The Weird, Wacky World of Stock Photos

This photo of someone dressed in a dinosaur costume sitting in a depressing motel room may be a bit confusing, but it definitely depicts a mood. Maybe he's sad because all the other dinos made fun of his costume or left him behind. While the subject matter may be confusing, the photo pushes all of our sympathy buttons.

Believe it or not, you can purchase a professionally manufactured BMX helmet that looks like a melon and offers real protection for your noggin. Maybe this woman couldn't afford one or was simply going for an alternative bob cut. We give her 1000 points for creativity, but we wonder what her helmet hair looks like once she removes it.

Some stock photos seem to miss the mark completely. The photographer identifies this photo as "alien behind her." The first two photos show a wide-eyed woman who looks more impressed than afraid with a camera in hand. You can even see the reflection of a spaceship in the lens. In the third photo, we finally set eyes on the alien, who seems rather unbothered about the whole event. The photo is confusing, but kudos for the ominous mood lighting and Dutch angle.

It's not just the photo, but it's the subject matter, "Grandmother portraits on colored backgrounds," that makes us scratch our heads. We aren't sure who (other than John Connor or ol' Arnie himself) would put this photo of a fierce-looking Terminator granny holding a machine gun up in their home.

This nightmarish photo hits every mark on the bizarre meter. If you didn't have a fear of an arm reaching up out of the toilet while you were taking care of business, you would after seeing this strange image. It would have been interesting to see the look on the model's face as the photographer was explaining this odd and disturbing setup before the photoshoot.

Photography is an art form, and art is supposed to make you think. But sometimes, an artsy attempt leaves more questions than answers. A woman is jumping rope, with robed, masked figures at each end, one in black and one in white. Whatever the intent, whether it was supposed to be scary or just strange, isn't clear. But, it would certainly be a conversation starter.

A woman, dressed in a retro bathing cap and a swimsuit, feeds a fish something out of a can that may resemble cat food. Perhaps this is the prequel to "The Shape of Water?" It's a weird photo, but it leaves behind so many questions. Her expression is full of hope, with a tad of excitement. What is she expecting? We'll never know.

The caption says this distressing photo depicts polygamy. We can only assume by the looks on the four grooms' faces and the bride's evil expression that the photographer doesn't agree with the concept of a woman having a collection of husbands. Alternatively, this is perhaps the strangest season of "The Bachelorette" yet.

Honestly, what's more relatable than a massive panda browsing their phone while using the toilet? Everyone does it, even those who run around their homes dressed in animal costumes. However, the photo does raise some questions about the logistics of using the bathroom while dressed as a seven-foot-tall panda bear.

Look, Baphomet needs to pop down to the shops to pick up some supplies for his next ritual; what's so strange about that? But, really, there are way too many questions that come up with this one. It's an outlandish, freakish photo of a person wearing a stuffed goat head sitting in a truck cab. Though it still manages to be kind of relatable.

Imagine yourself driving down a highway, surrounded by a beautiful mountain landscape, and then you see this — a helmeted gorilla on a motorcycle. You'd wonder if you were seeing things. The photo is well done, but we think the setup and the process of creating it sounds like a much more interesting story.

Sure, this photo seems extreme at first. However, if you look at the body, you'll see this man tucked a dress shirt into sweatpants, so who can really blame her? Honestly, we are more impressed with how she was able to keep her lovely white robe completely free of blood.

It's the oddities that we come across online that make us slow down to take a closer look, and this photo certainly achieves that goal. A portrait of a family wearing sheeps' heads seems more like the photographer's statement about how easily influenced humans are, mindlessly following the "herd," whether it be a political group, a religion, a cult, or mainstream society. Or, maybe the creator just loves sheep.

Everyone has had those days that drain us of all joy, leaving us with nothing left to do but crash on the couch. But what could push this fantastical creature to his limit? The crushing weight of interoffice politics and endless hours in a cubicle? Too many children's birthday parties? Maybe we'll never know.

If you've been on the internet at all in the past few years, you probably recognize this photo. But did you know that it's part of a saga? If you look at the artist's gallery, you can find an ongoing story with these models, complete with twists and multiple endings to choose from.

The horror of living in the 21st century is that everyone, even your family members and closest friends, stand ready to grab a photo of you in your worst moments, then post it on social media. If you look closely, you'll notice that the crying man is the boyfriend from the previous image. The saga continues.

The meaning behind this photo is unclear, and the caption, "I'm a Feminist, A Fighter," makes it even more bewildering. We're not sure how a woman wearing an aqua-colored, full-face ski mask holding a cat against a pink background is a symbol of feminism, but to each their own. The lovely cat is the best thing about this stock photo, but it seems disinterested and completely over its role in this photo session.

If this photo is anything to go off of, crime in France seems to be much stranger than any of us could've guessed. Wouldn't robbing a bakery with a piece of bread be pretty risky? Maybe the employee has a dangerous loaf of sourdough under the counter. You'd better get out of there quick! You wouldn't want the police to show up armed with croissants.

Do you remember having tea parties with your toy stuffed animals? This is like the terrifying, adult version of that. If the hunting trophies hanging on the wall are the only things in the room wearing party hats for your birthday, chances are, you have been self-isolating for too long.

Anyone who has heard the song "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" knows that Santa seems scarier than we like to think. Seems like Santa's done putting up with everyone on the naughty list. Somehow, the threat of dual-wielding flamethrowers is significantly more incentivizing than a piece of coal in the stocking. Who could've guessed?

We have to give kudos to the photographer for what could likely be their maximum opus, "Down playing on life during a pandemic." In all honesty, who among us can't look back at the hellscape the year 2020 was and not recall a moment when they also thought about bathing in a face shield and surgical mask? The internet is a weird and wonderful place, and we're thankful we were able to pay for all of these images.