With editing apps and photoshopping software widely available, everyone can have an athletic body, a perfect vacation, or be youthful forever with just a touch of a finger. But how much can you alter a photo before it becomes a blatant giveaway that what you’re posting is far from reality?
Luckily we have the meticulous eyes and noggins of the netizens from the subreddit “Instagram Reality” who gladly expose people’s shams online and let us know how far is too far. Below you will find a collection of the best photoshopping fails that prove that not everything that glitters is gold.
While you're scrolling through, don't forget to check out a conversation with photographer Svenja Christina, who kindly agreed to expose the secrets of editing.
More info: Instagram
#1 That Cloud Won't Leave Her Alone
Image credits: your-missing-mom
#2 So Hot, The Car Melted
Image credits: reddit.com
#3 Don't You Hate It When Your Pecs Grow Over Your Pendant?
Image credits: reddit.com
Data shows that 71% of people edit their selfies. When it comes to it, more than half of respondents change imperfections on their skin, while 47% say they create a sharper jawline and higher cheekbones.
A similar number of people touch up their arms, whereas 42% are unhappy with their eyes. In addition, a third confessed to altering their bums and lips before posting pictures online.
Concerning gender differences, men are almost as likely to add a filter to their pictures as women, busting the myth that females use more of them than males. Almost half of male respondents have edited their photos to remove wrinkles, brighten their smile, and remove red glare from the eyes.
#4 A Strong One
Image credits: mr_kord
#5 Saw This On Instagram
Image credits: marvolotom
#6 Maybe Just One More Filter
Image credits: Unity__Newbie
To learn more about the magic of editing, Bored Panda reached out to a professional photographer Svenja Christina whose photographic style is dreamy, light-infused, and magical - with a strong focus on genuine emotion and connection.
She strives to blur the line where reality meets dreams. That's why she's the perfect person to let us in on the secret of when people on social media use Photoshop to fake images that are far from reality.
She told us that there isn't one trick that could be applicable in all situations and that people should first use their common sense.
"Things that cannot happen in real life are a giveaway that the image has been digitally manipulated. For example, a shark flying through a city. A less obvious example - except to the trained eye - could be a scene with a milky-blurred body of water and a crisp cloudy sky. The blurred body of water is a result of long-exposure photography. Having a detailed cloudy sky in the same image would not work because clouds are moving and the long exposure would likely blur them as well."
It seems that clouds (don't really know what we did to them) are some of the objects that are widely altered in photos. Just take a look at the people who are carrying around their perfectly shaped and ever-the-same cloud everywhere they go.
#7 It Gets Worse The More You Look
Image credits: AlternativeSonGoku
#8 Found On A Thinspo Account. Send Help
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#9 I Cannot Believe She Seriously Posted This
Image credits: katttd17
Christina also agreed to reveal the signs that could indicate that a photo is edited. Therefore, she encourages people to look for incoherent lighting.
Something that can expose an altered picture is objects in the scene that are lit in a way that mismatches the light sources in the image. Shadows falling in separate directions can also be a big giveaway.
Looking at a picture people should ask themselves do the colours match? Do the sizes of different objects match? Things that are further away should look smaller than objects in the foreground.
#10 People Really Think They Can Photoshop Themselves Ten Pounds Lighter And Then Walk Out In Public Like No One Will Notice
Image credits: EvalynHTX
#11 I Didn’t Know There Was A Wax Statue In Milan
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#12 What The Hell
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When asked if is it easy to go overboard with altering tools, she tells us that it depends on the expertise level of the photo editor.
"New photographers often edit with very saturated, intense colors, especially greens or blues. As a result, the photos don't look true to life.
Another common trap in portrait editing is to go overboard with skin editing which may result in skin that looks too smooth, like plastic because the texture of the skin is lost. My rule of thumb here is to have some texture visible, to edit out non-permanent blemishes such as pimples that would not be there in a week or two but to keep things that are permanent at least somewhat visible."
#13 Good Old Fashioned Facebook. These Are Going To Give Me Nightmares
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#14 She Looks Better Without It Though
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#15 Found On A Dating App. I Am Genuinely Concerned
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On the other hand, professionals working with photo manipulations sometimes stop blending the different images together too soon, which often doesn't look right either. Christina says "It's really helpful to take breaks and come back to the artwork with a fresh pair of eyes to spot mistakes or areas that haven't been properly blended yet."
She even has a few test layers to check if she achieved a cohesive result, like a luminosity check to see how dark or bright objects in the photo should be, a hue check to ensure color consistency and a final saturation check to get a cohesive look.
#16 Famous Singer From My Country
Image credits: ScaryFairyBG
#17 Someone Needs To Come Take Their Moms Phone (In The Comments She Swears She Didn't Edit)
Image credits: Its_Date_Mike
#18 When You're Influencing So Hard You Grow A Second Bellybutton
Image credits: marrewerre
To avoid ending up in one of the Instagram vs. reality lists, Christina recommended being truthful. "A lot can be achieved by posing in a flattering way, tilting the camera lens a certain angle, and the choice of the lens. But don't claim things as authentic when they're heavily digitally manipulated. Don't use filters that aggressively change the way you look."
