There's always that moment, seconds after you've well and truly messed up, that you have to stand there and take it all in. Whether it's regret over a mistake or the realization that you've been the victim of a prank, it takes a little time for it to completely sink in.

On the other side of this is the moment just before it hits. The split-second before disaster strikes is not one we're all too aware of, but in these perfectly-timed photos, we get to see them in all their glory.

1. 'Why are they taking a photo of me...'

2. Truly a catastrophe

3. That poor kid on the left

4. 'How did I end up here?'

5. This can only go one way

6. I have so many questions

7. Christmas present gone wrong

8. The face you make when you know you've screwed up

9. The downside to snow

10. Brutal

11. Just before it all goes wrong

The second after these photos were taken, these people's lives changed forever. Well, maybe not that much, but being drenched in water when you're sunbathing is bound to put a dampener on your day.

If you want to see more perfectly-timed photos, these pictures will definitely make you look twice.

There have been some incredible optical illusions over the years, illustrated or otherwise, that have stumped the best of us. Our brains tend to take shortcuts to make sense of an image - while not always taking the correct route to visualising something.

However, you don't need to slave over artwork for hours on end to create an image that messes with people's minds. You could just get lucky with a photo and post it on the internet, as these Reddit users did in the thread subreddit 'confusing_perspective'..

1. Is that baby slenderman?

2. Three legs?

3. Living rug

4. Naked rider

5. This took me way too long to figure out

6. Who's that looking at me?

7. Twice the doggo

8. Taking her out for a spin

9. The mystery loop

10. Monster pooch

11. A chair designed to mess with you

Who needs any elaborate optical illusions now when you can just browse Reddit for the weirdest photos out there, from strange perspectives to perfectly-timed shots. I know that number 5 really freaked me out before my brain figured out exactly what was happening there.

Achieving the perfect photo is often trickier than it seems, and anybody who's ever attempted to carefully time a shot will know the struggle of lining everything up to a precise degree. Even something as simple as capturing a person jumping takes a fair amount of planning, lest you want to end up with a picture of your subject halfway off the ground with a pained expression on their face. But sometimes, the best photographs are the ones we didn't mean to take. Here are 20 photos that turned out looking amazing just by sheer chance...

1. There's something fishy about this shot

2. What goes up...

3. Former president by day, wizard by night

4. Jesus looks different to what I expected

5. Either the Vatican is broadcasting alien signals, or it just got hit by lightning

6. Hoverchild is still fearful of her powers

7. You might think the ball is tiny, but actually these guys are giants

8. It is a little known fact that Chrissy Teigen is actually 7 foot tall

9. White eye shadow + perfectly-timed blink = instant demon

10. Spider-cat, spider-cat, does whatever a spider-cat does

11. Nature is beautiful 

12. Ok, who turned the ocean into jello again?

13. Use the force, Luke

14. 'Hello, have you heard about our lord and saviour, Poseidon?'

15. Kids can be such angels sometimes

16. This shot was caught on the fly

17. Catch the ball, save the ball, be the ball

18. Quick, nobody's looking - time to fly

19. This candle wasn't so much blown out as it was blown away

20. Nope, that's not a mirror

All of these are once-in-a-lifetime shots, and I don't think the photographers would be able to capture them again if they tried. Plus - as many of them show - you don't need a fancy camera to achieve great results, so why not snap a few pictures of your own next time you're out and about? You never know what you'll end up with.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Even as a writer I have to say that sometimes this is true. A good photograph should be a perfect snapshot of time, a fleeting scene that's preserved forever like an insect trapped in amber. But taking a nice pic is an exercise in timing. It's not enough to just flash away like you're in the paparazzi. You need to line up the shot, make sure that the lighting is just right, and then wait for the right moment. If you wait too long, or not long enough, then something random might end up intruding in the background, with hilarious results.

Do you ever get a sinking feeling when you're looking back over the pictures you took during a night out? Most people recognise that moment when they discover that the perfect selfie they took of them and their friend has been ruined by some clueless bozo gurning in the background. It's an experience that's pretty familiar, and social media has given photographers the opportunity to share some of the more bizarre examples with the world. Scroll down to check out some of the funniest pics ever taken, and make sure to pay close attention to what's going on in the background.

1. Flashing the belly 

2. Even Batman has to work out 

3. She's not as big as she appears 

4. Anyone thinking of the Jaws soundtrack?

5. This dog really wanted to be involved 

6. Somebody loves himself 

7. Disappointed Elmo

8. Heading down the aisle, are we?

9. Cops and Power Rangers

10. A witness to the proposal

11. Flying whale ahoy!

12. It's like looking into the future 

13. Don't worry, the child is safe

14. She has no idea that Slash is behind her 

15. Photobombed by the Queen

16. The picture is neigh good

Luckily for those involved, most of the examples above have been pretty funny. But what happens when photobombing turns macabre? Like the time that an unsuspected bride had her wedding pictures invaded by a mysterious creepy clown?

