Shadow People

[swifty]

I'd like to bring this thread to the attention of you all.

pantheones.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240

It is from an australian gaming community and it is about 'Shadow People'.

It has some pictures and a description: "Shadow people (also known as shadow men or shadow beings) are a supernatural phenomenon reported by some individuals. Most accounts of shadow people describe them as black humanoid silhouettes, lacking mouths or eyes, although they are sometimes reported to have red or yellow eyes."

I was just interested in your thoughts and opinions of this ludicrousy. Nothing more than altered photos it seems to me yet the people who have replied are so scared, intrigued and amazed by the images...what are your thoughts?

[Arkan_Wolfshade]

Maaaaan, I remember this from _years_ ago. Had to have been when I was in college, so at least seven years.
...


here we go (after googling):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_people

[swifty]

yes thanks for showing interest and replying to this Arkan_Wolfshade
though in the thread I provided above that link is given. What I was interested about it is yours and other peoples' ideas and beliefs of this.. I personally think it's all in the head and completely fake of course but on that site you see some images, such as a curved tombstone from a photo. Thats spooky stuff and proof yes? Well I should hope not :P

[SwissSkeptic]

Oh wow, that one's new to me. Those guys believe in Shadow people? I found quite a few references on believer sites (http://www.hauntedhamilton.com/messageboard/messages/9/2710.html?1103646056), but I wasn't able to find much info on skeptical sites (http://www.skepticfriends.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4937), they all just pointed to the Wikipedia article.

To me, the tombstone pic looks like it could have easily been photoshopped or happened due to camera issues. What does a distorted tombstone have to do with Shadow people, anyway? And I just love the "it was taken by a friend so it must be real" line of reasoning.

The two fuzzy photos taken in the room look like clouts or pieces of paper to me.

And the pic of the woman with the strange grin...that's just plain funny. The ribbon hanging in the pic is obviously evidence that somewhere somebody needs to work on his photographic skills. But shadow people? Not unless they look like ribbons.

ETA: link

[swifty]

yes he uses the excuse "it was even on the negatives" in reference to the tombstone picture. Numerous people brought up the question, why are you taking pictures of tombstones anyway? And for some reason the possible camera error isnt brought into account? Im not camera expert but im sure things like this must happen.

Possible conclusions: Camera fault, kid photoshopped, shadow people.

Yes you guessed it shadow people have started manipulating tombstones in photos now for some odd reason, oh well looks like we have to go back to taking photos of humans again, how boring.

[SwissSkeptic]

Yes you guessed it shadow people have started manipulating tombstones in photos now for some odd reason

Well, it's only logical for them to do that, after all they're interdimensional beings (http://paranormal.about.com/gi/pages/poll.htm?linkback=http%3A%2F%2Fparanormal.about.co m%2Flibrary%2Fblshadowpeople_poll.htm&poll_id=4613227668&poll=1&submit1=Submit%20Vote).

[Gr8wight]

yes he uses the excuse "it was even on the negatives" in reference to the tombstone picture. Numerous people brought up the question, why are you taking pictures of tombstones anyway? And for some reason the possible camera error isnt brought into account? Im not camera expert but im sure things like this must happen.

Possible conclusions: Camera fault, kid photoshopped, shadow people.

Yes you guessed it shadow people have started manipulating tombstones in photos now for some odd reason, oh well looks like we have to go back to taking photos of humans again, how boring.

Based on the nature of the date on the lower right hand corner of the picture of the tombstone, it is clear that the picture was taken with a digital camera. Saying that the distortion appears on the negative is clearly a lie, because there is no negative. That is a simple example of photoshopping.

[Cuddles]

Most accounts of shadow people describe them as black humanoid silhouettes, lacking mouths or eyes, although they are sometimes reported to have red or yellow eyes."

Has someone been reading Lord of the Rings a bit too much?

[lister]

Based on the nature of the date on the lower right hand corner of the picture of the tombstone, it is clear that the picture was taken with a digital camera.

Not to mention the flippin EXIF data is still present in the file!
(although it seems a bit messed up!)
Shutter Speed 1 sec.
Lens Aperture F/3.2
Exposure Time 1/304 sec.
ISO Speed ISO-50

Not sure what is up with the discrepancy in exposure figures, but I'm guessing the 1/300 sec is about right (1 sec seems WAY too much at this aperture and light level).

