Believe It Or Not, These Vintage Photos Were NOT Photoshopped…Just Look

When you see an incredible image that seems too amazing to be true, there’s a good chance it isn’t. Photo editing software, when used correctly and competently, can be incredibly subtle, and can do everything from create inventive pictures to magically make celebrities drop 10 pounds. It can be used for good or for ill, and it’s widely available to just about everyone.

But people have been creating surreal, funny, and creepy images that look like nothing you’ve ever seen in real life since photography was invented.

The photos here are faked images, of course. But since they all come from the very early 20th century, no, they are not Photoshopped. They were created using a variety of photographic and processing tricks like multiple exposures and staging. And they’re pretty great.

Even in this age of digital everything, people still play around with analogue options. They consider it a fun challenge to line everything up seamlessly and create a surreal image. Photographers like Jerry Uelsmann and Thomas Barbey use film and darkrooms to create their images.

If you don’t have photo-editing software or access to a darkroom, don’t worry, you can still create fun images. Simply by positioning yourself or your subject in the right place, you can create simple but striking effects. You can even do these on your phone!

So now that you know how fun effects can be achieved without fancy software or darkroom knowledge, you can go out and try it yourself! You might be pleasantly surprised with your results.