50 Of The Most Embarrassing Instagram Vs. Reality Pics Of People Trying To Hide Their True Self

With editing apps and photoshopping software widely available, everyone can have an athletic body, a perfect vacation, or be youthful forever with just a touch of a finger. But how much can you alter a photo before it becomes a blatant giveaway that what you’re posting is far from reality?

Luckily we have the meticulous eyes and noggins of the netizens from the subreddit “Instagram Reality” who gladly expose people’s shams online and let us know how far is too far. Below you will find a collection of the best photoshopping fails that prove that not everything that glitters is gold.

While you’re scrolling through, don’t forget to check out a conversation with photographer Svenja Christina, who kindly agreed to expose the secrets of editing.

More info: Instagram

#1 That Cloud Won’t Leave Her Alone

#2 So Hot, The Car Melted

#3 Don’t You Hate It When Your Pecs Grow Over Your Pendant?

Data shows that 71% of people edit their selfies. When it comes to it, more than half of respondents change imperfections on their skin, while 47% say they create a sharper jawline and higher cheekbones.

A similar number of people touch up their arms, whereas 42% are unhappy with their eyes. In addition, a third confessed to altering their bums and lips before posting pictures online.

Concerning gender differences, men are almost as likely to add a filter to their pictures as women, busting the myth that females use more of them than males. Almost half of male respondents have edited their photos to remove wrinkles, brighten their smile, and remove red glare from the eyes.

#4 A Strong One

#5 Saw This On Instagram

#6 Maybe Just One More Filter

To learn more about the magic of editing, We reached out to a professional photographer Svenja Christina whose photographic style is dreamy, light-infused, and magical – with a strong focus on genuine emotion and connection.

She strives to blur the line where reality meets dreams. That’s why she’s the perfect person to let us in on the secret of when people on social media use Photoshop to fake images that are far from reality.

She told us that there isn’t one trick that could be applicable in all situations and that people should first use their common sense.

“Things that cannot happen in real life are a giveaway that the image has been digitally manipulated. For example, a shark flying through a city. A less obvious example – except to the trained eye – could be a scene with a milky-blurred body of water and a crisp cloudy sky. The blurred body of water is a result of long-exposure photography. Having a detailed cloudy sky in the same image would not work because clouds are moving and the long exposure would likely blur them as well.”

It seems that clouds (don’t really know what we did to them) are some of the objects that are widely altered in photos. Just take a look at the people who are carrying around their perfectly shaped and ever-the-same cloud everywhere they go.

#7 I Cannot Believe She Seriously Posted This

#8 It Gets Worse The More You Look

#9 Found On A Thinspo Account. Send Help

Christina also agreed to reveal the signs that could indicate that a photo is edited. Therefore, she encourages people to look for incoherent lighting.

Something that can expose an altered picture is objects in the scene that are lit in a way that mismatches the light sources in the image. Shadows falling in separate directions can also be a big giveaway.

Looking at a picture people should ask themselves do the colours match? Do the sizes of different objects match? Things that are further away should look smaller than objects in the foreground.

#10 I Didn’t Know There Was A Wax Statue In Milan

#11 She Looks Better Without It Though

#12 Found On A Dating App. I Am Genuinely Concerned

When asked if is it easy to go overboard with altering tools, she tells us that it depends on the expertise level of the photo editor.

“New photographers often edit with very saturated, intense colors, especially greens or blues. As a result, the photos don’t look true to life.

Another common trap in portrait editing is to go overboard with skin editing which may result in skin that looks too smooth, like plastic because the texture of the skin is lost. My rule of thumb here isto have some texture visible, to edit out non-permanent blemishes such as pimples that would not be there in a week or two but to keep things that are permanent at least somewhat visible.”

#13 People Really Think They Can Photoshop Themselves Ten Pounds Lighter And Then Walk Out In Public Like No One Will Notice

#14 He Forgot To Photoshop The iPhone Box’s Shadow

#15 Good Old Fashioned Facebook. These Are Going To Give Me Nightmares

On the other hand, professionals working with photo manipulations sometimes stop blending the different images together too soon, which often doesn’t look right either. Christina says “It’s really helpful to take breaks and come back to the artwork with a fresh pair of eyes to spot mistakes or areas that haven’t been properly blended yet.”

