These Real-Life Emojis Are Worth Smiley Faces And Hand Claps

Ah, emoji. They're always there when we need to text or email all those feelings that just can't be put into words, be it joy, sadness, or whatever you call the specific emotion that spurs side eye. They also work wonders for telling people you're out drinking, on a run, or will be late for your meeting because a yellow cab ran through a nearby puddle, dousing you with dirty water, forcing you to go home for a change of clothes.

For this, and all the other magical things they do, photographer and artist Liza Nelson has created her own Tumblr — EMOJI IRL.LOL — full of beautifully shot, ingeniously created real-life emojis. As she says herself, "Emojis mean everything and they mean nothing at the same time. They’re completely personal and completely universal. They’re really quite stupid. And they’re the best thing that ever happened to our generation. They deserve to be observed and worshipped individually. By finding, posing, and sculpting emojis in real life, I’ve created a set of shrines to the individual characters. Because somebody had to do it." Smiley face with a wink, Liza. Smiley face with a wink. (Laughing Squid)