Often, when we look at a photo, we don’t really stop to think too deeply about it. We glance at it for a second and keep scrolling. But sometimes… if you look a little closer, certain photos hold stories far darker, stranger, or more unsettling than they first appear. A perfectly normal-looking picture can suddenly feel completely different once you learn the backstory behind it. And honestly, that’s what makes some photographs so chilling — the fact that the horror is hidden in plain sight.
Which brings us to today’s rabbit hole. Someone online asked, “What’s a photo with a really creepy backstory?” and people responded with images and stories that are genuinely haunting. From eerie moments to photos taken shortly before something terrible happened, these pictures carry an unsettling energy that’s hard to shake off once you know the truth behind them. Some might make your skin crawl, while others will simply leave you staring at the screen thinking, “Wait… what?”
#1
An old man sitting on a chair near a foil blanket covering something lying on the ground.
This photo broke Ukrainian social networks today.
Under the foil blanket is the body of his 9-year-old granddaughter k**led by a russian rocket yesterday in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Her 34-year-old mother died with her, too.
They were in the street, looking for shelter, about 4 minutes after the air raid alarm was switched on.
The grandfather refused to go and was just sitting on the ground next to his granddaughter’s lifeless body. Someone brought him a chair. He stayed there for several hours until the ambulance came to take the body.
1 June was the Day of Protecting Kids in the Soviet Union. Russia still celebrates this day. It celebrated it this year again.
In 2023, on 1 June russia fired 10 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv, and pieces of one of them k**led this girl and her mother.
This photo broke Ukrainian social networks today.
Under the foil blanket is the body of his 9-year-old granddaughter k**led by a russian rocket yesterday in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Her 34-year-old mother died with her, too.
They were in the street, looking for shelter, about 4 minutes after the air raid alarm was switched on.
The grandfather refused to go and was just sitting on the ground next to his granddaughter’s lifeless body. Someone brought him a chair. He stayed there for several hours until the ambulance came to take the body.
1 June was the Day of Protecting Kids in the Soviet Union. Russia still celebrates this day. It celebrated it this year again.
In 2023, on 1 June russia fired 10 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv, and pieces of one of them k**led this girl and her mother.
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161points
#2
In 2009, mourners at a funeral in Dundee, Scotland were shocked to see a man wearing a bright neon dress among the mourners. Upon learning the reason why, (some of) the mourners’ initial shock gave away to unbridled grief.
Earlier that year, friends Barry Delaney and Kevin Elliot had met during a regular evening in Delaney’s apartment to swig a few drinks and catch up. Elliot had been on a break from his tour to Afghanistan as a member of the British Army.
During the course of the evening, Elliot had told Delaney that he was terrified of the prospect of going back to Afghanistan and that he feared he may not return from his posting at Helmand if he went back. However, Delaney had chided him that he better come back because of a pact the duo had made 3 years earlier - Delaney would wear a dress, the brighter the better, if Elliot was k**led in action.
The two friends did not know how soon their pact would be realized. Just 6 weeks after that evening’s events, Elliot, who was a Black Watch infantryman, would be k**led in an ambush.
A few weeks later, at Elliot’s funeral, a heartbroken Delaney would keep his word and don a neon dress from Primark and knee-high socks to keep his promise.
Most of the people in attendance were aware of the friends’ pact and were sympathetic to the massive loss suffered by Delaney. Delaney and Elliot’s pact made national and international headlines in 2009 and serves as a reminder of the pain suffered by those who are left behind upon the death of a soldier k**led in action.
Earlier that year, friends Barry Delaney and Kevin Elliot had met during a regular evening in Delaney’s apartment to swig a few drinks and catch up. Elliot had been on a break from his tour to Afghanistan as a member of the British Army.
During the course of the evening, Elliot had told Delaney that he was terrified of the prospect of going back to Afghanistan and that he feared he may not return from his posting at Helmand if he went back. However, Delaney had chided him that he better come back because of a pact the duo had made 3 years earlier - Delaney would wear a dress, the brighter the better, if Elliot was k**led in action.
The two friends did not know how soon their pact would be realized. Just 6 weeks after that evening’s events, Elliot, who was a Black Watch infantryman, would be k**led in an ambush.
A few weeks later, at Elliot’s funeral, a heartbroken Delaney would keep his word and don a neon dress from Primark and knee-high socks to keep his promise.
