Mystery Image





I take two types of mystery images. One type is an image that a viewer has to puzzle out after it’s taken and displayed. The viewer asks: “What is it?”

The second type is during the creation of the image. People look at me and think: “What is he doing?”

The above shadow image falls into the second category. I was sitting with a couple of friends at a coffeehouse when I noticed a shape being cast by the evening sun on the opposite wall. I got up, moved a chair out of the way, composed, and shot at a few different angles with my compact digital camera.

Then I put the chair back in place, sat down with my friends who didn’t ask what I was trying to do.

On this occasion the friends sitting at the table happened not to be science fiction movie fans; they were unfamiliar with classic SF films from the 1950s. I could have mentioned The Day The Earth Stood Still and drawn blank stares.

But a few of you out there know what I saw in that shadow shape.