“Dangerously Close To The Creek”: 88 Interesting And Funny Photos Taken At Just The Right Time
With many things in life, timing is everything... and the same applies to photography. A few split seconds too early, or too late, and a photo can tell a completely different story to the one you had in mind. But that’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes the outcome is a hilarious and epic tale of a moment before disaster that no-one saw coming.
Often, these photos start out innocent enough, until someone slips, a bird swoops in, a stranger runs by or a gust of wind picks up and turns the entire scene into something magically chaotic. It's the kind of comedy gold that's too good not to share.
And that's why Bored Panda has scoured the net to find the funniest perfectly-timed pics that people have posted over the months and years. They're the ultimate reminder that the best photographs don't always need oodles of planning and elaborate set-ups. Sometimes, it's just a matter of terrible, or great timing, and the universe stepping in to add a dash of comedic chaos.
We also explain why perfection is not always the most rewarding goal when it comes to photography. You’ll find that info between the images.
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Cardinal Showing Off
If you're old enough to read this then you're probably old enough to know that life is full of surprises, and sometimes, the best thing to do is to embrace the chaos. This can apply to photography as well. Your most amazing photos can come from the least expected scenes.
"Make photos in situations where you're uncertain what the final photo will look like," suggests the Eric Kim photography site, adding that photography would be boring if everything was totally optimized and predictable. Kim deliberately seeks out "chaos photography," and here's how...
Summoning Demons
Had My First Revolutionary War Reenactment Yesterday And One Of The Horses Was Prepared For The Camera
To get some great and unpredictable outcomes, the expert suggests shooting through reflections, mirrors, and textured surfaces. You could also use a flash, especially with reflective surfaces.
"Shoot film, because you’re not going to know how the scene will render on film," advises the site, adding that you should "shoot a bit randomly at times; experiment with super low angles, or take little risks of shooting photos that might be bad, but might be good!"
Photographer Fell Down While Taking A Wedding Picture, Here's The Picture He Ended Up Taking
Dog Catching A Chicken Nugget
Clicked At Just Pefect Time
Experimenting under different lighting situations, like sunrise, sunset, incandescent lighting, indoor, or outdoor conditions can produce some unexpected photographic results.
"Shoot blurry photos by moving your camera while shooting; you’ll never truly know what the final photo will look like," Kim writes. Another trick they suggest is to try double exposures, or other surreal photography techniques.
"See yourself like a visual scientist," writes the artist. "When you make photos, treat them like small visual experiments. Experiment and have fun!"
Watson's First Flight Attempt
Managed Perfect Timing While Soap Bubbles Flown Between Camera And Kiddo
Took A Perfectly Timed Photo Of My Brother Shooting A Basketball. It Blocked Out The Sun To Make It Look Like A Solar Eclipse
Shoot first and ask questions later... Don't overthink the shot nor try to predict the outcome too much. "Allow randomness and chaos to positively influence your photos," advises Kim. But most of all, the expert says you should aim to have fun. And not only when it comes to photography...
"Allowing more chaos and craziness to permeate your life will make your life more fun and rewarding," notes the site and we couldn't agree more.
Perfect Timing
Just A Seal... That Ran Into The Glass
Horse In Cornwall
Photography blog 500PX reveals that chaos can be beautiful. "In photography, doesn’t have to mean clutter or confusion," notes that site. "Instead, it can represent the raw energy, movement, and unpredictable beauty of a scene."
Embracing chaos in your images - and finding beauty in disorder - can create dynamic compositions that captivate viewers and evoke emotion, adds the site. One way to do this is to observe before shooting...
"Before pressing the shutter, take a moment to study the scene. Identify elements that stand out—whether it’s contrasting movements, vibrant colors, or intersecting lines," advises the site. "Chaos often has patterns hidden within it, waiting to be uncovered."
My Identical Twin 7-Year-Olds
A Wasp Flew Into My Friend's Photo
Unfortunate that a natural reaction to a wasp is to open your mouth really widely 😂
Aim to be a storyteller. The site reveals that often, a chaotic scene can tell multiple stories at once. "Instead of overwhelming the viewer, guide their attention to one central narrative by emphasizing a focal point," it advises. "This could be a single subject standing out against the disorder or a specific action within the scene."
500PX's experts say that the key to photographing chaos is to balance the unpredictability of the scene with intentional composition and technique.
A Perfectly Timed Photo I Took At A Billy Joel Concert Just As The Lights Changed
A Moment Like This
Pictures Taken Moments Before Disaster
Thankfully it was empty! He was fine, just a bit embarrassed about his fall being captured on camera.
Amazing Photo Taken From A Beach In Hawaii
Is she just standing there about to be hit by a huge wave? I know. It is probably just a optical illusion that looks like that.