[caption id="attachment_3954" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Pixabay[/caption] Sometimes things really aren't what they seem, especially in the age of photography when it's easier than ever before to document everything. This has resulted in a lot of freaky pictures floating around the internet, often prompting heated discussions about what is really going on in them. Is it a trick of the light, or is something more sinister going on? So, in honor of these phenomena, we've compiled a list of 30 times people were left seriously freaked out by very innocent things. From pooches who, on a first glance, appear murderous and terrifying, to ghostly shadows cast by completely innocuous things. This list will make you pause and look twice the next time you see something out of the ordinary... just in case. [post_page_title]The Building is on Fire![/post_page_title] On a first glance, this scene would have any sane person calling 911. However, while their intentions might be good, they may end up getting a stern talking-to from the fire department as all is not quite what it seems... [caption id="attachment_3651" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / PeteLX[/caption] This picture was captioned: "This freaked me out. Turns out it's a sunset reflection." Well, it certainly had me fooled, and most likely you too! [post_page_title]Someone help this poor doggo![/post_page_title] While a fire is enough to send most people's hearts racing, do you know what's arguably more disturbing? A pooch that looks like it's not only been cut in two but has somehow managed to survive the ordeal. This looks like the work of a seriously talented magician! [caption id="attachment_3652" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / esquonk[/caption] Needless to say, this picture was captioned: "Had to look twice." [post_page_title]Straight out of a Stephen King novel[/post_page_title] Stephen King is famed as the master of horror the world over, and he has been keeping people awake at night since the publication of his first novel, Carrie. He's got a dark and twisted imagination, and it looks like this is a scene straight out of it. [caption id="attachment_3653" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / RoninGR[/caption] This heart-stopping picture was captioned: "Wife left the gloves to dry, I almost had a heart attack." [post_page_title]The Ghost Baby[/post_page_title] Shortly after I was born, my great-grandma died. I was the last baby she ever saw, and according to my mom, over the coming months, she'd hear me laughing from my crib - seemingly interacting with someone who wasn't there... [caption id="attachment_3914" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Facebook / Maritza Elizabeth[/caption] At first, it seems like a similar phenomenon has actually been captured in this picture, but its caption reveals the hilarious truth: "I was so freaked out, I barely slept. I even tried creeping in there with a flashlight while my son was sleeping. Well, this morning I go to investigate a bit further. It turns out my husband just forgot to put the mattress protector on when he changed the sheets. I could kill him." [post_page_title]Paprika Cat[/post_page_title] If there's one thing worse than your pet appearing to be cut in half, it's your pet seemingly playing in a pool of their own blood. This poor cat looks like it's having a seizure! [caption id="attachment_3915" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Imgur / bessiboom[/caption] But, on closer inspection, it's something much more innocent. Paprika! This disturbing-on-a-first-glance image was captioned: "Cat gave me a scare this morning. It's paprika." [post_page_title]Got Got A Bone[/post_page_title] It's no secret that dogs love bones, whether they're straight from a butcher's shop or the plastic variety, but if the bone is big enough and placed in an unusual place... well, I think this picture speaks for itself. [caption id="attachment_3916" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / erethenn[/caption] Those puppy eyes aren't so cute when you consider the possibility that this doggo went digging its local cemetery. This picture was captioned: "My dog is trying to scare the Hell out of me." [post_page_title]Surprise Gollum![/post_page_title] But sometimes when things aren't what they appear to be, it's because there is a prankster at work, looking to have a good laugh at someone else's expense. Case in point, this surprise Gollum. [caption id="attachment_3917" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / JamesPKP[/caption] "PRECIOUS!!! IS THE PRECIOUS IN THE CAR?!" Gosh, and I thought Gollum was a goner when he was pushed into Mount Doom at the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This picture was captioned: "Whoever did this gave me a heart attack." [post_page_title]The Hanging Man[/post_page_title] It's an unfortunate reality of life that some people to chose to end theirs, and one of the most common methods is hanging. This has resulted in it being one of the most feared sights on the planet, especially as it was once used as a means of public execution too. [caption id="attachment_3918" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jabrah15[/caption] This terrifying picture, like the others, has a perfectly normal explanation: "Housemate was drying his fishing waders. Almost had to add the pants I was wearing to the laundry pile I was carrying after I opened the door." [post_page_title]Eye Snail You[/post_page_title] If we've learned one thing from this list so far, it's that animals and inanimate objects have an awful habit of looking accidentally terrifying, and this office snail is no exception. This could be a scene from Pirates of the Carribean. [caption id="attachment_3919" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Tyranitard[/caption] Is that... is that the skull of a member of the Flying Dutchman's crew? Nope, it's just a plain ol' snail inside a skull ornament. This picture was captioned: "The snail in our office fish tank freaked me out today." [post_page_title]Sleeping or dead?