Can You Believe There Are No Red Pixels in This Image?

color constancy optical illusion

Ready for the next optical illusion that will drive you crazy? This may seem like a simple photo of strawberries, but guess what? There isn't one red pixel in the entire image. Can't see it? Believe us, it's true.

The image was created by Akiyoshi Kitaoka, professor of psychology at Ritsumeikan University in Japan, to show the principle of color constancy. Kitaoka specializes in optical illusions and here, he's showing how our eye compensates for what it believes the colors should be when filtered through a different light.

But, don't just take our word for it, though we did open up the photo and using color picker, verified the absence of red. Several Twitter users have also tested out the image and created some helpful aids to let us understand what's happening here.

Hold your hand over the strawberries to show how your eyes are playing tricks on you in this optical illusion.

h/t: [Neatorama, 22Words]

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Staff Editor and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book "Street Art Stories Roma" and most recently contributed to "Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini." You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits

Sponsored Content