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50 Mildly Interesting Photos With Even More Fascinating Backstories (New Pics)
Interview With Expert
The internet is quite a fascinating place. It’s a vast world of its own, filled with compelling content that may either unite or divide people.
But from time to time, you will encounter the occasional oddity that might make you question what you’re looking at. These photos, found on the Mildly Interesting subreddit, are excellent examples.
Don’t let the description fool you, because these images are compelling enough to make you want to dig deeper and know more. So go ahead and enjoy scrolling through, and hopefully, they make your they slightly more interesting.
You will also find some of our conversations with some professional photographers who were kind enough to provide their expert insights.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I Wrapped A (Nearly) Perfect Present By Accident
RELATED:
#2
Captured A Perfect Snowflake In My Dog’s Mouth
#3
My Dress Has The Picture Of The Person Who Sewed It (Los Angeles Apparel)
The Mildly Interesting subreddit currently has 25 million members and counting. And if you look at the photos people are sharing in this community, they’re mostly images of life’s everyday moments. But what makes them so compelling?
According to Charlotte-based photographer and Cannavo Studios founder Adam Cannavo, the mundanity allows people a momentary escape from their own lives.
“They’re mundane yet just odd enough to make your brain stop scrolling while still being totally relatable,” he told Bored Panda. “These are new but familiar images that resonate with lots of people.”
#4
I Folded This Origami From A Single Sheet Of Paper, No Cuts, No Glue, Just Folding
Sarah Bailey 4 months ago
Job well done, I am impressed. I have enjoyed folding a bit of origami myself but nothing quite this complicated.
#5
A Few Of My Meals At A General Hospital In The Netherlands
#6
I Found This Comically Small Frog On My Truck This Morning
Digital photographer David Filipi had a slightly different take. For him, the photos on the subreddit go against the polished images that people post on social media.
“‘Mildly interesting’ serves as a counterculture for an overabundance of ‘perfect’ content available everywhere,” he said.
#7
My Dog Kinda Looks Like An Oil Painting In This Photo
#8
My Office Med Box Has Skin Tone Bandages
#9
A Work Friend Has Been Giving Me One Demotivational Pencil Each Day
Given how these photos, with minimal context, can reach millions of people at once, that begs the question: what makes a photo stand out in this day and age, where “everyone is a photographer”?
According to Winnipeg-based wedding photographer Joel Boily, it’s more about resonance than just beauty or technical perfection.
“The best images today don’t just show you something interesting,” he said. “They make you feel something. Whether it’s emotional intimacy, perfect timing, or a flash of visual irony, the photos that stand out evoke a response deeper than a quick double-tap.”
#10
Perfectly Circular From Above, Perfect Ellipse From The Side. The Perfect River Stone
#11
My Uncle Lit A Firework Which Failed To Launch But Didn’t Fail To Detonate
Sarah Bailey 4 months ago (edited)
Well well well, accidental masterpiece in my opinion. Looks like it could be the cover of a really good book.
#12
My Father Found Over $40k USD Inside An Old Furnace
Everyone interprets photographs differently. Just like one person may find a specific meaning behind the “Mona Lisa” that differs from another’s. According to ScanMyPhotos.com CEO & photo archivist Mitch Goldstone, pictures that stand out often “feel unfinished” and open to interpretation.
“They leave space for the viewer to add their own memory or meaning. That’s what stops the scroll… not just perfect lighting,” he explained.
#13
These Wind Turbines From My Plane Look Like They're Floating In The Sky
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 4 months ago
The ground hasn't loaded in yet, give it a moment to properly render please
#14
This Silver Ant I Saw Today
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
So dug into this and found this interesting info: Researchers at Columbia University are working on a new way to keep buildings cool. They drew inspiration from an unlikely source: a heat-tolerant species of ant called the Saharan Silver Ant, which lives in the scorching desert. In 2015, physics professor Nanfang Yu discovered that this ant's silvery coating of hair reflects sunlight and radiates heat back to the sky. "They are only active in the middle of the day when the surface of the desert is the hottest", explains Yu. Now, he and his colleagues have developed a paint-like material that mimics these functions. When applied to a rooftop, it reflects up to 99% of sunlight, and emits heat back to the atmosphere. Yu says that helps cool the building underneath and it does so far more effectively than white paint, which only reflects certain wavelengths of solar radiation.
