RUNNING ALONG: Here’s another optical illusion post. It’s not that I feel a particular need to hypnotise people or anything but I think that its a nice diversion from my usual photographic posts, which usually take a more serious tone (even though I don’t usually intend them to be). This image features a square shape of black and white tiles which is juxtaposed by a circle with the same strict pattern, only that the tiles appear to have been rotated 90 degrees. This may have been the key to why the illusion works. If you stare closely enough it appears that the tiles in the circle are moving back and forth. The key to knowing if this is a two dimensional trick of animation? Check the image properties and you will see that this if a GIF file. Although if you take it as a still image or found a JPG version of the picture the effect has a similar effect. That is modern magic for you.

INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE: This optical illusion is one that you probably all know about. I remember seeing this particular image, along with a series of other similar ones on the wall of the textiles studio at my prep school. Whenever I see one of the images that was originally stuck up there I do think about sitting in that room and trying to work them out (this was at the age of about 11). In the vertical image you have an older looking man (or could be a woman, I can’t really tell, nor do I think that it matters a lot). If you flip the image 360 degrees you have a princess. The old person’s nose and mouth form the princess’ fringe when turned over and you don’t even question a thing. Someone needs to come up with more of these types of simple but effective illusions.