Unfortunately the focal length of the lense is not given, but I'm assuming it to be an extreme wide angle due to the very large depth of field at such a large aperture. To me the most obvious explanation is that the wide angle has produced barrel distortion at the edges, and this shot is just a small crop of the full picture.

However this is just a random guess, and I agree it could be faked in Photoshop in about 3 seconds.

[elaine]

I first heard about this a couple of years ago on Coast to Coast.

It's funny, but sad that folks, honestly believe.

[RSLancastr]

They talk about this nonsense on Coast to Coast all the time.

[elaine]

They talk about this nonsense on Coast to Coast all the time.


I quickly lost interest in that show.

[Overman]

A shadow person once consumed my real shadow and now follows me around everywhere i go. Just before the sun sets he becomes his most powerful, when he can grow as tall (long) as 15 feet. If I jump I can momentarily be free of him, but If I run he follows me.

I am afraid.

[Miss Whiplash]

The top photo looks like a cutout.

The bottom photo is lens distortion as discussed previously.

[senorpogo]

"Shadow people (also known as shadow men or shadow beings) are a supernatural phenomenon reported by some individuals. Most accounts of shadow people describe them as black humanoid silhouettes, lacking mouths or eyes

That sounds a lot like a normal shadow. Minus the supernatural part.

[Miss Whiplash]

No where does any article address light sensitivity and peripheral vision. Since there are more rods in this part of the retina, it's more light sensitive. That's why we detect more shadows when we "look out the corner of our eye." when I started backyard astronomy as a child, the first thing i learned was using "averted vision" to see dim objects.

[Joe Random]

Shadow people are in fact real. Some of them even used to give great loot

http://www.thejackcat.com/AC/pet.asp?ctrID=20634

[Miss Whiplash]

Shadow people are in fact real. Some of them even used to give great loot

http://www.thejackcat.com/AC/pet.asp?ctrID=20634

What RPG is this? I'll admit I stopped at D&D.

[Starthinker]

Numerous people brought up the question, why are you taking pictures of tombstones anyway?

I don't know about him, but I photograph tombstones alot. I then put them on a web page with wry observations. http://www.starthinker.com/starthinker/artpage.htm

[Joe Random]

What RPG is this? I'll admit I stopped at D&D.

Asheron's Call - an old time MMORPG. Very out dated graphics, but it does have Pookie the killer white rabbit
http://www.thejackcat.com/AC/pet.asp?ctrID=20566

[Miss Whiplash]

I don't know about him, but I photograph tombstones alot. I then put them on a web page with wry observations. http://www.starthinker.com/starthinker/artpage.htm

So do I. I do a lot of IR fine art photography. Monuments/cemeteries are very striking subjects and people love to buy the prints.

@ Joe Random: Thanks for the info.

[Dredred]

I don't know about him, but I photograph tombstones alot. I then put them on a web page with wry observations. http://www.starthinker.com/starthinker/artpage.htm

Wow I really like your pictures..

[Starthinker]

Wow I really like your pictures..

Thank-you.

[HerNibs]

[QUOTE=swifty;1836351]yes he uses the excuse "it was even on the negatives" in reference to the tombstone picture.QUOTE]

Why do I always hear this? "Look proof!!! It was like this on the negative!!"

How is this evidence?

All my screwed up pictures are screwed up on the negative too. (Unless Walmart dude is an idiot)

Now, maybe I don't understand the importance of this, but wouldn't it be MORE interesting if it was on the negative and NOT on the picture?

Bleh

[Badwolf]

I was just interested in your thoughts and opinions of this ludicrousy. Nothing more than altered photos it seems to me yet the people who have replied are so scared, intrigued and amazed by the images...what are your thoughts?

Well, I saw more people calling it BS than people being 'scared' or whatever, and by page 8 it had turned into a flame session anyway...

??

:boggled:

[RSLancastr]

yes he uses the excuse "it was even on the negatives" in reference to the tombstone picture.

Why do I always hear this? "Look proof!!! It was like this on the negative!!"

How is this evidence?If it is on the negative, it (supposefly) is proof that there was no doctoring of the photo after it was taken. This of course does not preclude many other reasons for something being in the photo.

I quickly lost interest in that show.I have found that it upts me to sleep, so I turn it on every night before going to bed. I usually hear about 15 minutes of it and fall fast asleep.

[Druid]

I have shadow people living in my house...

They have a nasty habit of stealing my beer from the fridge!

I'm afraid i dont have much in the way of proof regarding this except the collective response of everyone else who lives here. . .

"it wasnt me!"

Druid.