may not have been quite so agile in his old age, but at least he could still use his powers to say hello to people standing a short distance away. And really, what better use is there for stretchable limbs than that? Yeah, maybe cancel the next Fantastic Four sequel…

This kitty looks like it’s about ready to come over and give you the beating of a lifetime. Thankfully, it’s simply an optical illusion, but it’s a mind-bendingly good one nevertheless. Indeed, you might not be able to figure it out just by looking at it, because the sock that’s doing the work blends in seamlessly.

Sorry if your boss just walked past as you scrolled to this photo – at first glance, it does appear a bit NSFW. Look closer, though, and you’ll realize that the woman in the foreground’s arm is simply covering up the dress of the woman behind her. At least, that’s what you can tell your boss…

You know those vintage horror movies where the monster has two heads? Well, this is what it would look like if you stretched that concept down to the waist. And, you know, gave the hero four legs. Look, we’re still ironing out the details, but it’s a guaranteed box office smash.

Just imagine if there was a giant lobster floating through space, waiting to one day land on Earth and wreak havoc. Now, look again at this picture and you can see what it might look like. Yeah, good luck sleeping well tonight – even after you figure out it’s really just sitting in a wet bucket.

We’re all for body positivity – let your arm hair grow wild and free. Why not? Somehow, though, we don’t think this woman would be too happy to see this picture. After all, that’s definitely some guy’s leg, rather than her actual arm. And it’s hard not to think he may have done this on purpose…

Do you think these women are aware that there’s a tiny man trying to ride one of them like a horse? Because if so, they seem pretty indifferent to the whole situation. Okay, so it’s clearly just a perfectly aligned picture, but that doesn’t make the concept any less hilarious.

Now, we’re not saying this woman’s mom definitely had an affair with a giraffe. All we’re saying is, look at the evidence in front of you. Clearly there’s something amiss here for her to have such an elongated neck. Or, you know, someone’s just sitting on her shoulders. But that’s definitely not as interesting…

You’ll have to stare super closely at this one to realize that it isn’t, in fact, some kind of weird Benjamin Button scenario. Yes, it’s simply that the kid’s face has aligned fantastically with the older guy’s, so they end up looking like one and the same. Consider our brains officially melted.