Melissa Hovey Bigfoot Photo Preliminary Breakdown: The Good And The Bad
It's been over 28 hours since the release of the game cam Bigfoot photo anonymously sent to Melissa Hovey four years ago. There's a lot of noise and the forums are flooded with opinions. Here are a couple of excerpts we believe should sum up what's currently being talked about.
Of course, if you really want to believe that what you're seeing is a real Sasquatch, the first place you'd want to check out is Facebook Find Bigfoot. These are the good things they like about the photo:
HIGHEST REZ American Bigfoot Society Photo (Just released)
NOTE: there are no Guard Hairs, scars in skin are present this is not a suit.
Posted yesterday by ABS: Notice the darker hair down the spine and the musculature of the right arm. Bill Munns Giganto did not have this level of detail in the structure and pattern of the hair.
Slope to back connects at nose level. Possibly shows right ear, shine on hair indicates possible oil glands on back, 6-8" hair, over well-muscled frame. Possible face on right side.
- Facebook Find Bigfoot
If you disagree with FB/FB's assumptions above, you might agree with this person who claims to be a photographer "with a lot of experience evaluating photographs":
You're thinking is much like mine. I'm another photographer with a lot of experience evaluating photographs. I posted way back up early on this.
Most sinificant about this is the heavy cropping. I see the hottest part of the flash hitting in the lower right quadrant of the photo. Normally, that hot area would be where the center of the lens was looking, so it looks like a great deal was cropped off of the image, particularly from the right side and bottom but also from the top and left. I'm guessing the photo was cropped down by roughly 1/2 to 2/3 of the original area. Why would someone do that? What does someone not want the picture to show? It was suggested it was because the area might be recognized which would jeopardize the bigfoot. So, what might that recognizable element be? (How about a "Stay Off The Exhibits" sign?) And why would anyone point a trail cam at a bunch of plants just a few feet away? I don't think that's the way it's done. Lastly, I still think there's a second higher light source in addition to the flash at the camera, maybe a ceiling light or even a high window.
This thing is going to cause a great deal of debate.
- Anonymous
The date was cropped. If the trail cam doesnt allow retro dating there could be trouble.
ReplyDeleteLitmus Test: Can it be duplicated? If so, the probability drops dramatically. Also it's inconclusive, multiple red flags, and no back story. This image has a very negligible chance of being legit IMO. Speculate one way or the other all you want, I'm done with it.
ReplyDeleteB.
Good, she had the cajones to post it. Bad, known cropped photo, too crisp in regards to lighting, no way in hell its a game camera, booger looks bald, guy in a monkey suit. I am done on this, I will let it the illogical thinkers on the facebook page of finding boogers.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think that anything just dropped from the sky without anyone claiming it is totally bogus. If it were legit, they would be thrilled to share it. I also think that a game camera would have caught more than just one shot of this thing moving right in front if it.
DeleteBaby, you are hot, red hot. If you can act, even just a little, I want to cast you in the role of Ann Darrow III in my upcoming film, Clawed 3D: Sasquatch Unchained.
DeleteI don't know whether this is a fake or not but I assure you that game trail cameras take as good as, or better resolution pictures as this. You are basing an opinion w/o any real field knowledge of how a trail cam works. The guy who stated that the "hot spot" was toward the bottom right... and the things had been cut out of the photo because of this. Again....wrong. He is basing this hypothesis on knowledge of how a camera that he holds in his hand and snaps photos with works.
DeleteA trail cam has a "wake up" area. Some are 180 degrees from the center point of the camera. When a moving object passes into the wake up area, the camera will "wake up" and then shoot the photo at a predetermined location. I have gotten pictures of deer' rear ends, the back of their legs, blobs, etc. It has nothing to do with the theories everyone is putting out there about photography.
The only way I can easily explain this to someone who doesn't understand how a trail cam works. Take a normal digital camera, point it at something and then set it down. Push the button for the trigger to fire. If there is a short delay, run/walk toward the front of the camera. When the photo flashes, is will not focus on you, only on where it is pointed.
That is why the trail cams have the infra red beam to aim them, and then the "wake up Zone" to give the moving object time to be semi-centered in the photo. The cameras are not an exact science, but pretty darned good.
This picture may be a hoax, but it is solely because of he object in the picture, not the picture quality, lighting, positioning, etc. A decent trail cam will take pictures like this all day.
I know, I use them, and I have used them for years. Reconyx, Moultree, Cuddeback, Remington, just to name a few.
Also, in regards to the picture being real/not real and why the person didn't release it sooner. 1. It is a hoax and they know it. 2. The owner of the picture feared what would happen when/if released. Just like what is happening now.
Archer1
As an Eyewitness of two sasquatch crossing a road . I was very close to them and I had hoped i would see this photo and see what i saw and this photo just did not do that for me. I say this is a test shot of a creature created for a movie put of there or a display somewhere such as the mayakka ape photos that floated around a # of years ago.