Most of the people in attendance were aware of the friends’ pact and were sympathetic to the massive loss suffered by Delaney. Delaney and Elliot’s pact made national and international headlines in 2009 and serves as a reminder of the pain suffered by those who are left behind upon the death of a soldier k**led in action.
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145points
#3
This is Saman Kunan.
You may remember an incident in 2018 where twelve boys aged eleven to sixteen, as well as their 25-year-old coach, got trapped in a cave after it was flooded.
The days-long rescue effort was a success, but it didn’t come without cost. Saman Kunan was one of the volunteers, a former Thai Navy SEAL. When he made a dive to deliver air tanks though, he ran out of air on his way back and lost consciousness.
CPR attempts failed and he was declared dead, aged just thirty-seven. That first photo is the last one of him, taken moments before his fatal but heroic dive.
You may remember an incident in 2018 where twelve boys aged eleven to sixteen, as well as their 25-year-old coach, got trapped in a cave after it was flooded.
The days-long rescue effort was a success, but it didn’t come without cost. Saman Kunan was one of the volunteers, a former Thai Navy SEAL. When he made a dive to deliver air tanks though, he ran out of air on his way back and lost consciousness.
CPR attempts failed and he was declared dead, aged just thirty-seven. That first photo is the last one of him, taken moments before his fatal but heroic dive.
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124points
Photography is everywhere today, and honestly, most of us probably take photos without even thinking twice about it. From snapping pictures of our coffee to capturing sunsets, birthdays, pets, and random moments, photos have become a huge part of daily life. Studies show that more than 90% of all photographs are now taken using smartphones, which makes sense because our phones are always in our hands.
In fact, more than half of the world’s population uses smartphones or mobile phones to take, view, and share pictures regularly. A single photo can instantly freeze a memory, mood, or feeling forever. And because taking pictures has become so easy and accessible, photography is no longer limited to professionals with expensive cameras. Today, literally anyone can become a storyteller with just one click.
#4
This photo doesn't look like much.
The composition is all wrong, there's confusion as to what the main subject is, and they're all not in proper focus.
Have a look at the guy in the background, top left. Have a look what's in the background, top right.
Yep, that's Tank Man from the Tiananmen Square m******e. Thought to be student Wang Weilin, this photo was snapped minutes before the famous one was taken.
What happened to Weilin? Nobody knows. He may have been executed, he may still be in prison, he may have fled to another country.
The composition is all wrong, there's confusion as to what the main subject is, and they're all not in proper focus.
Have a look at the guy in the background, top left. Have a look what's in the background, top right.
Yep, that's Tank Man from the Tiananmen Square m******e. Thought to be student Wang Weilin, this photo was snapped minutes before the famous one was taken.
What happened to Weilin? Nobody knows. He may have been executed, he may still be in prison, he may have fled to another country.
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99points
#5
The Falling Man and other pictures of people who were forced to jump from the WTC towers.
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97points
#6
This is my handsome husband in 1970, shortly after we got married. Our life seemed perfect and we had so much to look forward to. In 1975 I became pregnant and like most expectant parents, we were excited and were making plans. One thing we did not plan on… he starting going blind due to diabetic retinopathy half way into the pregnancy. Sad memories of waddling into a hospital for weeks on end, for laser treatments, haunt me. In 1976 we gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. That should have been the best summer ever; however the laser treatments were not effective and at some point, rather than help, they start to cause the retina to be damaged. He had too many laser treatments to count. He was hospitalized for a procedure to try to reattach his retina in one eye when our baby was six weeks old. The operation was not successful. The good news… his other eye seemed to be doing well. We had great hope.
So much for that good news. By December 1976 his other eye was acting up; hence laser treatments continued. The bleeding into his vitreous, which is what happens w diabetic retinopathy, was arrested.
However, with so much trauma to his good eye, he developed a cataract. For the next 8 years he struggled with partial sight as the cataract grew…. but was assured that, like most cataract surgeries, when it was big enough to remove he would have a good amount of vision.
We were excited when he had the surgery. When we got home, later that night, he said…”I cannot see anything.” I assured him that the next day when we have a follow up appointment, the doctors will give you a new lens. I remember him sitting in the chair while I watched. Two doctors, one old and one young were working with him. The body language of the two doctors got my attention. The tears that rolled down the face of the younger doctor told me what I didn’t want to hear.