My Silly Dog
Just to clarify, I was trying to take pictures of my dog catching the frisbee as my friend threw it. My friend is bad at throwing frisbees, and this happened. My dog was fine, although when I went back and saw this picture, I was amazed he didn't break something.
Photo My Mom Took Today. Deer Slipping On Ice
I Did Not Know Horses Could Do This With Their Bottom Lip
His name is Leroy, he is 13 and behaves like a mischievous imp. Seems to have acrobatic lips. He belongs to my wife but I sometimes brush him.
Just A Pic That My Friend Took Down At The Beach The Other Day
At A Family Birthday Party, I Thought I Would Do The Fatherly Thing And Play A Little Soccer With My Daughter
A Second Before
My Perfect Timed Picture
When My Husband Thought It Was A Good Idea To Pick Me Up While Standing Dangerously Close To The Creek After Our Wedding
I Took My Daughter Sleeding For The First Time. This Is Her Trying To Avoid The Ramp
My daughter, after I told her to stay there while I cleared the path. Sailed right past my head.
Happened To Snap This Pic Of Ozzy And His Ball At The Perfect Time
I’d Like To Point Out That He Was Like This Long Enough For Me To Grab My Phone And Snap A Picture
Very Tough Photo
One Of The Kayakers On My Recent Trip To Antarctica Caught A Penguin Jumping Into Their Group
Don't worry, I'm sure the orca chasing me won't be interested in you.
One Year Ago My Girlfriend Found A 4 Leaf Clover
My Bride Asked For A Photo Of My Reaction To Her Entrance. She Slipped And Fell
Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Walk Around Barefoot
My Sister's Perfectly Timed Photobomb Attempt
Not only is she a fun sister, but she also has super-cute boots.
That One Christmas When A Champagne Cork Hit Me In The Eye
Caught The Best Picture Of My Goat
My Dad After A Recent Storm We Had
Be Scared
Charge
She Slipped Trying To Pop The Soap Bubbles
My Husband Caught The Exact Moment I Noticed The Second Cat. These Are Our New Neighbors
I Didn’t Know That I Lived With Dobby The House Elf. Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby
Nuzzling Into A Snowball
Discipline At All Times
My Son Can Sum Up Our Family's Athletic Ability In One Photo
One Of My Dogs Was Stalking Me Through The Window When I Tried To Take Her Pic, My Other Dog Walked By With Her Curly Tail Up
This Photo
Good for this kid to experience such things,rather than at home on an ipad
Now Gimme That
Fish & Chips At The Seaside
This Penguin I Photographed At The Zoo Yesterday
My Sister Was Bitten By The Rabbit And Managed To Capture It At The Perfect Time
My Girlfriend Caught A Fish
Took This Photo At A Parade Of The Instant This Car's Antifreeze/Coolant Blew Up
The Wind Had Some Perfect Timing
If Jesus Really Cares About Us, Why Does He Waste His Time Breakdancing For His Friends?
My Friend Mid-Fall On The Skateboard
I Attempted To Take A Picture With All 3 Of My Cats
Slip And Slide My Brother And I Built In The Back Yard
The Exact Moment The Fire From A Hibachi Chef Scared My Son. Credit Goes To Grandma For The Perfectly Timed Picture
Our Facetime Perfectly Froze When My Girlfriend’s Dog Was About To Puke On Her
A Photo Of Me While I Was Doing Keepie Uppies
For My Cake Day, I Would Like To Show You The Exact Moment My Dog Decided He Was Done Playing Catch The Frisbee
I Call This One "The Dog Crash"
No dogs were hurt in this photo... Just Andy’s ego.
Thought The Cap Was On And Had To Deal With Stuck Together Pages For The Next 1300 Hours Of My Cosmetology School
Is that the chocolate drink from Danmark - Pucko? (the actual name in Sweden atleast). Which translates to roughly Dümbass.. 🙃🖖
"A Seagull Legit Swooped In On My Ice Cream"
Perfect Moment
We Were Trying To Take A Nice Photo With The Dog. Wet Boy Had Other Plans
Dad Snapped The Pic Right As The Crayfish Snapped My Finger
Mate Of Mine Trying Xiao Long Bao For His First Time In Shanghai
Field Day For The Kindergarteners. I Discovered This Perfectly Timed Moment As I Was Sorting Pictures
I Caught A Street Performer's Expression On The Instant Before A Big Stunt
This looks like the performance we see on Pier 39 in San Francisco where break dancers do a whole bit and the grand finale is one of them leaping over a bunch of spectators from the crowd.
During A Company Kickball Game One Of My Coworkers Fell Over And Then This Happened
Despite this happening, we've actually all had a really good time together.
Forcing doughy office workers to socialize by doing sports is just r******d.
