Startling Photographs!

Updated 12-3-03

Photographs

A photograph is sometimes deemed a form of proof, a type of physical evidence verifying a story's claim. On the contraire, however, just as the human eye can be tricked by naturally illusions so can the camera lens be fooled. And as always there's the problem of those individuals who find entertainment in projecting deceptive images onto film. That's not to say there aren't actual photographs of unknown animals out there, only that a photograph is just as subject to scrutiny as verbal testimony; if not more so. Traditionally there's been two categories such photos are allowed to fall within: too good to be true and not good enough. If it's too good, it's immediately suspected as being a hoax. And if it's not an obvious well done hoax, then it could just as well be anything other than a monster.

It should also be kept in mind that taking clear pictures of a distant object in the water isn't the easiest of tasks to accomplish. Especially if there's uncertainty as to what the object is in the first place. For example, during a trip to Scotland I sent home pictures I'd taken of seals along the coast. Since my family knew I would be visiting Loch Ness in the course of the trip I was hoping photographs of seals beginning to dive would appear to my unsuspecting kin as mysterious humps.

But to uniformed eyes the series of photographs displaying swimming seals were thought to be nothing more than stationary rocks or floating bits of debris. As my family is from the central United States the photos I'd taken of seals (an animal not found anywhere near Minnesota) were defaulted to standard objects they were accustomed to seeing in the water. Certainly few things short of a swimming giraffe are going to be likewise subject to default recognition. From a distance a picture of an actually unknown creature may likewise be automatically defaulted by one unfamiliar with such a spectacle as something more common such as otters, birds, colliding waves, floating sticks or a car tire amongst other things.

There may be impressive photographs or even video footage out there but at present all that's at hand is the following four which we now know are all fakes.

Achill Island's "Dinosaur" Photo

Evening Herald
June 4, 1960

I regret this came out so poorly as a copy but even on microfilm the image was fuzzy at best. The unnamed photographer claimed he noticed a "monster" while driving along a lake (Lough Sraheens?) coming from Mulrany. There had been something of a reoccurring monster tradition in parts of Achill Island and to some the photograph was a final confirmation of its existence. However, the figure in the Polaroid failed to even remotely comply with any of the descriptions offered up to that point. Or at least, no one had yet to described a gigantic toy dinosaur.

Peter Costello speculated that the photographer may have been victim to a prank involving a dressed up stack of turf. Another possibility is that the photographer could have suspended a small toy in the foreground so as to appear a large object in the background. Whatever the case, the dubious monster was authentic enough for miniature models to be sold as souvenirs.

(Robinson Publishing "The Book of Great Mysteries")

Lough Keel

Yet another indiscernible picture from Achill Island. Gary Cunningham happened upon this one in a book entitled "The Book of Great Mysteries". The book failed to include any specifics beyond the provided subtext. Hopefully in time we'll be able to learn the exact details surrounding it.

UPDATE 12-3-03

Ah-ha! Gary sent a letter to the publishers and received a reply regarding the circumstances surrounding the picture. As it turns out the photograph is connected with the same individual affiliated with the dubious Lough Leane photo below. In other words, it's almost certainly a fraud.

O'Nessie Makes a Splash

-Sunday People
(August 22, 2000)

Dublinite writer and forteanist Dave Walsh ( Mr. Blather himself) uncovered this shocking photograph embedded within the distinguished pages of the Sunday People. Instead of paraphrasing Dave I'll just point you to his amusing write-up on the matter. Despite the remarkable lack of effort involved in this rather blatant fraud, for what it's worth the original article does allude to other possible sightings.

( Graham McEwan's Mystery Animals of Britain and Ireland)

Lough Leane
(supposedly)

A considerably buoyant beast caught cruising what's said to be Lough Leane. While it might look impressive compared to the other examples so far, the photograph, or 'image' rather, is associated with a known trickster famous for conjuring up convincing monster-photos at Loch Ness. In addition, no Irish sighting has yet to describe anything near a long arching neck.

Illustrations Witness Sketches