He has been totally blind since the age of 37. He has no light perception. Against all odds, he is still here at the age of 75, challenged everyday by the dread disease that rendered him blind…. a disease he has had since age 12. Flash forward, on June 20, 2020 we celebrated our 50th anniversary. We couldn’t be with our close and loving family, but with Zoom and Facetime we had a party. Two successful, beautiful daughters, two charming son in laws, and four lively grandchildren ages 5,8,10 and 13. We came a long way from my terror of being the only breadwinner on a teacher’s salary. He went on to a very successful career at the National Institutes of Health and we have retired to a beautiful community in Southwest Florida. Yet every time I see this picture, it brings me to tears. By the way, he has never ever complained.
So much for that good news. By December 1976 his other eye was acting up; hence laser treatments continued. The bleeding into his vitreous, which is what happens w diabetic retinopathy, was arrested.
However, with so much trauma to his good eye, he developed a cataract. For the next 8 years he struggled with partial sight as the cataract grew…. but was assured that, like most cataract surgeries, when it was big enough to remove he would have a good amount of vision.
We were excited when he had the surgery. When we got home, later that night, he said…”I cannot see anything.” I assured him that the next day when we have a follow up appointment, the doctors will give you a new lens. I remember him sitting in the chair while I watched. Two doctors, one old and one young were working with him. The body language of the two doctors got my attention. The tears that rolled down the face of the younger doctor told me what I didn’t want to hear.
He has been totally blind since the age of 37. He has no light perception. Against all odds, he is still here at the age of 75, challenged everyday by the dread disease that rendered him blind…. a disease he has had since age 12. Flash forward, on June 20, 2020 we celebrated our 50th anniversary. We couldn’t be with our close and loving family, but with Zoom and Facetime we had a party. Two successful, beautiful daughters, two charming son in laws, and four lively grandchildren ages 5,8,10 and 13. We came a long way from my terror of being the only breadwinner on a teacher’s salary. He went on to a very successful career at the National Institutes of Health and we have retired to a beautiful community in Southwest Florida. Yet every time I see this picture, it brings me to tears. By the way, he has never ever complained.
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93points
Smartphones completely changed photography by combining cameras with internet access and social media apps. Earlier, people had to carry separate cameras, upload photos manually, and often print them out. Now, a picture can be taken, edited, posted, and shared with millions within seconds. This shift made photography a part of everyday communication rather than just a hobby or profession.
Researchers point out that this transformation moved photography from being something mostly accessible to wealthy or highly skilled people to an activity enjoyed by the majority of the world’s 8 billion people. Whether it’s sharing travel pictures, documenting important events, or posting memes, photography has become deeply connected to how we express ourselves online. In many ways, photos are now a universal language people use to communicate emotions, humor, memories, and experiences.
#7
A group of thirteen years old girls went camping in America in July 1945. They swam at a river in Ruidoso, New Mexico. The girl in front of the picture is called Barbara Kent. What the girls did not know is that nearby, the Manhattan Project detonated a nuclear b*mb as a test…
In an article, Kent described what happened that day:
“We were all just shocked … and then, all of a sudden, there was this big cloud overhead, and lights in the sky,” Kent recalls. “It even hurt our eyes when we looked up. The whole sky turned strange. It was as if the sun came out tremendous.” A few hours later, she says, white flakes began to fall from above. Excited, the girls put on their bathing suits and, amid the flurries, began playing in the river. “We were grabbing all of this white, which we thought was snow, and we were putting it all over our faces,” Kent says. “But the strange thing, instead of being cold like snow, it was hot. And we all thought, ‘Well, the reason it’s hot is because it’s summer.’ We were just 13 years old.”[1]
The flakes were fallout from the Manhattan Project’s Trinity test, the world’s first atomic b**b detonation. It took place at 5:29 a.m. local time atop a hundred-foot steel tower 40 miles away at the Alamogordo B*mbing and Gunnery Range, in Jornada del Muerto valley. The site had been selected in part for its supposed isolation. In reality, thousands of people were within a 40-mile radius, some as close as 12 miles away. Yet those living near the b*mb site weren't warned of the test. Nor were they evacuated beforehand or afterward, even as radioactive fallout continued to drop for days…
Barbara Kent and all her friends developed cancer. Every single one of the girls you see in that photo, died before the age of thirty. The only one who lived longer was Kent. And she, too, developed and survived several bouts of cancer. People often forget of the heavy price paid not only by those the atomic b*mbs were dropped on in Japan, but even by those who lived nearby as they were first developed.
