Is there a ghost boat in this picture?

  • Thread starter Math Is Hard
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In summary, the conversation revolves around a photo taken by accident with a cat appearing in it. The authenticity of the photo is questioned and it is speculated that it may have been staged or edited. There is also mention of a woman in a shawl appearing in the photo and it is joked that someone may have been under the influence of catnip.
  • #1
Math Is Hard
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I love ghost stories. I love cats. I love ghost stories about cats.
My wife and I went to visit a woman, who was friends of my wife's family and we took some pictures of my wife and her friend and by accident my wife pushed the button on the camera and it took this picture while sitting the camera on a side table.

When we came home I downloaded the picture to my notebook and I notice this frame with a cat on it, neither my wife or I noticed a cat in that house so we called to ask her friend about it and she said she had a kitten 3 years ago but it passed away.

We didn't told her about the cat on the picture since she told us she was sad for long time due to the loss of her little friend.

Now I believe pets hang around after departing.

--'Cuitlahuac'
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/gen/page1153.html?theme=light
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/timages/page/catghost1027a.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #2
I slowly turned up my monitor's brightness and contrast and all of a sudden WTF A CAT?
 
  • #3
I'm really curious to see what shows up on Wollie's web cam. I want a live feed set up so we can all watch for ghosties.
 
  • #4
I think I'll not be able to sleep tonight. And no, I'm not joking.
 
  • #5
At the very least, the photo has a big section in the lower-left photoshop'd out of it (open it in a photo editor and crank-up the gamma). Big red flag that it's a hoax.
 
  • #6
Looks like a good photoshop job, especially with the way they blurred all around the edges to try to blend it in with the surroundings.

I remember the fun photos I got with an old film camera when I managed to use the same film twice (hint, be sure you rewind the film all the way back into the cannister so you know it's already exposed, especially if you're prone to getting your exposed and unexposed film mixed up). I had horses sitting on people's spoons or running into their mouths. It was quite fun. Looked sort of ghostly with the double exposure. :biggrin:
 
  • #7
russ_watters said:
At the very least, the photo has a big section in the lower-left photoshop'd out of it (open it in a photo editor and crank-up the gamma). Big red flag that it's a hoax.
hmm.. I will take a look at that in Photoshop tomorrow. I have no decent image editing software on this laptop.
 
  • #8
russ_watters said:
At the very least, the photo has a big section in the lower-left photoshop'd out of it (open it in a photo editor and crank-up the gamma). Big red flag that it's a hoax.

Are you talking about this lower left section?
http://www.twilightus.net/adam/kitty.jpg
 
  • #9
Moonbear said:
Looks like a good photoshop job, especially with the way they blurred all around the edges to try to blend it in with the surroundings.
Actually, I was thinking it really is a single photo of a cat, just staged, and there was something in the frame that would have shown it.

The cat would be out of focus, so close to the camera, though I was thinking that it was closer to being in focus than it should be for so close. Not sure, though - many better digital cameras can focus in the dark.
 
  • #10
russ_watters said:
Actually, I was thinking it really is a single photo of a cat, just staged, and there was something in the frame that would have shown it.

The cat would be out of focus, so close to the camera, though I was thinking that it was closer to being in focus than it should be for so close. Not sure, though - many better digital cameras can focus in the dark.
I don't know. To me, it looks like more than just out of focus type blurry. It looks like someone went all around the edges and tried to intentionally blur quite a bit outward to blend it into the background image. It's probably why you also see an area that's empty. I think they took two images, altered the contrast, and superimposed them.

Sheesh, if they were going to fake a ghost, they at least should have tinkered with the opacity so you could see through the cat. :biggrin:
 
  • #11
moose said:
Are you talking about this lower left section?
Yes. Here's what it looks like with just the gamma upped a bunch. It almost looks like it is just so dark that there's no data there, but it would be very unsual for there to be exactly no data. And there isn't a very good gradient between dark and light areas - it is too sharp of a drop off. Also, the top of the black area covers part of the white sheet - the brightest part of the frame.
 

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  • #12
I wonder why they took that part out...
 
  • #13
moose said:
I wonder why they took that part out...
yeah, it does look very fishy.
 
  • #14
What I want to know is who the woman in the shawl is... :bugeye:
 
  • #15
That image freaked me out. Not because of the thought that the ghost was real, but just because it looked kinda freaky.
 
