By Vurdlak on July 21, 2007, with 129 Comments
Few days ago I found this image on flickr, and was puzzled for a while. Am not sure if it’s photo or a painting, but it hides an awesome optical illusion. I still can’t decide it the photo I’m seeing represents some kind of a tunnel, or top (peak) of a pyramid of some sort. Which one do you think it is? How did you decide? Are there any hints you can share with rest of us?
I also read that you think I link too many words in my descriptions, which I admit can be little distracting. I’ll try and link less, but more targeted illusions through my links, so please comment if you think I improved my technique?
Concerning my vacation, I’m having a blast here on Adriatic coast, you should definitely visit south Croatia when you have opportunity – like Mecca, you have to see it at least once in your life. Islands and cities like Korcula, Dubrovnik, Hvar… are something so beautiful, you can’t imagine. The only bad thing that happened, is that my forehead burnt under the sun, so I had to stay inside the house last 2 days. My brother had the same problem, which you probably already read on his website. Enjoy summer!
(19 votes)
its a tunnel because pyramids have the same size sides when if u look at this one the side at the bottom is very small while the side at the top is pretty big therefore its a tunnel
I agree this is a pyramid or steeple from the inside.
I don”t agree that this site is lame. I’m thankful for all the work that goes into it.
In response to the fact the lines should be closer together towards the centre…I believe it was the greeks/romans (?) who built their columns wider at the top so that from a ground perspective, the column would appear to be the same width all the way to the top.
Therefore, the spacing could be larger near the end of the tunnel to give it the appearance of equal size rings.
It’s the inside of a pyramid. I can tell because of the pixels and having seen a few insides of pyramids in my day.
I think it’s a pyramid but I don’t know why.
Hopper
I am pretty sure it is not a tunnel. The vanishing point feels like it is way too close, and the angles leading to the vanishing point are kind of steep. In addition, the lighting is far too consistent for it to be a tunnel. If it were truly a tunnel, it would get darker towards the vanishing point (or else there would need to be another source of light, which there isn’t). I think it is much more likely to be the inside of a building or hut, with a pyramidal roof.
I see more of a tunnel
@ Dani
The difference between greek columns is that they are limited elements.
They don’t reach the vanishing point like this tunnel.
I said that the vanishing point (I called focal point, but it was a mistranslation) goes to the infinite so to correct the perspective of the tunnel the last planks have to be infinite or kilometer long.
Greeks wanted to correct some imperfection of the buildings caused from uman perception…. this is very different….
See Versailles… The park is all realized with a corrected perspective, but this too is not infinte….
It’s funny how many responce this got, and how fast — a lot of you say it’s a tunnel, and some of you say it can be see as either depending on how you look at it… but darn me if I don’t just see the pyramid (as it might look from the inside if it was hollow) and that’s it. I can’t seem to force myself to see a tunnel at all.
i say its a tunnel with a wall at the end. and the celing has reflected that wall. and it doesnt continue on forever. kinda like that illusion that was on a crane with the door making it seem like it went on froever.
I’m pretty certain that this is a tunnel of some sort, because on the top part, or the “ceiling” the darker square in the middle is reflected from the bottom. Unless this was deliberately done, there’s no way that that reflection would appear on a pyramid.
looks more like top roof to me though.
from the perspective the photographer is trying to capture is rather unique…
well this is def. not a drawing due to the reflection on the upper wall. therefore it would have to be a pic judging from the reflection and the gloss. someone looking straight up into a ceiling for god knows what.
this one is unbelievably easy, i’m surprised that so many people can’t get this one. it isn’t necessarily a pyramid or a tunnel, it is simply a photo taken by someone standing in a room with a pyramid-shaped ceiling;
They took the photo with their back near the wall behind them, which accounts for the shape you see being asymmetrical.
there is no way its a pyramid. The sides and top are not symetrical like the bottom, which therefore says to me that it is a pathway that is leading down a tunnel. The uneven sides and ceiling are typical of what would be seen if crawling into the tunnel.
Yes it seems to be tube-like. Perhaps the inside of a steeple. This image reminds me of the inside of some type of open-rafted european architecure. Also my one of my first thoughts was that this image was upside down.
Ummm… I don’t know if anyone noticed this or commented on it. It is most likely a pyrimid because a photo of a tunnel would have depth of field to some extent. This is a smaller object.