In an article, Kent described what happened that day:
“We were all just shocked … and then, all of a sudden, there was this big cloud overhead, and lights in the sky,” Kent recalls. “It even hurt our eyes when we looked up. The whole sky turned strange. It was as if the sun came out tremendous.” A few hours later, she says, white flakes began to fall from above. Excited, the girls put on their bathing suits and, amid the flurries, began playing in the river. “We were grabbing all of this white, which we thought was snow, and we were putting it all over our faces,” Kent says. “But the strange thing, instead of being cold like snow, it was hot. And we all thought, ‘Well, the reason it’s hot is because it’s summer.’ We were just 13 years old.”[1]
The flakes were fallout from the Manhattan Project’s Trinity test, the world’s first atomic b**b detonation. It took place at 5:29 a.m. local time atop a hundred-foot steel tower 40 miles away at the Alamogordo B*mbing and Gunnery Range, in Jornada del Muerto valley. The site had been selected in part for its supposed isolation. In reality, thousands of people were within a 40-mile radius, some as close as 12 miles away. Yet those living near the b*mb site weren't warned of the test. Nor were they evacuated beforehand or afterward, even as radioactive fallout continued to drop for days…
Barbara Kent and all her friends developed cancer. Every single one of the girls you see in that photo, died before the age of thirty. The only one who lived longer was Kent. And she, too, developed and survived several bouts of cancer. People often forget of the heavy price paid not only by those the atomic b*mbs were dropped on in Japan, but even by those who lived nearby as they were first developed.
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93points
#8
This picture is one of the most heartbreaking that I have seen once you know where it came from
This innocent child smiling for a picture is Istvan Reiner. The original picture would have been in black and white but it was brought to life and colourised by Tom Marshall who is a picture restorer. The picture was taken at Auschwitz c****************p. Just a few weeks later Istvan would be m*rdered in the gas chamber.
What makes this truly heartbreaking is his innocence. He does not know the fate which awaits him. We often see pictures of the atrocities carried out during WW2 but seeing them in colour makes it more real, that little boy could be mine or your’ son and that is truly heartbreaking.
This innocent child smiling for a picture is Istvan Reiner. The original picture would have been in black and white but it was brought to life and colourised by Tom Marshall who is a picture restorer. The picture was taken at Auschwitz c****************p. Just a few weeks later Istvan would be m*rdered in the gas chamber.
What makes this truly heartbreaking is his innocence. He does not know the fate which awaits him. We often see pictures of the atrocities carried out during WW2 but seeing them in colour makes it more real, that little boy could be mine or your’ son and that is truly heartbreaking.
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87points
#9
This is a picture of me as a baby with my dad. Just an innocent daddy daughter picture right?
Wrong. This was in the middle of the events that scarred me mentally for a very very long time. Only recently at 22 have I started to properly heal from the trauma.
He ab*sed me both physically and s*xually from 3 months old until I was removed from the home at 18 months old. I was too young to tell anyone what was happening and he was never convicted because there was no “proof.”
I guess multiple statements from siblings and doctors wasn't enough. He did, however, sign away his rights and never see me again to avoid court and risk the chance he could go to prison.
Wrong. This was in the middle of the events that scarred me mentally for a very very long time. Only recently at 22 have I started to properly heal from the trauma.
He ab*sed me both physically and s*xually from 3 months old until I was removed from the home at 18 months old. I was too young to tell anyone what was happening and he was never convicted because there was no “proof.”
I guess multiple statements from siblings and doctors wasn't enough. He did, however, sign away his rights and never see me again to avoid court and risk the chance he could go to prison.
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86points
Beyond personal memories, photography also plays a major role in education, journalism, science, and history. An effective photograph can spread information about humanity and nature, preserve moments in time, and help people understand cultures, events, and experiences they may never personally witness. Think about images from wars, protests, disasters, or celebrations — many of them shaped public opinion and changed how people understood important moments in history. Photography doesn’t just document reality; it helps people emotionally connect with it.
#10
This picture is one that is filled with emotions.
A North Korean relative waving goodbye to his South Korean counterpart after a brief, possibly last reunion.
After the Korean war ended over 60 years ago, a large number of families were separated from North to South. Some were lucky and managed to flee in the right direction at the right time. But a good amount didn’t.