  • #16
russ_watters said:
What I want to know is who the woman in the shawl is... :bugeye:
That's what I was thinking
 
  • #17
russ_watters said:
What I want to know is who the woman in the shawl is... :bugeye:
Have you been dipping into Ivan's catnip basket too? :bugeye: What woman in the shawl? :confused:
 
  • #18
Moonbear said:
Have you been dipping into Ivan's catnip basket too? :bugeye: What woman in the shawl? :confused:
I don't see it either..:confused:
 
  • #19
Look in the upper left section of the high gamma shot. There appears to be a cloaked figure with an ET looking face. It results from the light reflecting on the lace.
 
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  • #20
Her face is the brightest thing in the uncorrected shot. Yes, she does have a bit of a horse-face...
 
  • #21
I still don't see anything resembling a face of any kind...human or horse! :bugeye:

That settles it, Russ and Ivan are on the same catnip! :rolleyes:
 
  • #22
Moonbear said:
I still don't see anything resembling a face of any kind...human or horse! :bugeye:

That settles it, Russ and Ivan are on the same catnip! :rolleyes:
Not my fault if you can't fall asleep tonight...
 

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  • #23
mm, no. Not quite a high enough signal to noise ratio going on for me.
 
  • #24
moose said:
That's what I was thinking
wow I just noticed that :
 
  • #25
Math Is Hard said:
mm, no. Not quite a high enough signal to noise ratio going on for me.
Signal-to-noise ratio?!? You'll never make it as a ghost hunter if you can't see Michelangelo's Sitine Chappel fresco in a bowl of Corn Flakes.

Here, is this any better?: I just hope she doesn't upen up that shawl - I don't want to see what's under there...
 

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  • #26
AHHH YOU CAN SEE A HAND AND PART OF THE FREAKING FACE CLEARLY!111oneone *runs away*
 
  • #27
russ_watters said:
Signal-to-noise ratio?!? You'll never make it as a ghost hunter if you can't see Michelangelo's Sitine Chappel fresco in a bowl of Corn Flakes.

Here, is this any better?: I just hope she doesn't upen up that shawl - I don't want to see what's under there...
Oh, now I finally see it! See, it's actually just a reflection in the shiny tablecloth...the real ghost is sneaking up behind the photographer! :rofl:

Of course, I'm someone who will rent a horror movie to watch alone in a creaky farm building on Halloween night (I did that last year while running an all night experiment...one of the grad students stopped out while I was there and thought I was nuts...they all think the building makes enough noises to be scary at night without horror movies :rofl:). So, I'll sleep just fine. :approve:
 
  • #28
Here, I did a little more clean up on Russ's photo.

pelletier1.jpg
 
  • #29
:rofl: That should be captioned, "Does this dress make my butt look big?" :biggrin:
 
  • #30
No, it just makes you look like a pinecone.
 
  • #31
russ_watters said:
No, it just makes you look like a pinecone.
:rofl: Well, the stores already have the Christmas decorations out, so I guess it's the right time of year to start dressing as a pinecone. :rofl:
 
  • #32
russ_watters said:
You'll never make it as a ghost hunter if you can't see Michelangelo's Sitine Chappel fresco in a bowl of Corn Flakes.
I'm not that great a plumber either, so I don't think the Ghost Hunters will be calling me anytime soon. :frown:
 
  • #33
So Russ, how many times have you watched Ghost Hunters?
 
  • #34
They have a tv show now? I should watch it once. Once was plenty for "Crossing Over".
 
  • #35
This one freaked me out:

[PLAIN]http://www.davebranch.com/uploaded_images/boat-747505.jpg [Broken]

I think there is a mysterious boat in the background, but it's so hard to focus on.
 
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1. Is the ghost boat visible in the picture?

No, the ghost boat is not visible in the picture. Ghost boats are believed to be invisible to the naked eye and can only be captured in photographs or seen by those with a heightened sense of perception.

2. What is a ghost boat?

A ghost boat is a supernatural phenomenon in which a ship or boat is said to appear as a ghostly apparition or mirage. It is often associated with maritime folklore and is believed to be a sign of impending danger or tragedy.

3. How do ghost boats appear in photographs?

Ghost boats are believed to be captured in photographs due to a phenomenon called pareidolia, where the human brain perceives familiar patterns or objects in random images. In this case, the ghost boat may appear as a result of light, shadows, or reflections in the water.

4. Are there any scientific explanations for ghost boats?

There are no scientifically proven explanations for ghost boats. Some theories suggest that they could be a result of optical illusions, atmospheric conditions, or psychological factors. However, these explanations have not been definitively proven.

5. Is it possible to debunk a ghost boat sighting?

Yes, it is possible to debunk a ghost boat sighting by examining the photograph for any logical explanations such as reflections, shadows, or other objects that could be mistaken for a ghost boat. It is also important to consider the credibility of the source and any potential hoaxes or manipulations.

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