Photographs are an integral part of our life. Every moment of our life can be captured in these photographs so we can cherish them forever. To capture a photo which can be called one of the rarest of images is every photographer’s dream. Sometimes lady luck favors a few of us and gives us a chance to capture something truly unique. Here we have brought to you ten such perfectly timed photographs with their backstories which we are certain will make your day.
1 A distracted fan accidentally drops a beer on White Sox left fielder, Al Smith, in 1959.
Image credit: Chicago Tribune photographer John Raymond Gora
It was October 2, 1959. The Los Angeles Dodgers were playing the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. The game started at 1:00 pm. American Major League Baseball player, Alphonse Eugene Smith, was playing for the Chicago White Sox. Suddenly, Charlie Neal of the Dodgers hit a long drive, and Smith retreated to the left field wall in its pursuit. Smith watched the ball sail into the third-row seats for a home run. At that moment a fan, Melvin Piehl, an executive for a motor-oil company, seated in the first row tried to catch the ball accidentally tipping over his cup of beer and dousing Smith’s head and face. This moment was captured by AP Chicago Tribune staff photographer John Raymond Gora. The photograph became so popular that Smith claims he has autographed copies of it 200,000 times for baseball fans. (1,2)
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2 Michigan Governor, Rick Snyder, almost got sneaker-punched in the face.
November 27, 2012, was a day of leisure for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. He and his wife Sue were watching a NCAA basketball game in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The game was between the Michigan Wolverines and the North Carolina State Wolfpack. During the second half of the game, Michigan’s Mitch McGary took a spill. As he landed on the floor, his left sneaker almost struck the governor’s face. This moment was captured by Detroit Free Press photographer Julian H. Gonzalez. In the photograph, the governor’s wife’s is sitting beside him with a priceless reaction on her face. The game was won by Michigan Wolverines, but the sneaker’s incident was the highlight of the event. (1,2)
3 The groom’s sister fainted at the exact moment the judge said, “You may kiss the bride.”
When Chicago-based Kevin Kennedy Ryan posted a snapshot of his wedding, it was viewed more than a million times. You must be wondering what is so special in the image. Well, it’s because his sister fainted as the bride and groom were about to kiss. After posting this photo, Kevin explains that it was the warmest day of the year and his sister hadn’t consumed enough water. Also, the large glass windows made the ceremony room heat up like a greenhouse. So, his sister fainted and fell down on the wooden floor.
In the picture, you can see Kevin looking dapper in a tailored, dark-grey suit. His arms are around his bride’s waist who is puckering up to kiss her new husband. Unbeknownst to the loving couple, Kevin’s sister is lying face down on the wooden floor next to the bride. Only her legs and feet, which have come out of her high-heeled shoes, are visible. Next to her, a fellow bridesmaid is standing holding a bouquet of flowers with a shocked expression on her face. (source)
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4 Lightning strikes a cargo plane as it flies near a rainbow.
German photographer Birk Möbius captured a once-in-a-lifetime moment when he clicked the photograph above photograph shows a bolt of lightning passing through a rainbow. What makes it more remarkable is that the lightning strikes Boeing 777 while it is flying beside the rainbow. It strikes one end of the plane and shoots out of the other as it continues to the ground. Birk Möbius captured this photograph from the ground at a small airfield just outside of Leipzig in eastern Germany. The plane landed successfully in Frankfurt, and there were no reported problems caused by the lightning strike. (1,2)
5 A couple got married and the photographer captured one of the rarest of wedding shots.
On August 13, 2016, wedding photographer, Justin Tibbitts, was shooting a wedding at the Albany Country Club. Waterford couple, Katherine and Greg Cresci, were busy in their wedding ceremony when a massive storm started rolling through. When Justin saw the storm, he ran in and grabbed the bride and groom. Even though they were just sitting down to dinner, Justin convinced them to go outside. While his assistant illuminated the couple from the side, he sat down on the ground balancing the camera on his knees. He kept his eyes locked on the viewfinder waiting for a flash in the sky. After a few minutes of waiting, he saw the flash in the viewfinder. Instantly he clicked on the shutter and captured one of the rarest shots known in wedding photography. He captured a full lightning bolt along with Katherine and Greg embracing each other. (source)
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6 A Darth Vader balloon taking off over the government building
Looking at the above image, one might wonder what Darth Vader is doing above a government building. Don’t worry. It’s not the real villain, and neither is it a photoshopped image. This is actually a hot air balloon crafted to look like Darth Vader. In 2013, this Darth Vader balloon was about to take a trip over Canberra, Australia as part of the city’s centenary celebration. Radio presenter, Adam Shirley, managed to capture this awesome shot while the balloon was taking off. (source)
In 2015, Brazil’s Victor Nobrega and Ireland’s Philip Mulpeter were competing for International Pro Combat’s Welterweight Title. During the match, the defending champion, Nobrega, landed a devastating kick to Mulpeter’s side. The kick sent a ripple through the fighter’s body. As Nobrega’s foot buried into Mulpeter’s body, it created a dent which can be seen in the above picture. The effect was made more dramatic as it skewed the skull tattoo emblazoned on his back. (source)
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8 An NYPD officer escorting a raccoon out of a beauty salon
A bushy tailed raccoon once broke into a Bronx beauty shop and created a ruckus. When the owner of the shop opened the shop at 8:30 a.m., she saw chunks of ceiling and wigs on the ground. Looking at the ceiling she discovered the crafty critter. So, she immediately dialed 911. Four cops armed with a trap lined with marshmallows and a tranquilizer gun showed up.
At first, one of the officers fired a tranquilizer dart, but the fluid didn’t leave the dart. Another cop tried to catch the raccoon using a catch pole, but it escaped and instead the officer tumbled into one of his colleagues. After a lot of effort, the cops finally managed to wrestle the raccoon into a cage. The door malfunctioned, however, and it managed to break free again. At last the cops snared it with the catch pole and pushed it back in the cage. This time they secured the door with zip ties. (source)
On September 22, 2010, New York photographer, Jay Fine, spent an entire evening waiting to get a perfect shot of lightning. But the wait was not for any ordinary lightning. Rather, the fifty-eight-year-old photographer spent nearly two hours waiting patiently to capture the Statue of Liberty being struck by a lightning bolt. He waited in Battery Park City poised with his camera. There was little wind and no rain which helped him to get a clear shot. He took 150 shots but got lucky with the eighty-second shot when he captured the photograph above. Later. Jay Fine said,”It was pure luck really, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s the first photograph of its kind I have ever seen.”(1,2)
Forty-two-year-old Marco Queral has spent seventeen years of his life trying to capture remarkable pictures. Along with being a photographer, he is also an experienced diver. Once while exploring in the deep blue waters of the South Pacific, Queral got up close and personal with a humpback whale. The fifty-foot female got curious about Queral and started swimming along with him. During this time the photographer was extremely careful as even a flip of the whale’s tail would have killed him. He took many images during this encounter with the whale. The photograph above is one of them showing the diver extending his arm towards the whale. One of the flippers of the whale is extending out which gives the impression that the whale is giving a high five to the diver. (source)