#15
The Sphinx Has A Tail
Since anyone can be a “photographer” these days, does having instant access to a camera in one’s pocket have a net positive for society? Freelance commercial photographer and public speaker Bob Mackowski believes it does, as it helps tangibly preserve memories.
“It can help you document anything in your life that needs to be documented, whether it's your child's first steps or that raging party that you don't remember from last night,” he said.
#16
This Tree I Saw On A Walk Has A Near-Perfect Eye In Its Bark
#17
This "Love Heart" Shaped Lightning Bolt My Wife Photographed Last Night
#18
My Son Put A Mushroom Cap On Some Paper
Boily, on the other hand, says otherwise. According to him, the dawn of smartphone cameras devalued what a photograph means.
“When everyone has a camera in their pocket, the sheer volume of images being created makes it harder for any one image to feel significant,” he said, while also clarifying that instant access to cameras has its upsides, like democratized creativity and storytelling.
#19
My Local Convenience Store Has Sky Box Diffusers Over Their Fluorescent Lights
#20
My Co-Worker Still Owns And Uses A Sony Fm Walkman From The 1980's
#21
My Son Has A Hidden Birthmark Of A Wave That's Only Visible When He's Tan
For Goldstone, it’s a gray area. While it does allow everyone a chance to capture a moment in time, there’s a chance it will be forgotten, given how easy it is to take these snapshots.
“The camera roll becomes a graveyard. The challenge isn’t taking more photos... It’s deciding which ones matter.”
#22
The Muscle Atrophy On My Right Leg After Breaking My Ankle
#23
Something Peeled My Whole Lemon On The Tree Without Biting Into It
Damned_Cat 4 months ago
Possum or rat. They both love citrus peels (even lemons). We caught a young possum doing that in our lemon tree many years ago.
#24
Bought An Eggplant With A Nose Today
#25
My Dad Was Apple Employee #1851 In 1981
#26
Encountered This Delivery Bot In My Neighborhood, Just Contemplating The End Of The Sidewalk
#27
Wedding Rsvp Mailed By Friends That Live 30 Mins Away Somehow Was Sent To Malaysia And Then Sent Back To Us By Stranger
#28
The Walls In My 100y Irish Cottage Are 2ft Thick
Bookworm 4 months ago
The insulation method of its day. I grew up in a 100+ year old stone-walled house, and as a small child I was always confused why other people didn't just... keep things on their windowsills. I was disappointed to eventually discover that most modern construction does not come with foot-deep windows.
#29
This Laptop Shows Where The Headphone Jack Is In The Dark
#30
My Cat Left A Perfect Paw Print In Our Toilet Paper
#31
My BF’s Allergy Test. Tested For 72 Things, Allergic To 70
#32
My Son Was Born Missing A Toenail
#33
I Have Rings Around The Pupil Of My Eyes
#34
The Waiter Dropped A Fork Into My Glass And It Created A Perfect Hole Without Shattering The Glass
#35
Received This Huge Ice Cream Cone From Mcdonald’s
#36
Hair Of Marie Antoinette In A Golden Locket
#37
This Slice Of Bread Has Lips
#38
Broke An Billards Ball And Found A Mini One Inside
#39
My Watermelon Was Yellow On The Inside
#40
Had A Long Strand Of Hair Growing Out Of My Forehead
#41
My Beer-Battered Onion Rings Came Out The Packet Like A Chain-Link
#42
I Opened My Frozen Pizza To Find Two Stuck Together
#43
My Roomba Keeps Going Over To The Doorstop, And Turns Itself Off By Hitting The Switch On The Side
#44
This Restaurant Charges An 18% Living Wage Fee
Riley Quinn 4 months ago
Should've posted my response here because this is NOT like greenwashing. This is how all business, except hospitality, operate. You charge the customer for all your costs/overhead, which includes salaries, supplies/equipment, insurance, and profit (owner's income). This is much fairer than servers busting their butts, not getting adequate tips, and ekeing out a poverty-level living.
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Emilu 4 months ago (edited)
… that’s kind of obnoxious when you could just, y’know, pay your staff better. We have hospitality workers earning around $100 AU per hour on public holidays (and most businesses will charge a PH surcharge but with wages like that, fair enough) because we actually pay our workers properly instead of expecting them to live on the decency (or otherwise) of other people. I don’t normally hop on the tip bandwagon; I get it’s cultural. But a ‘living wage’ fee? That’s just lazy.