[/post_page_title] My hamster has a very odd habit: he loves to sleep on his back. Now, while I'm all for him being as comfortable, the first time he did it, I almost had a heart attack, thinking that the poor mite was dead. And it turns out I'm not the only pet owner who this has happened to... [caption id="attachment_3920" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Imgur / morisaboo[/caption] Yeah, you have to admit, this mouse does look pretty dead. This picture was captioned: "Gives me a heart attack every time, but he loves to sleep like that!" [post_page_title]The Moving Manneqiun[/post_page_title] Now, I don't know about you, but I think that mannequins are terrifying. There's something inherently off about a plastic, perfectly-proportioned human, even more so when they can get mixed up with an actual human! [caption id="attachment_3921" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Imgur / Nundee[/caption] This picture was captioned: "Scared the hell out of me when he moved." I don't blame you, dude. I don't blame you. [post_page_title]The Green Lady[/post_page_title] When I was kid, my mom told me about a ghost called the White Lady. She apparently haunts a hospital in my hometown, and I simply couldn't get the image of a woman dressed in white and floating in and out of rooms out of my mind. [caption id="attachment_3922" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Tezariah[/caption] So, needless to say, if I'd ever encountered this, I would have probably died on the spot. This picture was captioned: "Emergency light in The hallway scared the hell out of me earlier. Meet the new source of my nightmares." [post_page_title]There Are No Words[/post_page_title] Sometimes an innocuous picture can be so scary, it could merit a place in even the spookiest of horror movies without editing. This looks like something from a nightmare. Everything about it - from the man's eyes to his outstretched arm - is horrifying. [caption id="attachment_3923" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / thebeesremain[/caption] But it turns out that his man wasn't a zombie, although, the real-life explanation is still pretty scary. This picture was captioned: "Son woke us up around 3 am to tell us some guy was on our porch with a stick." [post_page_title]GRANDMA[/post_page_title] If there's one thing worse than finding an animal in a compromising sleeping position, it's finding a human in one. Just like the first image in this article, this looks like the kind of scene that would prompt an immediate 911 call. [caption id="attachment_3924" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / joeltrane[/caption] But it turns out that this grandma was just napping. This picture was captioned: "My grandma taking a nap. Scared the Hell out of me at first." [post_page_title]Peekaboo![/post_page_title] As any cat owner will attest, our feline friends have a real knack for getting themselves into sticky situations around the house, and it looks like this cat could enter the "How the heck did you manage that?" Olympics. [caption id="attachment_3925" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / frex4[/caption] This picture was appropriately captioned: "That spooked the Hell out of me." Yeah, you might have noticed by now, when something appears to be something else, there's only so many ways people can put their fear into words! [post_page_title]The Sweeney Todd of dog groomers[/post_page_title] We all know the story of Sweeney Todd; a murderous barber who comes back to London to enact revenge after he's wrongfully exiled, killing people and chopping them up for Mrs. Lovett's meat pies. At first, this groomer looks like the animal version... [caption id="attachment_3937" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / BaByJeZuZ012[/caption] This picture was captioned: "My aunt got her dog groomed. The groomer only has half of his right arm. It looks like he's elbow deep into the dog, and it freaked me out when I first saw the picture." [post_page_title]Pennywise the Bacon Clown[/post_page_title] Since the dawn of time, or rather, the invention of clowns, people have been terrified of them, and with good reason. The situation wasn't helped by the creation of Stephen King's iconic character Pennywise the Dancing Clown... [caption id="attachment_3939" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jtronicustard[/caption] If you've seen the new It movies, I think you'll agree this bacon really does look like Pennywise's most recent incarnation. This picture was captioned: "These bacon slices look like an evil clown..." [post_page_title]The Staring Girl[/post_page_title] If it's not animals or inanimate objects scaring us, it's children. We might have baby monitors to keep them safe, but as we saw earlier on this list, they can often leave parents quaking in their boots. [caption id="attachment_3940" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jcmcna0733[/caption] This picture was captioned: "My cousin woke up in the middle of the night, randomly looked at the baby monitor and saw this. She said it scared the Hell out of her." A totally understandable reaction. [post_page_title]"YOU DID WHAT?!"