Obviously this is a photo looking up at a ceiling. Those are boards nailed to the inside of a square hip roof.
It’s the inside of a pyramid, looking up from the bottom. Most likely part of a roof or a steeple.
In my opinion, it is NEITHER a tunnel nor a pyramid. To me it looks like a ceiling in a church. I have seen one before, with the lines being the crackes between the boards and the reflection look to be the reflection of the lights. This would also explain the darker line at the top which is probably where the supports start.
I agree with macromania.
It’s a mirror, you can tell. I’ve seen two mirrors, and they showed the other mirror showing the other mirror showing the other mirror, and it never ended.
it cant be a mirror because of that thick black square in the center
It’s a tunnel. This entire site has really become lame. Shouldn’t bother adding stuff to the site for the sake of adding everyday. It’s be cool to be daily, but would be more special if the illusions were really good. Just a thought.
its a hallway. if u draw one properly, it shud look at least even a little like the picture.
i think its i a building with glass rudes, so if you were outside it is at glass pyramide on the roof of the building have seen those buildings in my life!
its a pyrimid. no tunnel no pyrimid ohh this could go on forever
haha nope its a tunnel
the thicker black square casts a refelction
i say its a tunnel type because see at the bottom how it is kinda of narrower..well if you took the picture of whatever from the top itf it was the peak it would all be even…get what i mean?
if you see it as a pyamid the side are uneven and if yopu see it as tunnel it works, but tecknicly it could be ether.
Anonymous#2: Soooo true! there is also, like, a total shadow on the floor! TUNNEL!!!!!!!
i just thinks its pwetty
-jane
well obviously it’s a tunnel :P
Here is some constructive criticsm……………………………………………………..IT SUX BALLS!!!!!!!!! XD
It’s a tunnel. You can see the reflection of the bottom, or floor, on the top, or the ceiling. Pyramids don’t do that.
It’s a tunnel because the top of a pyramid is perfectly lined up unless we’re talking about the bent pyramid.
It could be a pyramid…. How do you know how a pyramid has to be made….. one side could be longer than the other. And plus,
!!!!!!IT’S A DRAWING!!!!!!!
It could be anything!
It is neither a tunnel nor a set of mirrors nor a pyramid. If you look at it as a 2 dimensional pattern you’ll notice that the distance between each square is equal. Therefore the squares are not becoming either closer or farther away.
I must agree with CJ, this is most definatly a tunnel, and while it may appear to be a pyramid like shape, the nature of the reflections on the walls of this tunnel give it away. if ti were a pyramid, it would reflect the environment around it, not the shapes it is comprised of. the reflections of lights at the top are exactly that, a light that was used to illuminate the interior of this tunnel of sorts, however it does come to a ddefinitive point near the end, so I’d be most willing to wager it is an elongated, reversed pyramid like shape ie: not _/\_ but ¯\/¯, where the – represents the ground :)
The interior has been painted with some sort of slightly reflective white color, like car paint… the lines are either a flat black base coat showing through, or black construction paper, with painted black being the most logical assumption, as there is no visible paper fibers, and the white (especially noticeable near the edges of the photo due to the specular nature of the white paint) stands off of the background ever so slightly… it is also possible that the white is a tape of some sort, or little whiteout strips, both of which would be much more easily measured and applied precisely.
THAT WAS MY IDEA FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its a tunnel
i see the inside of a pyramid
It’s looking up in a cabana/gazebo of sorts. You can see the reflections of the stuff right outside it as they get hit by the sun. The underside of the roof has been painted with a glossy white paint.
i think it has to be a tunnel, because it can’t be a pyramid. the outline looks more like a trapezoid
tunnel,wait……
It is a hollow roof that is shaped like a pyramid (Or a roof of a square castle tower) photographed from the inside, pointing the camera up, but in an angle (So not straight up). Made of wooden planks with glossy painting (Maybe white painting, but the photograph is in black/white so we can not know). All wooden planks have the same width but get shorter in length the closer to the top (Center) they are.
i see ah reflection so im guessing it’s a tunnel
tunnel!
From the light reflections/refractions on the sides… I have surmised that is in fact the underside of a shallow pyramidal roof… such as found in a gazebo.. vanity wood house or museum.
It is at a shallow angle.. it is a pyramid but the unique flat angle gives it the strange appearance.