Others who attempted to flee south after the armistice in 1953 were met with death.
Every once in a while, both sides would agree to a temporary event where family members can try to find their relatives to see if they can unite, even if only for days.
Those still willing to go to these reunions are fighting against time and politics.
What hurts is that the people in North Korea are genetically the same people as the folks in the South.
But due to a very corrupt government system up there, 25 million people in the North are unable to interact with their extended family down South.
I really hope one day that Korea will be reunified somehow and Koreans will share one state together happily.
A North Korean relative waving goodbye to his South Korean counterpart after a brief, possibly last reunion.
After the Korean war ended over 60 years ago, a large number of families were separated from North to South. Some were lucky and managed to flee in the right direction at the right time. But a good amount didn’t.
Others who attempted to flee south after the armistice in 1953 were met with death.
Every once in a while, both sides would agree to a temporary event where family members can try to find their relatives to see if they can unite, even if only for days.
Those still willing to go to these reunions are fighting against time and politics.
What hurts is that the people in North Korea are genetically the same people as the folks in the South.
But due to a very corrupt government system up there, 25 million people in the North are unable to interact with their extended family down South.
I really hope one day that Korea will be reunified somehow and Koreans will share one state together happily.
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84points
#11
The Sonderkomando photographs, these were secretly taken from within a N**i extermination site. They were taken by prisoners forced to work in the gas chambers, the group called Sonderkomando. They're the only known photos of their kind.
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79points
#12
This photo was taken in 1948, a mere few years after the end of the H*******t.
The child was 8 or 9 years old and was being cared for in a centre for disturbed children in Poland (also an orphanage).
Photographer David Seymour asked children to draw a picture of "home". Although most children drew houses, trees, people, pets and the kinds of things you associate with home the girl in the picture Tereska merely drew squiggles and lines.
We don't much about the girl but we do know she grew up in a c****************p. This was possible as the Soviets found 451 living Jewish children in Auschwitz when they liberated it. Given her age the child may have spent the bulk of her life in Auschwitz surrounded by the disease, starvation, ab*se and gas chambers of Auschwitz. Many Jewish children did not have parents to get them due to the death of their parents and younger children often did not know their names, country of origins or even their own first language.
These children were often placed in foster care and even moved off to countries such as the United States and discouraged to speak of their past. This girl may well have been one of those children. She would have no concept of family or home because the Nazis took that away hence why she drew nothing but squiggles and lines.
The child was 8 or 9 years old and was being cared for in a centre for disturbed children in Poland (also an orphanage).
Photographer David Seymour asked children to draw a picture of "home". Although most children drew houses, trees, people, pets and the kinds of things you associate with home the girl in the picture Tereska merely drew squiggles and lines.
We don't much about the girl but we do know she grew up in a c****************p. This was possible as the Soviets found 451 living Jewish children in Auschwitz when they liberated it. Given her age the child may have spent the bulk of her life in Auschwitz surrounded by the disease, starvation, ab*se and gas chambers of Auschwitz. Many Jewish children did not have parents to get them due to the death of their parents and younger children often did not know their names, country of origins or even their own first language.
These children were often placed in foster care and even moved off to countries such as the United States and discouraged to speak of their past. This girl may well have been one of those children. She would have no concept of family or home because the Nazis took that away hence why she drew nothing but squiggles and lines.
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77points
In fact, photography completely revolutionized the way humans recorded history. Before cameras existed, people relied heavily on written descriptions or paintings, both of which could be influenced by personal bias or artistic interpretation. Photography introduced something far more direct — a visual record frozen in real time. Suddenly, future generations could actually see historical moments instead of only reading about them. From major world events to everyday life decades ago, photographs created a bridge between the past and present. A photograph can instantly make history feel real, personal, and unforgettable.
#13
It looks like a fun vacation picture, right? The kind of thing that you'd show your kids and tell them about your adventure around it.
In reality, it's Kim Wall, a young, Swedish journalist who went on a submarine trip to interview the owner, Peter Madsen. After the two of them didn't return after two hours, like they claimed they would they were reported missing along with the submarine.
The next morning, the sunken ship was found and Madsen was arrested, because they couldn't find Kim. Over the next few months, they found her body parts around the area. Her torso washed up on a beach, revealed she has been st**bed 15 times in the groin.
They then collected her head, legs, clothes and a knife from a bag floating ina near by Bay. They also found a saw six days later. After some testing, they found that she had also been s*xually as**ulted by her m*rderer.