#19 What
Image credits: lowkeykathyyyy
#20 Girl, What Is Up With Your Legs?? She Put The Whole Leg On Backwards In The Second Pic!
Image credits: CarleyWard13
#21 Found On Facebook
Image credits: DanteMarlvin
One of the reasons why people might be influenced to edit their images is “the Kardashian effect.” Most of us already know how this family looks without having watched their iconic show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” which premiered more than 15 years ago. During this time, they became so influential that their impact can be traced to plastic surgery, makeup, beauty, and fashion trends.
Hopping on this trend, many MUAs (make-up artists) and stylists have been trying to replicate this specific aesthetic: the perfectly groomed, arched brow, the contoured face, the glow that comes from carefully placed concealer, and the neutral overlined lips topped with gloss.
Not to mention their unrealistic hourglass figure characterized by slim waists, flat stomachs, and large thighs and bums. So it’s really no surprise that many people use editing tools to help them achieve the new trending beauty standard.
#22 I’m Sensing A Filter
Image credits: OriginalGSpot
#23 Her Booty Just Melts Into The Seat
Image credits: SweetJazz25
#24 He Forgot To Photoshop The iPhone Box’s Shadow
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In fact, a study in 2021 claimed that Kim Kardashian’s figure is more harmful to women’s image than the thin frame of Kate Moss. It was found that women exposed to this body type felt more dissatisfied with their weight and shape. Even though the “slim thick” ideal embraces “larger” bodies it’s not necessarily a healthier option than the skinny physique.
The family themselves have also appeared in many scandals where people accused them of photoshopping their images after fans noticed their editing mistakes. In one of the most recent ones, the Instagram account ProblematicFame shared a video that compared Kim’s post to one from Getty Images to show how her stomach, arms, waist, chest, shoulders, chin, and jaw were altered to appear thinner.
#25 The Longer You Look, The Stranger It Gets
Image credits: SCBeauty
#26 People Writing “I Wish I Had Skin Like This”. Lol She Wishes She Had Skin Like That Too.. Don’t Let Filters/Photoshop/Facetune Make You Feel Insecure
Image credits: reddit.com
#27 Half Person Half Cartoon?!
Image credits: gritch_123
Many followers called her out for editing her photos in the comments, while others pondered about how she looks fabulous without any digital enhancements. One fan described it as sad because she felt like she didn’t need to do this, while another stated that the photoshopped image contained random and unnecessary edits.
But it doesn’t end there. In January 2022, she removed a bikini image from her Instagram account after fans noticed that her right leg appeared deformed to her left one. The celebrity also faced criticism when people noticed a “third hand” in her photoshoot. Before that, she was accused of photoshopping her neck and back muscles, meanwhile, others thought she had even enhanced a rug in one of her images.
#28 He “Travels” The World And He Has His Own Personal Fence Following Him Around The World
Image credits: Purple_Lamas
#29 Not Even Craters Are Safe From Mad Filtering
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#30 She Must Be On Tatooine With The Sun Both Behind And Ahead Of Her
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However, she has acknowledged that her family has definitely made an impact, both negative and positive, on how people view themselves. In season three of their show, one of the sisters, Kylie Jenner, encouraged her sisters and her mom to reevaluate the beauty standard they set for others. She justified this by saying that she didn’t want her daughter to do things that she did to herself.
#31 A Body Builder I Have Since Unfollowed
Image credits: alejas_tejas
#32 A German Reality TV Star On Instagram vs. On TV
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#33 Twitter Thirst Trap Got That Grinch Fingers
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#34 Damn He's Ripped
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#35 When You Move Too Much And The Filter Comes Off
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#36 When One Right Hand Isn’t Enough
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#37 Legend
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#38 He Must Use Wite-Out Instead Of Toothpaste
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#39 His Page vs. Her Page. I Guess He Had To Bring Her To His Level ?
Image credits: ineverlikedyoulinda
#40 All Her Pictures Look Like This
Image credits: kentucky_bunny
#41 Why?... This Is.. Wow Why Do People Hate Themselves This Much?
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#42 I Can’t Get Over The Difference! Don’t Believe What You See On Instagram Folks
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#43 Who Needs Organs Anyway
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#44 Shrunken Head
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#45 Happy Holidays!
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#46 This Person Is Running For Mayor Where I Live. Yikes
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#47 Can‘T Believe How She Thinks That’s Acceptable
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#48 Sad Face
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#49 I Thought People Had More Sense Than To Believe This Is Real, But She Popped Up On My Feed Because Friends Of Mine Shared Images Like This As "Goals"
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#50 I Literally Have No Words
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