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No matter how beautiful and ‘perfect’ the photos on your Instagram feed might look, not all of them are real. Some are so heavily photoshopped, edited, and altered, it’s borderline ridiculous. I know, it sounds unbelievable that somebody would lie on the internet like this!

This is where the Instagram Reality subreddit comes in. It’s a community that finds and shames the most heavily photo-edited IG pictures. Check out their newest pics below and upvote the ones that blew your minds the most, dear Pandas. And read on for Bored Panda's interview with one of the moderators at r/InstagramReality, redditor Cluelessnumber7.

After you’re done scrolling down in disbelief, you might want to have a look through Bored Panda’s previous posts about the weird world of Instagram vs. Reality photos here, here, and here.

#1

He Forgot To Photoshop The iPhone Box’s Shadow

He Forgot To Photoshop The iPhone Box’s Shadow

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#3

She's 50 Years Old And Photoshops Herself To Look Like She's In Her Late 20s. Women, There Is Nothing Wrong With Looking Your Age. You're Not Expected To Look Like A 20 Year Old Forever

She's 50 Years Old And Photoshops Herself To Look Like She's In Her Late 20s. Women, There Is Nothing Wrong With Looking Your Age. You're Not Expected To Look Like A 20 Year Old Forever

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Moderator Cluelessnumber7 explained to Bored Panda about the two main negative effects of heavily photoshopping photos. "The first? The unrealistic expectations influencers purport to their impressionable followers. The amazingly smooth skin, suddenly common almond shaped eyes, pouty lips, sharp jaw lines, slim hourglass shapes, and so on," they said.

"What’s being lost by just posting that photo for the masses is the time it took to pick the outfit, hunt down the right lighting, pick which hand to take the selfies with (yes, seriously), and that’s all before smoothing, refining, and resizing in Facetune. Without disclosing that, there is now a countless amount of people comparing themselves (and perhaps spending money to look like) a person who doesn’t exist," the redditor pointed out one of the dangers of influencers heavily altering their own appearance.

#4

Not Even Craters Are Safe From Mad Filtering

Not Even Craters Are Safe From Mad Filtering

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, it's the guy in the lower picture exposing another influenza madness. He is not the idiot here.

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#5

I Didn’t Know There Was A Wax Statue In Milan

I Didn’t Know There Was A Wax Statue In Milan

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#6

Shrunken Head

Shrunken Head

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Elizabeth Molloy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One hand tiny, other hand HUGE! I don't know what she was trying to achieve here, but it hasn't worked.

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"The second is one that many people don’t like to address—the insecurities of those who feel the need to edit their photos. They’ve been editing their photos for so long it could mean losing the validation from their followers, losing followers, and maybe losing sponsors if they came clean. So, they would rather enjoy the false fame, than risk losing it over integrity."

We also wanted to find out what steps could be taken to reduce the amount of photo-editing that people do online. "This is a very complicated question, but one step that we should fight for is to get rid of all filters that alter the shape, size, or proportions of anything to do with someone’s body," Cluelessnumber7 told us.

"Filters have become a crutch for so many people on Instagram that they now edit their still photos to look like their filtered Snapchat videos; adjusting their noses, tone of their skin, smoothing all blemishes, adding lashes in post," they said. "These filters, while fun, are surprisingly insidious. You don’t realize that you expect to look like the filtered version of yourself, until you attempt to take a photo without them."

#8

“No Filter” But Instagram Says Otherwise At The Top

“No Filter” But Instagram Says Otherwise At The Top

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Kate
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No filter but in addition to her eyes, somehow all the pores from her face and lines on her fingers have also disappeared.

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#9

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"

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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While there’s nothing wrong with putting an artistic filter on a photo to slightly change the colors, it’s easy to go overboard. A handful of changes can become a dozen which then become a hundred and soon enough, you’ve airbrushed yourself so much, you can’t even recognize yourself anymore.

According to Brooke Erin Duffy, an assistant professor at Cornell University studying self-presentation on Instagram, “Nobody wants to be called fake.” So deciding how much to edit your photos is a huge dilemma for influencers.

“Influencers very much feel they need to present themselves authentically while getting the best image possible,” she told The Guardian.

#10

The Mirror Always Seems To Expose These People

The Mirror Always Seems To Expose These People

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Mel Fairfeather
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Okay, wait. This one... I don't think it's photoshopped, or at least it isn't photoshopped much. Speaking as a pro photographer who DOES do retouching, but also works ALLLLL the angles, this one looks like she's sucking in and twisted so the reflection makes her look much thicker in the waist than what you see when looking from this angle. There's also something dark just behind her elbow in the reflection that makes her waist look thicker too. It's just a shade lighter than the dress. This one doesn't belong here, I don't think.

