Strange Coincidence!

[Brian Moore]

I would have filed this in the "Paranormal" forum but I don't think we have one.

My daughter Caitlin graduated from the University of California at Riverside last weekend. I managed to get a seat close enough to get a half decent fotie. Due to an unbelievable stroke of good luck, the sun was peaking through the trees and casting a magnificent sliver of golden light directly onto the patch of ground where (and most importantly when) she stepped down from the stage and paused to have her photo taken by the official photographer. I grabbed the following image with my Canon 7D and Tamron 18-270:



Now here's where the strange bit enters.

On the day of the graduation ceremony I packed 4 cameras. The aforementioned Canon 7D, the Minox 35GT I bought from Hamish, my Superheadz Blue Ribbon toy camera, and a "Cintar by Argus 587" that I had just that morning discovered among a stack of junk point & shoot film cameras I own. The latter had film in it, and the film counter showed "1" so I figured I'd take it with me and fire it willy-nilly at this and that just to use up the film. I do not know where or when I got this junk P&S, nor did I at all remember it when I discovered it.

We arrived at the school and I shot the Cintar roll before the commencement began. I got the film developed this week. I discovered that several of the negs were double-exposed.

Now, I'm not a fan of double-exposure images. Indeed, I do not ever recall having deliberately attempted a double-exposure. But the following image just blew me away. The background shows one of the buildings at UC Riverside. As I mentioned, I was just shooting willy-nilly this and that. However, in the foreground is a superimposed image of my daughter Caitlin--the graduate (who is now 21 years of age)--at about the age of 12!

How very odd!

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Brian nice find and happening. Just a nudge to say not all is as it appears, which is often the delight that anything is possible.
Yes the connection is random, but one that has links, most things do.
Congrats on the graduation, smashing pic.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

As far as the photies go, the first is a stunner, the second of interest to those involved. The main thing is that God has clearly found time out of protecting bankers, to shine a beaming light on your family. You are blessed! Seriously, though, I love that first image - it could not be more perfect.

 

[Brian Moore]

Thank you very much, Julian. (I agree,...at some level things such as this are linked.)

 

[Brian Moore]

As far as the photies go, the first is a stunner, the second of interest to those involved. The main thing is that God has clearly found time out of protecting bankers, to shine a beaming light on your family. You are blessed! Seriously, though, I love that first image - it could not be more perfect.

Much obliged, Rob!

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Brian, that's mental!! Like it was meant to be!
Great shot though, tis one of those you will cherish for sure.

 

[Brian Moore]

Brian, that's mental!! Like it was meant to be!
Great shot though, tis one of those you will cherish for sure.

That's right, Dan! You've used the proper word for it: Mental!

And thank you for the comments.

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

Congratulations to your daughter and to you, Brian.
That is very interesting. It probably could not have happen as good natural as it is if you planned it. I take it as a good sign.
What did Caitlin study?

 

[Brian Moore]

Congratulations to your daughter and to you, Brian.
That is very interesting. It probably could not have happen as good natural as it is if you planned it. I take it as a good sign.
What did Caitlin study?

Thank you very much, Nihat. I very much like your point of view on this: It's a good sign.

Caiti's baccalauriate is in Media and Ethnic Studies. She starts her Master's program Aug 6 at UCLA. The program she is going into is Student Affairs. She found much intrinsic value working in student administration during her undergrad years at UCR, and has decided to follow that career path. (At least for now; who knows where it will lead?)

Anyway,...thanks again Nihat!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

what a fabtastic story and amazing set of images Brian

it's funny how life works isn't it - so many tenuous connections that come together to make a moment

 

[Brian Moore]

what a fabtastic story and amazing set of images Brian

it's funny how life works isn't it - so many tenuous connections that come together to make a moment

Yes, Chris. Funny how life works! Thanks for the comments, Chris!

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

We wish Caiti success in her Master's program, Brian.

 

[Brian Moore]

We wish Caiti success in her Master's program, Brian.

Many thanks, Nihat!

 

[Pete Askew]

First of all, congratulations Caitlin!

And congratulations Brian for being in the right place at the right time and getting such a superb shot.

As for the mystery image, I suspect there is a perfectly rational explanation involving quantum mechanics, the ability of silver halide salts to retain a latent image over time and the sheer weight of significance of the event at which you snapped away, drawing a series of events / causalities together. It is not entirely clear which quantum phenomenon was at play but my suspicion is that the theories of Schrödinger have a significant part to play. When you took the first image all those years ago, the importance of her graduation was probably in your mind (hence the rather formal pose, almost scholarly) and this I think must have caused one of these observation related events: the camera became both there and not there. Because of the potential importance of future events the camera was simply not as observable until the day of the graduation and that is why you don't remember seeing it. On that day it became manifest and so you took it with you. Now, I am sure you'll agree that my theory can really be the only explanation but I think there is still some uncertainty surrounding the original, and rather mysterious, camera purchase / photo and there may even be another quantum event at play. You do not remember taking that original image because you didn't! Well, not in this reality anyway. You may not even have bought the camera. But in another reality you did and the original latent image observed in this reality was the result.

I think this is so much more likely than simple chance alone!

 

[Brian Moore]

I am sure you'll agree that my theory can really be the only explanation

I agree wholeheartedly with this statement, Pete! And, I am most grateful to you for explaining in detail the probable reasons for this odd coincidence. (I now feel that my stumbling onto RPF a couple of years ago was no mere accident. No, it was related directly to arriving me at your explanation of the phenomenon I have shown above. Nothing happens by chance it seems! )

More strangeness revealed: Caiti observed that the building behind her 12 year old self is UCR's Arts building, which is where she took dance classes in college. Coincidentally, her 12 year old self is wearing the dance warm-up suit representing the performing group she danced with at that time!

A tiny bit more strangeness revealed:



Above is Caiti at Moore Hall. She starts her Masters program in Student Affairs at UCLA in August, and Moore Hall, being UCLA's School of Education, is where she will be studying.