XenoMurph 4 months ago (edited)
But.... that's what happens anyway. Where do you think the money to pay staff comes from? Ultimately from the customers. This is a weird way of doing it though. But identifying that they are more expensive because the money goes to all the staff is not bad. The fact that the tip is optional is a good thing.
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Yer Maw Lorna 4 months ago
Nah I don’t like this. Just adjust the prices to cover the running costs of the restaurant
Megalodon Meg 4 months ago
That's literally what they did, they were just transparent about it instead of upping the food prices specifically and having people then b***h about that.
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SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
So the employer is either going to underpay employees or overcharge customers….anything but tighten his own belt. That figures.
Bookworm 4 months ago
A lot of non-chain restaurants run on very, very tight margins. I appreciate them making a point of advertising that instead of tips, they just pay their staff a fair wage.
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Mad McQueen 4 months ago
Wow just pay people a standard minimum um wage like every other business does. This has got to stop.
Ryan-James O'Driscoll 4 months ago
If this was in the price, I'd be ok with it. It's what everyone else does.
azubi 4 months ago
Doesn't small prices and mandatory service fee make a false advertising altogether?
Emilu 4 months ago
Are we talking about this place in particular? Because those prices are pretty much what I’d expect in Aus, but we don’t charge a living wage fee.
Load More Replies... Dragons Exist 4 months ago
I hate when the tips are split amongst the staff, they should go to the person the tips were given to
Verena 4 months ago
Then the background staff would nevet see a penny. You like your well-prepared dish? Who do you think cooked it? The server transporting it from the kitchen to your table, or the cooks, preparing dozens of them under high pressure, but still put effort in every single one?
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Uncle Schmickle 4 months ago
Yeah, the customer get screwed by having to help make up wages the employer should be paying. By paying this, you're only helping the employer / company make more profit.,
McKenzy Flores 4 months ago
If people don’t want tip then unfortunately this is the next option.
Olive Moon 4 months ago
OK. So what if ALL businesses did this? Electricians, Plumbers, Landscapers, Lawyers, Bookkeepers, Mechanics, etc. They don’t, because it’s expected that when they give you an estimate (menu) you are seeing the price—PERIOD. It’s not based on the amount you spend, it’s based on what is offered, and what it costs. You are NOT expected to pay extra for the people who actually show up and do your plumbing, electrical work, landscaping… Those people are working there because they are paid by the company. Servers are paid shìt wages, and they are usually afraid to lose their jobs if they don’t hustle to serve (which they do), but also hustle for tips to pay their rent. What’s the difference? Why are restaurant owners making servers hustle for their wages? Sounds like pimping to me...
Dav Carro-Ripalda 4 months ago
I am really annoyed at how workers are lied, ans bullied and exploited by the employers in the land of freedom. Pay f*****k ing living wages as it is your employee. I will tip if i like the food or the service. If I want to open a business and contract workers, then I will pay living wages. But if YOU want to open a business YOU pay living wages.
Riley Quinn 4 months ago
As a former business owner, costs are passed on to the customers. When I charged customers, I figured in my employee's wages, my supply/equipment costs, and my profit (income). Charging the customer is exactly how hospitality services should be handled.
Roxie Carter 4 months ago
Love this, and the transparency. I've always thought that restaurants should have to divulge their tip disbursement methods, .
QuincyForrest 4 months ago
...and that would be the last time I patronized that place. I mean, gee, why stop at 18%? Wouldn't it be nicer to employees (cough, cough) to give 'em 30%, 1000000% extra? Stingy d**n place.
Emilu 4 months ago
Curious... how much would a side of fries/chips/whatever you want to call them go for you? For us in Aus that'd be pretty reasonable.
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#45
My Wife's Shorts Have Holes Worn Through The Pocket Where She Carries Chapstick
#46
My Blood Vessels Pick Up More Dirt
#47
My Mom's Pill Full Of Little Circles
#48
My Pinky Toe Has Turned Sideways Over The Years
Ariom Dahl 4 months ago
Many years of poor fitting shoes? What about the toes on the other foot?
#49
It Was My Daughter's 2nd Birthday Yesterday And She Received The Same Card Three Times
#50
Concerning Dark Green Lays Potato Chip I Found. To The Right: Normal Lays Potato Chip From The Same Bag (For Comparison)
#51
Our Cow Gave Birth To A Mini Version Of Her
Grace Sssssss 4 months ago
More interesting: what is that scar?? Was this a bovine C-section????