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#12

Can‘t Believe How She Thinks That’s Acceptable

Can‘t Believe How She Thinks That’s Acceptable

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Meanwhile, the Instagram Reality community moderators further shared their own thoughts about photoshopping pictures in a previous interview with Bored Panda.

According to them, Instagram users want to see influencers post natural photos of themselves, not something that’s been “edited to hell” and back. The mods remain optimistic that influencers will eventually realize that, especially with part of the global population still stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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#13

The Original Has Finally Seen The Light Of Day

The Original Has Finally Seen The Light Of Day

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Kisses4Katie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These women are really insecure. I'm not saying I'm not, but I don't try and fight it.

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#14

I Literally Have No Words...

I Literally Have No Words...

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Awia
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He is also a croatian wannabe celebrity. He did soooo many plastic surgery he doesn't even look like a human anymore. Google Neven Ciganovic

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#15

Blursed Rich Man

Blursed Rich Man

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The things that make people yearn to photoshop themselves into ‘perfect’ human beings are “insecurity, envy, and money,” as well as avoiding embarrassment because you think you might have hang-ups about some parts of your body or face.

However, natural photos have a lot of charm because they’re authentic, honest, and more people can relate to them.

#18

Don’t Compare Yourself To Photoshopped People

Don’t Compare Yourself To Photoshopped People

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#19

Ribs? Only For Dinner

Ribs? Only For Dinner

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#21

Oh My God

Oh My God

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#22

So What Now, Are We Supposed To Be Ashamed Of Our... Ankles?

So What Now, Are We Supposed To Be Ashamed Of Our... Ankles?

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#23

Had This Saved As Inspiration To Lose Weight When Struggling With An Eating Disorder. Now, I Can’t Believe I Never Noticed The Water Bending Around Her Waist

Had This Saved As Inspiration To Lose Weight When Struggling With An Eating Disorder. Now, I Can’t Believe I Never Noticed The Water Bending Around Her Waist

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troufaki13
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should not be a body standard to be inspired from, even if it was real

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#24

Eyes, Skin, Cheekbones... So Natural Looking

Eyes, Skin, Cheekbones... So Natural Looking

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#25

I Guess She Thought No One Would Notice Her Editing If She Blurred Out Her Surroundings

I Guess She Thought No One Would Notice Her Editing If She Blurred Out Her Surroundings

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Johnny
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought she was protecting the identity of the railing, she probably couldn't get a model release from it.

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Martz Migraña
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, cause that's exactly how does the depth of field works on a camera 😂

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♠️ Clowny ♠️
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who is seriously not gonna know this is photoshopped if the edits are blurred like it says/shows in the title. This girl needs some editing help.

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Pusfarm
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's lifting the edge of the railing. Totally believable.

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Emma M
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Take a class in filtering, dear. Oh, and go to the gym.

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Brent Kaufman
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually she looks fine and real so why did she have to blur the rails on the side?

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#26

When One Person Posts The Edited Photo And The Other Posts The Original

When One Person Posts The Edited Photo And The Other Posts The Original

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#28

Jawline Looking Like The Hull Of A Ship

Jawline Looking Like The Hull Of A Ship

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#29

So We Gone Talk About That Leg Or Nah

So We Gone Talk About That Leg Or Nah

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#30

On Instagram vs.on TV

On Instagram vs.on TV

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Elizabeth Molloy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know people look different with and without make-up, but if you were going on TV, wouldn't you at least TRY and look something approximating your line image?

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#31

"Water" At Popular Instagram Location In Bali Is Actually An Optical Illusion. It's A Piece Of Glass Under An iPhone

"Water" At Popular Instagram Location In Bali Is Actually An Optical Illusion. It's A Piece Of Glass Under An iPhone

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#32

Armpits Are So Overrated

Armpits Are So Overrated

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#34

Burmese Influencer Claims Her Skinny Waist Come From Eating Healthy

Burmese Influencer Claims Her Skinny Waist Come From Eating Healthy

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#35

Are You Sure About The Non-Photoshop Part?

Are You Sure About The Non-Photoshop Part?

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#38

When I First Saw This, I Thought I Was Still Asleep

When I First Saw This, I Thought I Was Still Asleep

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#39

This Is Why Instagram Needs To Get Banned Like Tiktok

This Is Why Instagram Needs To Get Banned Like Tiktok

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#40

Bendy Grass Around The Waist

Bendy Grass Around The Waist

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Catlady6000
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At least this looks almost realistic. Her organs are probably still where they should be

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Note: this post originally had 84 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.

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