[/post_page_title] If you own something expensive, even more so if it's pivotal to your job, the last place you want to see it is in the kitchen sink - soaking alongside the dishes you've been avoiding to wash up all weekend. [caption id="attachment_3941" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Tryenamy[/caption] This picture was captioned: "I bought my wife (who's a professional photographer) a thermos in the shape of a camera lens. It always gives me a mini heart attack when I see it like this." [post_page_title]Unexpected Passnegers[/post_page_title] There are certain activities which require the utmost attention and driving is one of them. That's why it's illegal to drive and use your cell phone. But sometimes, distractions can come from within a car itself. [caption id="attachment_3942" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Apatharas[/caption] Thankfully, once the initial shock wore off, this ma wouldn't have been too distracted by these unexpected passengers. This picture was captioned: "I didn't realize my wife left the kids' presents in the car until I checked the rearview mirror." [post_page_title]Snake Belt[/post_page_title] Clowns aside, another thing which people are almost universally terrified of are snakes. They kill their prey by asphyxiation, after all, and that's not to mention the fact that many of them have venomous bites. [caption id="attachment_3943" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / pooptime1[/caption] This picture was captioned: "When you walk in your room and have a mild heart attack. "Thankfully, despite what it looks like, this isn't an escaped house snake, but a belt. Phew. [post_page_title]The ultrasound from Hell[/post_page_title] One of the most anticipated moments in a parent-to-be's life is when they get to see their baby on an ultrasound for the first time, and the last thing they expect is to see their bundle of joy looking monstrous. But as this picture demonstrates, it can happen. [caption id="attachment_3944" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / squidills[/caption] This picture was captioned: "This ultrasound photo scared my husband." Well, all I can think now is this: why didn't it scare you too? I'd be worried that I was carrying the human embodiment of the Devil! [post_page_title]The Murder Scene[/post_page_title] It's no secret that crime scenes can be bloody. Especially if there's been a murder and not just an unfortunate accident, but sometimes, splatters of red aren't necessarily bodily fluids. [caption id="attachment_3945" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Danielmg[/caption] This picture was captioned: "Someone spilled their smoothie in class, and now it looks like a crime scene." Yeah, if I was this person, I'd have been asking the janitor for a cloth to get that sinister-looking mess cleaned up ASAP. [post_page_title]Pumpkin Butt[/post_page_title] Children's clothes, by nature, are friendly-looking, and they are often decorated with faces and characters that will appeal to the younger generation. But at night, these faces can take on a sinister guise... [caption id="attachment_3946" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / LadyJane17[/caption] This picture was captioned: "I put my son in a Halloween onesie without thinking much about it and gave myself a heart attack at 2 am." I imagine this mom will be dressing her son in faceless onesies from now on. [post_page_title]An Alien[/post_page_title] Mother nature can, at times, look alien, which makes a lot of sense when you bear in mind that the majority of the ocean floor is unexplored. [caption id="attachment_3947" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jahaight[/caption] Now, is it just me or does this look like an alien from War of the Worlds? One thing's for sure, it's certainly shaped like one! This picture was captioned: "Ancient whale bone over top of what used to be a well [sic]." [post_page_title]The Doll[/post_page_title] We've established by now that finding a face where a face shouldn't be and mannequins are pretty scary, but do you know what's a hundred times worse? Dolls. [caption id="attachment_3948" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Its_Obvi_PShopped[/caption] This quite frankly nightmare-inducing picture was captioned: "My wife had a mini heart attack as we drove past this house. Nobody lives there." [post_page_title]The Giant Man[/post_page_title] Anyone who has seen The Conjuring 2 will know that one of its scariest characters is a tall stick man. Well, ladies and gents and others, this is the closest I've seen to that very monster's real-life incarnation. [caption id="attachment_3949" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Imgur / bmagnusson[/caption] This picture was captioned: "I had a mini heart attack when I saw this. Spotted in NYC." Perfectly understandable. Mannequins are terrifying at the best of times, let alone when they are this tall with spindly limbs. [post_page_title]Woman in the window[/post_page_title] Sometimes when you're out and about at night, it's a good idea to keep your eyes well and truly down, resisting the urge to have a peek through other people's windows. You never know what kind of accidental horrors you might see... [caption id="attachment_3950" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / AndyWyant[/caption] This picture was captioned: "Sister just freaked out, she thought someone was in her flat. It was just some clothes hanging up in front of the window." [post_page_title]The Nun[/post_page_title] One of the scariest recently released horror movies is The Nun, and it's not hard to see why: they are draped entirely in black, and anything associated with the Catholic faith has a lot of potential to get messed up with the Devil too. [caption id="attachment_3951" align="aligncenter" width="741"] Credit: Reddit / littlefoot2080[/caption] This picture was captioned: "Scared the hell out of myself." Personally, this is one of the scariest accidentally terrifying images on this list. What makes it even worse is that the person who shared it didn't even provide a logical explanation! [post_page_title]Kiss your password goodbye[/post_page_title] Personal security is of the utmost importance online. You don't want people getting access to sensitive data like your credit card number, or potentially compromising personal information, which is why this is so horrifying... [caption id="attachment_3953" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / SJT29[/caption] This might have been a fairly innocuous security message, but as you can see, on a first glance, it's pretty startling. It was captioned: "Nearly gave me a heart attack."