How Many Girls Are In This Picture? The ‘Illusion’ Photo Which Has Confused The Web
Look at this row of girls. Now look again. Perhaps the ‘row’ is not as long as at first appears.
This image is the latest optical illusion to have the internet in a quandary
Photographer Tiziana Vergari posted it as part of an Instagram’s Weekend Hashtag Project.
For this particular week the theme was identity – leaving social media users guessing the number of 'identities’ we are actually seeing.
Needless to say the image – entitled 'same but different’ – has triggered great debate, with most guessing either two or four girls in the picture. Though some have suggested five or 13.
lovemedonlteaveme had a paricularly strong opinion, stating: 'Anyone saying anything other than 2 is an idiot. And those of you saying check the hairties it’s 4. You’re not taking into account reflections.
'You would only see the hairties in some of the reflections reflections. Not all of them. Their hands are over lapped.’
However, the difference in appearance between the girl in the foreground and the fifth from left – a reflection of girl four – led to some concluding it must be four.
'Girls #1 and #4 are different people. Look at how different their faces are!’ one Instagram user wrote.
Another said: 'There’s clearly four. Look at how the reflections are. If you see their face, the mirror shows the back of their head. If you see the back of the head, the mirror shows the face. The girls just look similar.’
Some have even suggested they are twins or triplets.
The picture has been shared more than 12,800 times since Ms Vergari posted it one week ago.
In among the comments, she herself confirmed there are only two girls in the photo. It is believed they are her daughters.
The illusion is created by mirrors on either side of the two girls in the foreground, causing theoretically infinite reflections.
Picture by Tiziana Vergari
