UFO Off Seal Beach Pier

[Brian Moore]

Took this shot with my Kodak Pony C and Kodak Gold 400 film. The sand in the middle foreground is illuminated by the headlights of my car, but there was a low wall in from of me, so that's why the near foreground is in shade.

I balanced the camera on the low wall to steady it for this image,...which I believe was about 20 seconds exposure at f3.5, which is the camera's maximum aperture.

The island on the horizon is Catalina Island which is, according to a well known old song,

"26 miles across the sea,
Santa Catalina is the place to be!"

Or something like that.

I was surprised to have captured a very large UFO in the picture, which you can see in sky on the right. None of the mainstream media reported it. (Of course!)

The lights out to sea are from oil drilling platforms or maybe they are ships. Well, UFOs of a seafaring kind I guess.

 

[Pete Askew]

That'll be Chris's mate then!

I like the way the light on the sand echoes the colours in the lower layer or the clouds (or do you just have very bright bulbs in the car?). And another central barrel. This becoming something of a theme. I can image the coffee table book now, "The Barrels on the Beach' by Brain Moore - should be out in time for Xmas!!

 

[Brian Moore]

I'm in my middle bin, phase Pete! I was wondering if emdy would notice. No surprise it you! Thanks Pete!

 

[Hamish Gill]

That's not a UFO that's a very large single flake of snow ... At least that's what I'm blaming for all the spots and specs on in my film photography!
Nice idea with the car lights
Someone should tell somone thier song is wrong though ... That can't be 26 miles ...

 

[Brian Moore]

You're quite the skeptic, Hamish. I see nothing resembling a snowflake in my UFO and besides, snow is much more rare in the Southern California sky.

RE: Catalina,...I'd always taken it for granted that the song was geographically accurate. So in order to squash your skepticism with some degree of precision I looked it up on Wikipedia (always precise!) and find that they estimate it to be "about 22 miles south southwest of Los Angeles." So I'll give you that one. Good eye Hammie!

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Pete - you know you're right

Brian - nice shot - not often it's clear enough to see Catalina.

Kodak Pony eh.... I'm thinking the illumination of the beach is really from the radioactive lens element then!

That's probably what attracted the UFO

 

[Brian Moore]

radioactive lens element

If I start to grow a third eyeball or something I'll know why!

Thanks, Chris. It was clear and crisp that night. Just a few days before Christmas.