I needed a stress reliever and this post is it.
My stress level has been incredibly high for the last few days because of a serious medical scare and I don’t handle even routine stress well so I’ve been a basket case. Even though we’ve had good weather lately I haven’t gone out shooting if that tells you anything…
A phone call from my doctor late yesterday afternoon informed me that my ominous test results had cleared up and I “shouldn’t worry about it”. What a relief! So last night while I was preparing this post I decided to make it a light-hearted one in celebration since going out on the town and getting plastered wasn’t an option (I may have posted a similar illusion to this one sometime in the past – can’t remember for sure).
This one has to do with illusions of a particular type called “ambiguous Illusions”, defined as “pictures or objects that elicit a perceptual ‘switch’ between alternative interpretations”. I’ve included two famous ambiguous illusions below as examples:
Public Domain
This one is often called “my wife and my mother-in-law” for obvious reasons when you see it switch back and forth between an attractive young lady and an old woman.
Public Domain
This one is referred to as the “impossible trident” or the “devil’s tuning fork”, again for obvious reasons when your eye tries to follow the prongs from one end to the other. I’m sure all of my readers have seen both of them before but you haven’t seen the one below. That one is mine.
1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this young Short-eared Owl parallaxing me two years ago in northern Utah. Just looking at the severe tilt of this adorable creature’s head amused me, even before I spotted the illusion. Obviously it’s looking straight at the viewer with its almost upside down head and eyes but if you look at the photo for say 10 seconds or so it switches. Suddenly its head isn’t upside down and the tilt is far less severe as the owl seems to look down toward the lower right corner of the frame instead of at the viewer.
Like some other illusions it may not work for everyone all the time but if you give it a shot I’ll bet it eventually does. I think it’s fun when it switches.
I hope it works for you and if you have any stress in your life I hope it takes some of the edges off. It did for me and believe me I needed it.
Ron
PS – I enjoyed one of the first comments on this post on Facebook from my friend Muffy S. Gately. She said “Who knew that owls have a beak on their forehead?”
PSS – And here’s something I found interesting. When I look at a smaller version of this photo (the thumbnail on Facebook for example) I always see the illusion first and have to struggle to see reality…
Love it! The peculiar side of an owl.
Just catching up on all you and Mia’s posts. We have had very spotty WiFi in Australia. I am happy you are well and the news was good. I love the owl! And sorry for the fledge owl Mia rescued.
Your illusions are fun and glad they reduced your stress.
Much more importantly, the positive medical news you received, is a de-stressor for me.
Ron, thanks for all you do for us.
Thank you very much, Alice.
Interesting post Ron. Nature, all of nature is my stress reliever. That is why I love your posts and why we live in the country and in a state of only 600K people or there about.
The owl is great and I too love the comment about the bill being on the forehead.
Hang in there friend, remember life is but a blink in history, make the most of it!!
I’m certainly trying to, Dick. Thanks.
WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL news. I am a world champion worrier and would have been beside myself. As I suspect you were.
That first familiar image? I can only see the young woman. Have never seen the crone. Which might relate to my refusal to look in the mirror…
Love the owl. Owls are wonderful destressors. So long as they are healthy.
“I can only see the young woman. Have never seen the crone. Which might relate to my refusal to look in the mirror”
I got a big laugh out of that, EC – once again your timing was perfect.
This crone is glad.
Absolutely LOVE the photo Ron, but more importantly, I’m glad you are going to be able to worry less and be back out there with your camera!
Thanks very much, Pamela.
Yay!!!!! *Kermit flail and happy dance* I’m so glad you got good news from your doctor! Whoopppppieeeeeee!
I can’t get the owl to flip for me even though I know what I should be able to do. Doesn’t matter though; the “adorable” is strong with this one. (I want to hug him and pet him and call him George.) 😍
Me too, Marty!! And thanks for that laugh this morning!
Hmmm, I wonder what Freud would say about you not being able to see it? 🙂 It’s probably a psychological strength…
Freud would say that it was something about sex. 😉
He would. Freud had deeply embedded one track mind.
First and foremost, I’m over-the-top delighted that your medical stress was unfounded in reality! That’s always a good thing. Now, it’s time to refocus on the magic in your life to dissipate that stress as rapidly as possible. One of the things I learned with RA is that stress released all kinds of ugly chemicals into your body and that they all cause pain to happen in one way or another. Since pain is fun and all–NOT–it’s best to avoid all the stupid stressors in our lives. And yes, that’s far easier said than done, especially in our current situation, HOWEVER, birds (and critters) are really good at making you let go of the bad stuff to refocus on the really cool stuff, which does NOT cause pain. If you continue to practice the good stuff, it gets far easier to go to your happy place. If I could only bottle that good stuff, I’d be a zillionaire. Alas, no. All I can do is point you in the direction to find it for yourself. 😉
Evidently, I’m some sort of crazy because I struggle to find the alternate vision in these things. Mind, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. My mind is just skewed differently. OK, the devil’s tuning fork is an easy one, but the first image will not adjust for me no matter what I do. Neither does the owl. I keep seeing that beak, which doesn’t allow my mind to flip the image, although I can at least see how others might be able to flip it. For me, there’s the issue that the upside-down head thing ALWAYS liquifies me into a puddle. From that perspective, my mind focuses on the outrageously CUTE thing, while I KNOW that it’s not really a cute thing, but instead, a useful perspective thing for the owl. My mind simply will not let go of the CUTE idea. (I’m a stubborn old hag…LOL!)