She even has a few test layers to check if she achieved a cohesive result, like a luminosity check to see how dark or bright objects in the photo should be, a hue check to ensure color consistency and a final saturation check to get a cohesive look.

#16 Someone Needs To Come Take Their Moms Phone (In The Comments She Swears She Didn’t Edit)

#17 I’m Sensing A Filter

#18 Found On Facebook

To avoid ending up in one of the Instagram vs. reality lists, Christina recommended being truthful. “A lot can be achieved by posing in a flattering way, tilting the camera lens a certain angle, and the choice of the lens. But don’t claim things as authentic when they’re heavily digitally manipulated. Don’t use filters that aggressively change the way you look.”

#19 Girl, What Is Up With Your Legs?? She Put The Whole Leg On Backwards In The Second Pic!

#20 What The Hell

#21 When You’re Influencing So Hard You Grow A Second Bellybutton

One of the reasons why people might be influenced to edit their images is “the Kardashian effect.” Most of us already know how this family looks without having watched their iconic show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” which premiered more than 15 years ago. During this time, they became so influential that their impact can be traced to plastic surgery, makeup, beauty, and fashion trends.

Hopping on this trend, many MUAs (make-up artists) and stylists have been trying to replicate this specific aesthetic: the perfectly groomed, arched brow, the contoured face, the glow that comes from carefully placed concealer, and the neutral overlined lips topped with gloss.

Not to mention their unrealistic hourglass figure characterized by slim waists, flat stomachs, and large thighs and bums. So it’s really no surprise that many people use editing tools to help them achieve the new trending beauty standard.

#22 Her Booty Just Melts Into The Seat

#23 Famous Singer From My Country

#24 The Longer You Look, The Stranger It Gets

In fact, a study in 2021 claimed that Kim Kardashian’s figure is more harmful to women’s image than the thin frame of Kate Moss. It was found that women exposed to this body type felt more dissatisfied with their weight and shape. Even though the “slim thick” ideal embraces “larger” bodies it’s not necessarily a healthier option than the skinny physique.

The family themselves have also appeared in many scandals where people accused them of photoshopping their images after fans noticed their editing mistakes. In one of the most recent ones, the Instagram account ProblematicFame shared a video that compared Kim’s post to one from Getty Images to show how her stomach, arms, waist, chest, shoulders, chin, and jaw were altered to appear thinner.

#25 Not Even Craters Are Safe From Mad Filtering

#26 What

#27 He “Travels” The World And He Has His Own Personal Fence Following Him Around The World

Many followers called her out for editing her photos in the comments, while others pondered about how she looks fabulous without any digital enhancements. One fan described it as sad because she felt like she didn’t need to do this, while another stated that the photoshopped image contained random and unnecessary edits.

But it doesn’t end there. In January 2022, she removed a bikini image from her Instagram account after fans noticed that her right leg appeared deformed to her left one. The celebrity also faced criticism when people noticed a “third hand” in her photoshoot. Before that, she was accused of photoshopping her neck and back muscles, meanwhile, others thought she had even enhanced a rug in one of her images.

#28 She Must Be On Tatooine With The Sun Both Behind And Ahead Of Her

#29 Half Person Half Cartoon?!

#30 A Body Builder I Have Since Unfollowed

However, she has acknowledged that her family has definitely made an impact, both negative and positive, on how people view themselves. In season three of their show, one of the sisters, Kylie Jenner, encouraged her sisters and her mom to reevaluate the beauty standard they set for others. She justified this by saying that she didn’t want her daughter to do things that she did to herself.

#31 People Writing “I Wish I Had Skin Like This”. Lol She Wishes She Had Skin Like That Too.. Don’t Let Filters/Photoshop/Facetune Make You Feel Insecure

#32 A German Reality TV Star On Instagram vs. On TV

#33 Twitter Thirst Trap Got That Grinch Fingers

#34 Who Needs Organs Anyway

#35 Legend

#36 All Her Pictures Look Like This

#37 Damn He’s Ripped

#38 He Must Use Wite-Out Instead Of Toothpaste

#39 I Can’t Get Over The Difference! Don’t Believe What You See On Instagram Folks

#40 When You Move Too Much And The Filter Comes Off

#41 This Person Is Running For Mayor Where I Live. Yikes

#42 His Page vs. Her Page. I Guess He Had To Bring Her To His Level ?