#52
A Clown Is Running For New York City Mayor
#53
I Trimmed My Broom And Now It Looks Almost New
#54
This Ipa Bottle Has An Internal Structure And Can‘T Be Squished
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
Is it a sneaky way to reduce volume without reducing size or is there a reason for this?
#55
Saw A Ladybird With No Spots
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
AI says, " The Spotless Lady Beetle (Cycloneda sanguinea) is a common example of a ladybug species that is naturally spotless. Additionally, some Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis) can also be spotless, or have very few spots. These can sometimes be mistaken for native ladybugs, but they are an invasive species."
#56
Neighbor’s Recycling Bin Burst Into Flames And Melted Into A Puddle Overnight. (Purple Recycling Bin On The Right For Reference)
#57
Row Home Sits Alone Next To Atlantic City Casino Tower
#58
My New Bicycle Is Belt Driven. No Chain
#59
I Found An Unseasoned Sour Patch Kid In A Bag Of Swedish Fish. It’s The Same Material And Taste As A Swedish Fish
#60
Guy Around Town Has A Strange Poster On His Car
#61
My Grandma, Aunt And Daughter All Have The Same Weird Thumb Toe
#62
Had A Minor Surgery Yesterday, Sent Me Home With Narcan In Addition To My Pain Meds
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
Wow. Good, I guess? Just take the oxy only as needed. You know the risks.
#63
22 Years Of Sun Exposure On Shirt
#64
Fog Over La Makes It Look Like Badly Rendered Video Game
#65
This Man Documented Every Haircut He And His Son Got, From 1946 & 1963 Until 1999
#66
Walmart Gave Me Pringles And A Coke With My Switch 2 Order
#67
I Cut A Healthy Looking Onion Which Was Actually Hollow And Rotting From The Inside
#68
A 5 Page Book Of Fictional Couples From Real Estate Agent Ads I Made When I Was A Kid
#69
These Yellow Flowers Are Only Growing In One Area Of My Lawn
#70
Sunburned My Bald Head. Peeled Off In Big Pieces
Remi (He/Him) 4 months ago
Be extra careful about protecting you scalp if you don't have hair. It will burn way before any other part of your head
#71
My Neighbors Hold Their Hollow Tree Up With Spray Foam
#72
Dairy Queen Not Taking E-Pay Because Of Airshow
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
Here's what one commenter on the Reddit thread said: I know my comment will get buried, but the likely cause is the cell tower that they use for the transactions is likely overwhelmed with the patrons at the air show. They are unable to connect. If they had a way of reconfiguring their POS (point of sale) card readers to use a local wifi network attached to the internet,they could continue processing cards. Source: I've been at air shows where the local cell towers can't handle 10,000 new cell devices in the same location. Event Vendors' card transaction processing fails and cashless venues suddenly become frozen.
#73
I Put My Candle Out With Drops Of Water And This Is What It Looked Like When It Cooled
#74
This Coffee Shop Has A Riddle You Can Solve To Get A Discount
#75
My Ex Race Horse’s Identification Tattoo On Her Upper Lip Inside Her Mouth
#76
My Boyfriend Dropped An Avocado On His Shorts, And The Stain Has Never Come Out Since
#77
This Hotel Requires Men To Wear Swim Briefs Or Square Leg Swimsuits In The Pool. Boardshorts (And T-Shirts Or Rash Guards) Are Not Allowed
#78
The Funkiest Avocado I’ve Ever Cut Into
#79
Glowing Pvc In My Attic
#80
All The Baldcaps At A Pitbull Concert
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
Many of these made me want to learn more about them. Thanks, Miguel!
Rodriquez 1 month ago
Yeah thanks for copying and pasting from Reddit Miquel, and for letting me pay extra for it.
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Spencer's slave no longer 4 months ago
C section because the calf was breech or too big for the heifer to birth.
Load More Replies... Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
Many of these made me want to learn more about them. Thanks, Miguel!
Rodriquez 1 month ago
Yeah thanks for copying and pasting from Reddit Miquel, and for letting me pay extra for it.
Load More Replies... Spencer's slave no longer 4 months ago
C section because the calf was breech or too big for the heifer to birth.
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