24 stunning photos that were taken at the perfect time

Talia LakritzApr 19, 2020, 21:32 IST

Photographer Samir Hussein called this photo of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry a "one in a million" shot.Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images

Fractions of a second can make the difference between a mediocre photo and an iconic one.
Photographers work hard to snap pictures at exactly the right moment.
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Whether it's years of practice as a professional photographer or dumb luck, fractions of a second can make the difference between an iconic photo and a blurry outtake.

These pictures were timed perfectly with fascinating and often poignant results.

Keep scrolling to see 24 photos that were taken at exactly the right moment.

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These flamingos formed a heart with the curves of their long necks.

People thought this perfectly timed shot of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day was taken by a drone, but it was photographer Yui Mok.

This Saudi man looks like he's balancing a car on his head.

Rhythmic gymnast Izzah Amzan of Malaysia also appears momentarily headless in this photo by William West.

At the all-around rhythmic gymnastics final of the London Olympics, Marcelo Del Pozo captured this surreal moment mid-routine.

Chinese diver Hu Jia competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney with a perfectly positioned dive.

Obama also appeared to be holding a glowing orb on a campaign stop in 2012 (it was just a stage light).

Former White House photographer and author of "Obama: An Intimate Portrait" Pete Souza captured this iconic shot of a young African American boy seeing himself in the first black president.

"A woman standing calmly, her long dress moving in the breeze, two police officers in full riot gear make their move," Reuters photographer Jonathan Bachman said of capturing this shot from a demonstration in Baton Rouge.

"A woman standing calmly, her long dress moving in the breeze, two police officers in full riot gear make their move," Reuters photographer Jonathan Bachman said of capturing this shot from a demonstration in Baton Rouge.

Every year, there are two days where the sunset aligns perfectly with Manhattan's east-west grid in a phenomenon known as "Manhattanhenge."

There were only a few precious minutes to photograph the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.

A competitor in Scotland's Tough Mudder race also made a splash.

In Spain, revelers are covered from head to toe in tomatoes at La Tomatina festival.

An aerial photo of Queen Elizabeth walking diagonally on a checkered floor is reminiscent of how the queen game piece moves in chess.

This photographer got the timing just right to capture celebrations of Holi, the Festival of Colors, in India.

The advertisement on the back of this truck lines up almost perfectly with its real-life surroundings.

The water splashing in the air onto the elephant looks exactly like an elephant head.

This photo of Usain Bolt smiling as he raced ahead to win the Men's 100-Meter Semifinals at the 2016 Rio Olympics became one of Reuters' most-liked Instagram photos of the year.

In a photo worthy of a gold medal, the full moon rose through the Olympic Rings hanging beneath Tower Bridge during the London 2012 Olympics.

A statue on the roof of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris looks like it's reaching out to touch the supermoon.

Lightning strikes require split-second timing to capture in a photo.

This perfectly placed ping pong ball was caught on camera mid-play at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

Getty Image's Streeter Lecka captured an incredible photo of Tom Brady's daughter holding the Lombardi Trophy after the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl.

Photographer Samir Hussein captured this "one in a million" shot of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry smiling at each other under a shared umbrella.

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24 stunning photos that were taken at the perfect time

These flamingos formed a heart with the curves of their long necks.

People thought this perfectly timed shot of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day was taken by a drone, but it was photographer Yui Mok.

This Saudi man looks like he's balancing a car on his head.

Rhythmic gymnast Izzah Amzan of Malaysia also appears momentarily headless in this photo by William West.

At the all-around rhythmic gymnastics final of the London Olympics, Marcelo Del Pozo captured this surreal moment mid-routine.

Chinese diver Hu Jia competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney with a perfectly positioned dive.

Obama also appeared to be holding a glowing orb on a campaign stop in 2012 (it was just a stage light).

Former White House photographer and author of "Obama: An Intimate Portrait" Pete Souza captured this iconic shot of a young African American boy seeing himself in the first black president.

"A woman standing calmly, her long dress moving in the breeze, two police officers in full riot gear make their move," Reuters photographer Jonathan Bachman said of capturing this shot from a demonstration in Baton Rouge.

Every year, there are two days where the sunset aligns perfectly with Manhattan's east-west grid in a phenomenon known as "Manhattanhenge."

There were only a few precious minutes to photograph the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.

A competitor in Scotland's Tough Mudder race also made a splash.

In Spain, revelers are covered from head to toe in tomatoes at La Tomatina festival.

An aerial photo of Queen Elizabeth walking diagonally on a checkered floor is reminiscent of how the queen game piece moves in chess.

This photographer got the timing just right to capture celebrations of Holi, the Festival of Colors, in India.

The advertisement on the back of this truck lines up almost perfectly with its real-life surroundings.

The water splashing in the air onto the elephant looks exactly like an elephant head.

This photo of Usain Bolt smiling as he raced ahead to win the Men's 100-Meter Semifinals at the 2016 Rio Olympics became one of Reuters' most-liked Instagram photos of the year.

In a photo worthy of a gold medal, the full moon rose through the Olympic Rings hanging beneath Tower Bridge during the London 2012 Olympics.

A statue on the roof of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris looks like it's reaching out to touch the supermoon.

Lightning strikes require split-second timing to capture in a photo.

This perfectly placed ping pong ball was caught on camera mid-play at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

Getty Image's Streeter Lecka captured an incredible photo of Tom Brady's daughter holding the Lombardi Trophy after the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl.

Photographer Samir Hussein captured this "one in a million" shot of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry smiling at each other under a shared umbrella.