What the hell!?

Friday, March 26, 2010
UPDATE!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT

Hmmm. I've had some interesting suggestions on this so far. A general thought said by many is that I'm looking through the wave underwater looking towards land. But that didn't sit well with me. I've studied it closely and thought about what everyone has said. 

I have made a little diagram for you to look at. Click on it to enlarge it should be pretty big enough to read. I have put the 'Dark and Ominous' one in because it is a similar photo but a little more pulled back so it is easier to grasp the complete angle and compare parts of the photo to the one in question.

My thoughts are I am directly under the wave looking straight up at the sky. the funnels are at the bottom of the wave hence in the foreground. The very bottom of the shot is the back of the wave form underwater (If you see in the top photo it is easier to see it is the view you may get while coming up form a duck dive). The white wash at the top is where the lip is impacting. the order of parts of the wave go together. I still cant figure out what the black mass is. Maybe where light couldn't get in. Thats my thoughts anyway, if they make sense. If not my awesome Diagram will help.

Do you think that is right? Or is all this clean West Oz air screwing with my head.




This photo has been wracking my brain for the last week. I have stared at it for a long time and cannot figure out what the hell is going on. At first I thought I was looking though the back of the wave from underwater and the dark mass in the background was the landscape and you can see the flat water trailing off into the distance. But it's not. Thats not the land and they are not the flat's.

I need some help. First person to figure out what is happening in the photo and explain it will win a prize. No kidding. A prize. Im thinking a nice print of this photo. Or any other that you see on my blog. whaddya say?

Tell me what the hell is happening? To post a comment write your answer in the comment box, you will have to select an account to comment. Just select anonymous and leave your name in the answer.

23 comments:

Jack Dekort | 26 March, 2010

was it at night with a flash? that would explain things ahaha

Duncan Macfarlane | 26 March, 2010

Day time, no flash. Sorry Jack. No Cigar

otis carey | 26 March, 2010

it looks like its been photo shoped

Anonymous | 26 March, 2010

Is the shot taken looking directly up (to the sky)? If that is the case, the dark part that seems at first to be the land could just be the 'roof' of inside the tube. The foam (at the top ofthe frame is landing straight ontop of the photog. The shot is underwater obviosly.

Help??

Mitch galbraith

Duncan Macfarlane | 26 March, 2010

Ha, Not photoshopped. Straight off camera, Desaturated. Posted.

Im not sure the dark mass is the roof of the wave. The transition form that to the flat water is too sharp, not curved and smooth like a wave.

Keep thinking people.

And, yes. It is obviously underwater.

Anonymous | 26 March, 2010

OK, I am going with this theory.

You are looking out to see, coming under the wave which has rolled over your head and BAM, there's a double up and it's coming straight for you.

That or you're using a mirror.

Cassie-jo Coates | 26 March, 2010

i think its taken behind a boat and thats the wake

Duncan Macfarlane | 26 March, 2010

Unfortunately I don't think that occurred during shooting. There were no boats around either sorry Cassie. Just me, my camera and the waves.
So far the best theory has come from Jono Deal's comment on facebook. But I still am not convinced that is the land.... Keep those thinking caps on.

Anonymous | 26 March, 2010

hey man its the exact same photo as the one below ' dark and ominous' its just zoomed in closer the funnels are there, as well as the foam at the top and the dark bottom corners.. both picks also have the black in the midddle so your angle has to be the same as that photo

Anonymous | 26 March, 2010

altho in dark and ominous the black in the middle is very small to the right, not sure what it is, the black and white makes it hard

Duncan Macfarlane | 26 March, 2010

There similar photos. But there not the exact same, they were taken 10 minutes apart. I don't know whats going on in the photo, so whoever can make the photo make sense wins. And im still confused.

Jack Jeffress | 26 March, 2010

I think you have taken the photo looking into land at a wave that is barreling, its really show though, and theres an odd rock or sand formation just in front of the wave, which is creating a kind of cross shore wave/backwash... thats what i think anyway..

Jack Jeffress

Jack Jeffress | 26 March, 2010

i meant shallow where i said show... sorry

paud.ie | 27 March, 2010

Post it bigger, can't tell from that size.

ST Images | 27 March, 2010

I reckon your camera has been underwater so much since you've been in West Oz, that it is starved for oxygen and is starting to produce Hallucinations instead of actual pictures.

Duncan Macfarlane | 27 March, 2010

Ha, Good theory Tom, unfortunately I have only shot water once since I've been here. No dice.

josh househam | 27 March, 2010

Reflection of the lip , your closer in the second one making the corners darker ?

Anonymous | 27 March, 2010

hey man it is the land. what else would create a line spanning over 180 degrees ( fisheye ) with such darkness and little detail. if you think of it in those terms I don't know what else it could be.

Anonymous | 27 March, 2010

its a dolphin that got attcked by a shark and then got caught in the lip and is getting sucked over while u took a photo of the wave above u.

Duncan Macfarlane | 27 March, 2010

the dark mass isn't actually thay jagged shape. The jaged structure of the dark land looking thing is created by the white wash and bubbles cutting it off.

Duncan Macfarlane | 27 March, 2010

That didn't make sense... I mean that there is a dark mass there. but I don't think its the land. the bubbles and white wash are covering a bit of this dark matter making the jagged outline that makes it look like land. so to speak.

Anonymous | 28 March, 2010

Dunc,

Remember that water forms a lens just like glass. You are shooting from inside the lens though. It can bend light rays and you could easily, depending on the exact shape of the wave at the time, have formed a lens that saw land even if you were looking up. That would be consistent with your diagram.

It's a great photo whatever it is!

Tony Mac (you know who)

Duncan Macfarlane | 28 March, 2010

Thanks Tony mac and all the others for there insightful comments. Of course you were all blown away with my diagram drawing. But I did say that I'd give a print to the person who picked what it was and made sense.

Mitch Galbaith, 4th comment. Didn't realise at the time but he had it spot on. I think I was looking up towards the sky and he was the first person to pick it.

True to my word he will receive a free print. Mitch, contact me on duncan.macfarlane@hotmail.com to collect your prize.

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