Two Floating Glasses Optical Illusion

Our fan Zach Slootsky sent us these two wonderful shoots. This Optical Illusion isn’t easy. Try solving it! Here’s what Zach has to say about his pictures: “These two were shot with a regular digital camera and the only photoshop work was using the curves and sharpen tools. Can you figure out how it’s done?”. Zach and me are looking forwad to hear your comments!




50 Replies to “Two Floating Glasses Optical Illusion”

  1. The first: A somewhat slow exposure was used so that the motion of the glowy thing could be trapped. You’ll note that the rearmost part of the base of the glow is not so glowy- because the hoop was not a complete hoop. There’s a hole in the back so that it can be moved around the glass, giving the illusion of floating.

    The second: The glass is balanced against the wall. Quite obviously I might add.

  2. I concur with t3knomanser. The bottom image the glass is either balanced or stuck.

    Overall I liked them.

  3. The glass was much cooler in the middle of the club when I noticed it could be stuck theere. It was such a weird little spot and I couldn’t get it stuck anywhere else. It also was VERY stuck. I could balance several other glasses on top of it and it remained stable.

    You should have seen the look on the bus boy’s face when he finally found it. It took two hours.

  4. the first one looked good until i read t3knomasers post then it looked really pathetic.

    the second one is obvious. he really is levitating it. i don’t know why people think its stuck there.

  5. The second one is not all that bad. I wouldn’t use such harsh term, it is a bit easier to figure out, but still a neat photo!

  6. Actually, the first one i figured out correctly, and with the second one i thought it was just lying on the ground to make it look like it was hovering against a wall.

    mr pie: i seirously hope you don’t believe in real levitation like that ;)

  7. The first illusion is easily done, you all could do it. Simply, the glass is on the table and the glowing hoop is touching the glass from behind, the light sorce is shinning from behind casting the glowing shaddow infront of the glass. Slightly tilt the hoop upwards, this will create the illusion. Not so clever now ay!

  8. the first 1..the loop has a space in the back..u can see it pretty clearly..the 2nd 1…dunt know dun care

  9. look at the neon light, it is at n angle and the glass is flat on the table. Notice how the ring is not fully formed. The second one looks like it’s stuck to the wall

  10. i dont know how they got there and im not going to spend two hours trying to find out
    ps that is a really good illusion

  11. The 1st Pic: there are two ways. the glass is either simply on the table or the ring is not a complete ring. it is probably a space in the back and the ring was just simply placed around the glass.

    The 2nd Pic: The glass is simply wedged between the two walls. These were really cool.

  12. 1st pic slow exposure. Glass is sleady on top of the table.Glowstick is on a semi circle position (notice the gap on the glow below the glass?) Glowstick was slowly lifted to touch the glass to cover the gap of the glowstick while photo was being taken.
    2nd pic glass is either stuck on the wall or was laid on the ground.

  13. simple… theve cut a hole in the glo stic and smeared it on the table
    and in the second theve jammed the glass between the bricks *^_^*

  14. everyone, the guy who submitted the illusion already gave everybody an explanation.. so quit saying what you think it really is!

  15. in the first picture the only reason why the ring appears to be ‘glowing’ more at the front and less at the back is because it is a glow stick and the flash from the camera made the front brighter

  16. in the first one, if you look, the glass could be on the table, with the blue ring not even going around it…it appears as though the ring is not a full circle…

    just a thought.

  17. The first one is just on the table farther away, with a ring around it.

    The second one is just glued to the wall. You can even see where its glued.

    still look cool! :)

  18. its kind of obvious for the first picture…you used the hoop and made a bubble to make that glowish thing. and the cup is in the middle of it and you angled the camera a certin way

  19. And how exactly would one go about “clipping” a glass to a wall?
    p.s everyone has repeated the same thing over and over again can you just READ all the comments first. And stop sounding so confident its annoying me.

  20. I know I know! You said abrakadabra magical fish and made them hover! No? I’m on suger! Hehehe

  21. I think that for the first one, the glass is simply on the table and a glowing ring is eld around it, and it emits a light that causes the bottom ring and the bluish color in between. you can tell by how there it a break in back of the bottom ring.
    the second one is obvious. he glued it to the wall and put his hand underneath it.

  22. PLEASE READ THIS!!!!!
    ________________________________________the 2nd looks like the glass is either on a platform against the wall or its on the floor and someone is holding their hand in front of it
    YAY I SOLVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    the first one is a net with a hole in the bottom so the glass obviously goes right through
    YAY I SOLVED IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    =^^=
    [p.s. – look at the second one- it looks like a dragon!!!!!!!!

  23. u know…I think 3Destruction is right….on the second picture—that’s either a clip,or the glass has a cracked spot.

  24. I would say that the second glass is really on the floor, and the picture is taken from above. It just looked like a stone floor to me.
    Dunno about the first one though…

  25. U all got the first one wrong. She simply pushed the glass toward the camera with the ring while lowering it. That explains the apparent hole in the ring. Most cameras can only fire the flash at the beginning of a long exposure. But what is that u can see through the glass?

  26. Both are fake, because you can see the shadows are very small, which shows that they are close to the background. If the shadows were larger and more separate, it would give the appearance of floating. That’s in my opinion.
    But still, great illusion! ^_^

  27. the first one was probably that he used one of those glow stick things that you crack and they glow, and it made it a circle and somehow made that shadow.
    the second one its probably stuck

  28. In the first they put the glow ring around the cup and moved it over so the edge was on the cup. Then they moved upward fast enought so it looked solid. The cup isnt floating, just moved back.
    The second one is too ovious.

  29. T3knomaser is sooooo wrong. In the second the glass is painted and the person is just holding his hand underneath to look that way. DUHHHHHH!!!!!!

  30. look at the light beneath the glass….it was cut off…this was the point where the glass covers the light in front..or back…so it means it’s not a full circle. OWNED!!

  31. the second is a demonstration in Newton’s law 1,2, or 3 i can’t remember. A stationary body will stay that way till gravity takes over. The man just moved his hand down really fast and they took the picture with a high speed camera

  32. the 1st pic
    the glass is actually not floating cuz’ it doesnt have a shadow on the bottom and maybe the reason is that the glow stick has a open side and was able to move it and hide the open side at the back of the glass as soon as the camera took the picture

    the 2nd pic
    im going straight to the point, the glass is not floating but its actually lying down and maybe theres a flash light making the shadow of the glass

  33. Are you all really the ignorant? The “glowy thing,” “glowing hoop,” “loop” is called a glow stick people. Honestly, I’m worried about today’s societies affect on the future.

  34. The first one I can’t explain its like the glow bracelet was cut open and the chemicals floated and was put around the glass so the gases made an illusion container whatever and the glass was at the “top” (The bracelet is like the top.
    Yeah i cant explain.
    The second one is on the floor and a hand makes it look like it floated of the hand like a heli pad.
    I noticed the glass wasn’t actually full i think there is some leaves?

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