Thank you for taking us on this whimsical journey. I think we all needed this trip into that happy land!
You’re right, Laura. I think all that stress was actually making me sick. On one level I know that worry is worse than a waste but I think I got a double dose of it in my genes and I can’t help but worry, even about the “little things”. Thank you.
Yeah, I used to do that, too, but I learned to throw that worry stuff out of my mind and refocus on the good stuff. It takes practice, but you CAN overcome that worry thing. Trust me on this. For me, it was like learning not to put my hand on a hot stove. 🙂
I noticed the “other direction owl, too…before you pointed it out…have trouble with the old lady, and the kooky “tuning. Fork” has always driven me crazy….all that stuff does. VERY , VERY glad your tests are OK…have been through thst scenario myself…..not fun!!!
Welcome back, Patty! It’s been long enough that I had to approve your comment.
And no, it isn’t fun – not for anyone who goes something similar and I’m far from the first one. It’s just that I had been lucky for a long time.
Love the Owl illusion! I actually got that before reading your text. And yet, with the first one, which I’ve seen before, I can’t get it to switch at all today. (Well, on my third try I finally got it.) So that first illusion was sort of a stressor… don’t really need one of those today. 🙂 I’m glad to hear you got good news about your tests. And I hope that you follow the doctor’s advice and don’t worry about it.
It looks like there’s nothing to worry about, Susan – but knowing me… 🙂
While not as pronounced as the 2 examples you provided, it popped out at me after only 5 seconds. I don’t think I would have ever taken the time to notice the effect if you hadn’t of pointed it out…thank you. Fun and whimsical. I am very happy for the good news report from the doctor…excellent!! And the phrase “devil’s tuning fork” made me laugh out loud…that was fun too. Nice way to end the week – thank you Ron 🙂
I liked that name too, enough that I went back to add it to my post. Thank you, Zaph.
Thanks for showing the illusions
And I am happy for your positive outcome. Hope you continue to stay well
Diana
I hope so too, Diana. Thanks for your concern.
Glad it has all worked out. Thanks for your fun post, Ron! Love that owl!
Thank you, Debbie. At your request I fixed your typo.
Glad your “parallaxing” medical issues have returned to normal. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist). A health scare has a way of turning everything upside down and sideways, so I am also that you are taking time to de-stress and to share your playful humor with all of us after receiving such good news. I look forward to your rested return, back into the field with Feathered Photography.
Thanks very much, Robert. I’m still “coming down” from all that stress but it felt damned good to finally get a good nights sleep last night.
What fun! Another awesome post. Thanks. I’m so happy that the medical scare turned out alright – I hope you soon get back into the swing of things after all that stress.
Thank you on both counts, Joanne.
As soon as I focused on his eyes ( about 2 seconds) it switched for me. I wonder if his view of you is upside down, or does something switch in his bird brain that keeps everything on the up and up.
Marvin, If I remember correctly (I may not) we all “see” things upside down at first and then our brains turn them around for us. But I know what you mean.
Edit:
Whaddya know, I did remember correctly:
“The images we see are made up of light reflected from the objects we look at. … Because the front part of the eye is curved, it bends the light, creating an upside down image on the retina. The brain eventually turns the image the right way up.”
Neat post Ron. The owl is indeed an illusion if you stare at it for a minute or two. Beautiful either way. And of course the short lived possibility that we would no longer have Feathered Photography was an illusion as well. 🙂
Have a good and healthy weekend.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Yes, thoughts like that went through my head too, Everett – along with many even more ominous ones.
Fun tho the first one took awhile! 😉 Funny looking owl when it switches for sure. 🙂 Glad your health scare amounted to nothing – those will get your attention alright! :0
Judy, that first one has always switched quickly for me but a few others never do.
Right on with the owl! Clever. Actually for me anything with a Short Ear is a natural de-stresser! 🙂 Glad you received good news…anything medical hanging over our heads is a stress producer and I really believe that is true for everyone. It’s something we can’t control and we put ourselves in someone else’s hands and that is scary! Enjoy the day!
“Actually for me anything with a Short Ear is a natural de-stresser”
That’s kinda the way I feel, Kathy, unless I find one hanging on a barbed wire fence.