Transform Any Color Photo into an Optical Illusion

video Transform Any Color Photo into an Optical Illusion

Trick your eyes into seeing a black and white photo in color! This may sound confusing but stay with me here. I'll show you an original color photo file and then tell you how to use virtually any photo editing program to alter that photo in two simple ways. Then, with the help of any video editing software, you can complete this project of optical delight.

The effect takes advantage of how our eyes function. Make sure that you focus intently on one particular spot of the photo until just before the end of the video. I added a tiny black dot in the center to stare at, but feel free to pick any one spot to hone in on. The key is that you look solely at one area so that your eyes are thoroughly fooled at the end. Most importantly, have fun!

zakamooza says: Nov 23, 2010. 5:45 AM

why did you remove the video

greeenpro (author) in reply to zakamoozaNov 23, 2010. 6:22 AM

There was a technical problem with this video so I made another one that's even better (which I created a full ible for) here:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-Negative-Afterimage-Optical-Illusion/

I cannot delete this one because I entered it into a contest a loooong time ago, but there's some kind of problem. When I go to delete it, I get a message saying "this cannot be deleted because it is entered into at least one contest". It's not entered in any contests though.

Sorry for the inconvenience. I know the feeling (an annoyance for sure).

Puzzledd says: Nov 20, 2010. 4:21 PM

This sounds really interesting, and I think i understand how it's done.... but the video is no longer there- I realise it's an old one but is it easy to get it back for more recent viewers?

greeenpro (author) in reply to PuzzleddNov 20, 2010. 7:48 PM

I am unable to delete this instructable (I get an error message saying that it's entered into a contest...that contest ended months ago though). I apologize for this inconvenience but I did make a formal instructable on this. It's really a fun illusion. Here's the link if you want to check it out:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-Negative-Afterimage-Optical-Illusion/

Puzzledd in reply to greeenproNov 20, 2010. 10:33 PM

Oh, thanks heaps for replying so quickly- the link is brilliant!

Tomboys says: Sep 22, 2009. 8:20 PM

Cool tutorial!

greeenpro (author) in reply to TomboysSep 23, 2009. 4:20 AM

Thank you!

ChappyShowcase says: Sep 10, 2009. 6:38 PM

Hey, I'm color blind now?

greeenpro (author) in reply to ChappyShowcaseSep 10, 2009. 7:06 PM

Haha....that brings up an interesting point. Most people that are colorblind say that this type of illusion doesn't work for them. One person, however, mentioned in some comments on the formal, featured instructable that he was colorblind and that it actually worked for him. You can read the comments here (pretty interesting):
http://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-Negative-Afterimage-Optical-Illusion/

nomooremr.niceguy in reply to greeenproSep 11, 2009. 7:35 AM

I'm actually color deficit. So I don't know if it works so well on me or not. Could you describe the effect it's supposed to have? (My apologies, but I don't think I get it.)

greeenpro (author) in reply to nomooremr.niceguySep 11, 2009. 8:50 AM

Pardon me for calling the deficiency "colorblindness." What happens is: one stares at one spot of a negative image of a color photo for at least 15 secs. Then a black and white version of the same photo is shown suddenly, but instead of seeing it in black and white, one sees it in color (the way that the original color photo looks). Then he/she looks away from the spot that they had been staring at and sees that the image actually is black and white.

nomooremr.niceguy in reply to greeenproSep 11, 2009. 9:10 PM

Ok. That makes sense. I'll have to try it again. Thank you for explaining that to me.

greeenpro (author) in reply to nomooremr.niceguySep 12, 2009. 3:20 AM

No problem.