Since there were only two people on the ship, and one was dead, it was obvious that Peter Madsen was guilty, though he said otherwise. Apparently, she knocked her head of the hatch cover of the Submarine.
They examined her head and saw no sign of it being hit, so after one heck of a trial, he was sent to jail. He then got attacked by a fellow inmate and sent to the hospital, where he confessed to the m*rder.
He also tried to break out of jail in October 2020, by threatening a prison employee, but apprehended 547 yards away.
Kim's family started the Kim Wall Memorial Fund, which helps protect female journalists. Her legacy will live on and help save others.
In reality, it's Kim Wall, a young, Swedish journalist who went on a submarine trip to interview the owner, Peter Madsen. After the two of them didn't return after two hours, like they claimed they would they were reported missing along with the submarine.
The next morning, the sunken ship was found and Madsen was arrested, because they couldn't find Kim. Over the next few months, they found her body parts around the area. Her torso washed up on a beach, revealed she has been st**bed 15 times in the groin.
They then collected her head, legs, clothes and a knife from a bag floating ina near by Bay. They also found a saw six days later. After some testing, they found that she had also been s*xually as**ulted by her m*rderer.
Since there were only two people on the ship, and one was dead, it was obvious that Peter Madsen was guilty, though he said otherwise. Apparently, she knocked her head of the hatch cover of the Submarine.
They examined her head and saw no sign of it being hit, so after one heck of a trial, he was sent to jail. He then got attacked by a fellow inmate and sent to the hospital, where he confessed to the m*rder.
He also tried to break out of jail in October 2020, by threatening a prison employee, but apprehended 547 yards away.
Kim's family started the Kim Wall Memorial Fund, which helps protect female journalists. Her legacy will live on and help save others.
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76points
When it comes to journalism, photos play an incredibly important role. While written articles help explain facts and details, photographs connect directly with human emotions. A single image can instantly make people feel joy, sadness, fear, hope, or empathy within seconds. That’s because photos capture real human expressions and raw moments in a way words sometimes cannot. Whether it’s an emotional reunion, a natural disaster, or a major historical event, photographs make audiences feel like they are witnessing the moment themselves. This emotional connection is what makes photojournalism so powerful. In many cases, certain images become unforgettable because they help people emotionally understand stories happening across the world, regardless of language or culture.
#16
Basically any photo of Jim Jones and the mass s**cide which was caused by him. Also know as the Jonestown M******e.
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67points
#17
This is a street taken on a foggy morning. Nothing special right?
This photo was taken on March 19th, 2020 shortly after the Coronavirus was declared a pandemic and everyone was told to stay home to help slow the spread. I was an essential worker so I still had to go into the office.
This is usually a very busy area and to see it completely empty like this was surreal. Being foggy and gloomy outside only added to the feeling of the kind of situation the world was in. I’ve never seen usually busy streets empty like that before.
This photo was taken on March 19th, 2020 shortly after the Coronavirus was declared a pandemic and everyone was told to stay home to help slow the spread. I was an essential worker so I still had to go into the office.
This is usually a very busy area and to see it completely empty like this was surreal. Being foggy and gloomy outside only added to the feeling of the kind of situation the world was in. I’ve never seen usually busy streets empty like that before.
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67points
#18
The 1998 Omagh (Northern Ireland) b*mbing before picture. The man and his child stand next to the car b*mb moments before it exploded. According to the wikipedia article the photographer died while the subjects survived.
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61points
Photography is also incredibly important in law enforcement and criminal investigations. It provides an objective and permanent visual record of crime scenes, suspects, injuries, evidence, and important details that could otherwise be forgotten or lost. Investigators use photographs to preserve fragile evidence exactly as it appeared at a specific moment in time.
These images can later help reconstruct events, identify individuals, and support witness statements. In courtrooms too, photographs often become powerful evidence because they visually show facts rather than relying only on verbal explanations. Modern forensic photography plays a major role in solving cases and ensuring accurate investigations. Without photography, many crucial details could easily disappear over time. It’s one of the clearest examples of how photos go far beyond memories and become tools for truth, documentation, and justice.
#19
This is heartbreaking.
Look at how happy these people are. Getting ready for a vacation with their family, preparing to fly off into the tropics of Cuba or the Tundra of Finland somewhere far from home. Not one person looks sad here, everyone seems to be ready to get away from normal life and take a vacation.