#43 When One Right Hand Isn’t Enough

#44 Why?… This Is.. Wow Why Do People Hate Themselves This Much?

#45 Shrunken Head

#46 I Thought People Had More Sense Than To Believe This Is Real, But She Popped Up On My Feed Because Friends Of Mine Shared Images Like This As “Goals”

#47 Can’T Believe How She Thinks That’s Acceptable

#48 Happy Holidays!

#49 Sad Face

#50 I Literally Have No Words

#51 Floors Look A Bit Bent

#52 What The Tim Burton

#53 Pores You Say?

#54 Her Official Press Photos vs. Interview

#55 Reptilians Are Back

#56 That Foot Said, “Mr. Stark? Don’t Feel So Good.”

#57 Lady On Facebook Insists That There’s No Editing, And Any Comments Saying Otherwise Are Blocked

#58 I Thinks She’s So Beautiful Without The Photoshop. Body Dysmorphia Is Real

#59 It’s A Helluva Drug

#60 Claims It’s All Makeup And Expensive Wigs

#61 Wait, Are We Ashamed Of Our Hand Lines Now? Nobody Told Me??? I’ve Been Showing Them In Public Like A Total Chump!

#62 He Colored His Eyes Over His Glasses Frames

#63 I Could Use Her Face To Study Trigonometry

#64 The Baddest Indeed

#65 The Mirror Always Seems To Expose These People

#66 Yikes

#67 I Don’t Know Where To Start

#68 The Face Of A Ps3 Character

#69 It’s The Photoshopped Cleavage For Me

#70 *gasp*

#71 Spines Are Out Of Fashion. Pass It On

#72 “Ugly Sweater Dinner Date!” Dear God… I Didn’t Need To Sleep Tonight Anyway

#73 The Power Of Makeup And Filters

#74 Posted vs. Tagged Videos

#75 Those Abs Were Made In Ms Paint

#76 Photographer Trying To Claim That The Long Legs Are Only Due To “Angling”

#77 Same Person – Instagram & Screenshot On Television

#78 Not Insta But… I Can’t Even

#79 This Girl Was Posted In Another Post For Falsely Calling Police On Her Neighbor. They Put Both These Pictures In The Article

#80 Ever Wondered Why The Clothes You Ordered Don’t Fit You Like They Do The Models?

#81 The Hands Really Got Me

#82 What Bleach Do You Use On Your Eyeballs?

#83 This Is… A Lot To Take In

#84 Where’s The Nose?

#85 What Did She Even Try To Do With The Edits?

#86 Rtx On

#87 Came Across This Gem Looking At Dress Reviews

#88 Calf Day Was Clearly Not On The Schedule

#89 Her Own Instagram vs. Tagged Photo… It Was Untagged Real Quick

#90 Yeah, No

#91 I’m Speechless

#92 I Didn’t Know Rays Of The Sunlight Could Bend!

#93 Insta Pics vs. TV Candid. Also, He Licked A Public Toilet For The “Coronavirus Challenge” And Now He Has Covid-19

#94 I Don’t Even Know

#95 Such A Pretty Sunset 🙂

#96 Is It Really That Hard To Hire A Pregnant Model, Amazon?

#97 What Is Happening?

#98 Body So Hot The Colosseum And The Fence Gets Distorted

#99 This Girl Who Dotted In A Fake Piercing

#100 I Have No Idea What This Is

#101 Legs For Days

#102 This Just Makes Me Laugh

#103 When You See It

#104 “No Filter” But Instagram Says Otherwise At The Top

#105 When You Preach Body Positivity And Then Shop Your Waist Into Oblivion

#106 Found One In The Wild. I Bet She’s Never Late With Those Legs

#107 Gym Sessions Were Lit

#108 What Is Going On Here Honestly

#109 When Her Legs Are Taller Than You

#110 Excuse Me What

#111 I Used To Think She Was So Perfect. Not That She Isn’t Beautiful In The Right, The Left Is Just So Unattainable And Perfect And Actually Just Not Real