So what's heartbreaking about this picture?
This is the last picture ever taken of Flight 571. After this snap was taken in 1972, Flight 571 flying from Uruguay crashed into the snowy mountains of Chile as it tried to land at arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago. Both of the wings and tail were ripped off on impact. The remainder of the aircraft toboggan-style fell down the steep mountains of Chile and came to rest on a glacier where it would be stuck there forever.
The direct crash k**led the two pilots and three other people. However, this was only the tip of the iceberg of the hell they would endure. With little warm clothing and freezing temperatures, people froze to death quickly. The 27 out of 42 survivors huddled together within a crude shelter made of debris, snow and seats glued together. On the tenth day after the crash, food ran out. Desperately, people began eating anything they could get their hands on, including parts of the airplane like the cotton inside the seats and leather. One man ate a single peanut for over 3 days.
But this wasn't enough. At high altitudes, the human caloric needs are extreme. If the survivors didn't get something proper in their mouths soon, they would perish.
However, the only thing edible left was… the dead, and however disgusting it seemed, everyone knew that it was the only chance of survival.
At first this was hard to come by, eating your family and friends. But as hunger really started to set in, they had no choice. One of the passengers called Canessa was the first to consume human flesh, using a knife to cut into the pilot’s body and remove a strip of frozen meat to eat. Soon, nearly everyone started eating the dead and a pact was made that, if one of the survivors died- they would be eaten too. When the dead turned to skeletons, they ate hearts, lungs and even brains.
One midnight, an avalanche hit the airplane and 8 people were k**led en-impact. Things were getting too dangerous just sitting there, and since it seemed no one was looking for them, they decided to get help themselves. Two months after the crash, three volunteers went to get rescue. They had no technical gear, no map or compass, and no climbing experience.
Luckily, they found three men on horseback who were kind enough to go get help. Soon, the Chilean army provided helicopters and with the direction of the three volunteers, were able to rescue the people stranded on the glacier.
Look at how happy these people are. Getting ready for a vacation with their family, preparing to fly off into the tropics of Cuba or the Tundra of Finland somewhere far from home. Not one person looks sad here, everyone seems to be ready to get away from normal life and take a vacation.
So what's heartbreaking about this picture?
This is the last picture ever taken of Flight 571. After this snap was taken in 1972, Flight 571 flying from Uruguay crashed into the snowy mountains of Chile as it tried to land at arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago. Both of the wings and tail were ripped off on impact. The remainder of the aircraft toboggan-style fell down the steep mountains of Chile and came to rest on a glacier where it would be stuck there forever.
The direct crash k**led the two pilots and three other people. However, this was only the tip of the iceberg of the hell they would endure. With little warm clothing and freezing temperatures, people froze to death quickly. The 27 out of 42 survivors huddled together within a crude shelter made of debris, snow and seats glued together. On the tenth day after the crash, food ran out. Desperately, people began eating anything they could get their hands on, including parts of the airplane like the cotton inside the seats and leather. One man ate a single peanut for over 3 days.
But this wasn't enough. At high altitudes, the human caloric needs are extreme. If the survivors didn't get something proper in their mouths soon, they would perish.
However, the only thing edible left was… the dead, and however disgusting it seemed, everyone knew that it was the only chance of survival.
At first this was hard to come by, eating your family and friends. But as hunger really started to set in, they had no choice. One of the passengers called Canessa was the first to consume human flesh, using a knife to cut into the pilot’s body and remove a strip of frozen meat to eat. Soon, nearly everyone started eating the dead and a pact was made that, if one of the survivors died- they would be eaten too. When the dead turned to skeletons, they ate hearts, lungs and even brains.
One midnight, an avalanche hit the airplane and 8 people were k**led en-impact. Things were getting too dangerous just sitting there, and since it seemed no one was looking for them, they decided to get help themselves. Two months after the crash, three volunteers went to get rescue. They had no technical gear, no map or compass, and no climbing experience.
Luckily, they found three men on horseback who were kind enough to go get help. Soon, the Chilean army provided helicopters and with the direction of the three volunteers, were able to rescue the people stranded on the glacier.
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#20
This picture of Regina Kay Walters taken essentially a few moments before she was m**dered. She would have known she was going to die at this point, as the person she was hitchhiking with had already been m**dered by the driver (who took the picture).
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