ReplyDeleteTo me the "head" looks "square". To many no no's for me also.
ReplyDeleteAny ideas why the black streak that goes up the spine seems to trail off to the right towards the top? It seems strange if it was natural and it seems strange that a suit would do that. Would the zipper of a suit ever trail off like that? Would it make it easier to get in the suit or something? I honestly have no idea.
ReplyDeleteMelissa's witness will check her sight but probably doesnt read other places for bigfoot info. If I was some random person being taunted by sasquatches 4 years ago I would have bypassed a place like BFRO and dig into the net even farther for a new promising bigfoot blogger that might have a conference in the distant future.
ReplyDeleteGood or bad,I'm happy Melissa posted this.
ReplyDeleteAny time anyone posts an edited photo,it raises flags with me.A simple crop can drastically change the context of a photo,or video for that matter.
I am also curious about that dark line down the spine which curves over the right shoulder.If this was tightly grouped hairs,that line should run up to the base of the neck.
When I enlarged this picture I noticed a blurred spot to the right, about mid shoulder blade. Even a slight enlargement made it noticeable. When I sharpened it, the blur was there. No matter how I edited, that tiny blur was there. I don't know if it's significant, or intentional. It's just an observation on my part.
As many have mentioned, the lighting appears suspect as well.
We also have a phantom photographer and location which adds to the speculation and raises more questions.
I like the folks at FB/FB,but everything is a Bigfoot to these guys. They have been duped before so I have to be cautious when they assess anything.
To be honest, the photo is a mere curiousity to me unless more substantial information is produced, or the uncropped photo is posted.
It is a very nice suit. I hope Hovey feels the responsibility to expose the witness.
DeleteGood: Deltoid and possibly lateral head of tricep are distinguishable, hair texture not easily faked, head position relative to shoulder, total bulk
ReplyDeleteBad: Weird location for a game cam, game cam dosen't show any ground, cropped photo, unusual species of tree, camera does not capture any background other than the tree, hair points in all directions as if there is no wind, only a single photo from a game cam, very good quality for a game cam especially considering it is cropped and from 2008 model, anonymous photographer, unknown location, no reference photo, photo was 'given' to relatively unknown blogger, only shows the most easily faked portions (ie. no face, hands, feet).
I bet if that bust was turned around it would be a werewolf, I see what could be a pointy ear, maybe a Halloween display for a spook house. Also it looks like the left arm cut off above the elbow area. Or its just blacked out for some reason.
ReplyDeletegood eye, that is an unusual shadow on the left arm.
DeleteThe Good: It's a very clear photo
ReplyDeleteThe Bad: It's a fake.
For what it's worth, here's my analysis of the individual in the photo.
ReplyDeleteWhen the photo is enlarged, I can make out a very long braid of hair running from the the backside of the head of the individual to its back. Beside the one long braid of hair, there are other smaller braids of hair on either side of the large braid. The rest of the body and arms show just long natural flowing hair. The hair color, by the way, is shockingly human to me, as it looks like my hair when I wake up in the morning.
Also of note is the dark reddish brown band on the upper right arm that is partially obscured by hair. There is another similar colored mark on the back of the head. These marks could have been from a recent injury or intentional decoration, much like humans paint their faces with makeup or disfigure their bodies with tattoos.
Whatever the case, the photo shows more promise for the existence of Bigfoot than has been amassed by any religion for the existence of god. If it is a hoax, then it's as good a hoax as your favorite religion.
go back to the home page and check other posts in the other blogs and you will see that this is from a movie and is quite surely another hoax and or fake.
ReplyDeleteAnd that movie was directed by Karl Kozak of Baby Bigfoot in New York fame. His other outstanding work includes Skidmarks and Clawed 3D: Sasquatch Unchained.
Deletethats right thank you for posting as i neglected to name you ( slipped my mind as i was typing, again sorry). end of story people.
DeleteMister Kozak, will you please release the original image so this silliness may end.
DeleteOr are you getting a kick out of the chaos?
Well where ever it was taken it was probably taken in the south because that's a loquate tree and they tend to be in warmer climates. I'm pretty positive about the kind of tree just do a Google search on loquate tree blooms and its identical. As for authanticity(?) of the subject depicted that's for someone else to figure out.
ReplyDeleteIs this an example of a double amputee bigfoot? WHere the freak are the arms? Looking at the lower corners, left and right, the shoulders extend out, the upper arms go down.. then.. wha? Where the flip are the arms? Cant be down.. they dont show. Can't be behind the back or they would be very visible. Doubt they are thrust forward picking cherries off that possible cherry tree (where are those trees growing?) IF they were extendend forward, why is the hair all laying down and not being drawn forward with the skin?
ReplyDeleteHmmm.. I just don't know..
1%
Just to fill in possibilities,
ReplyDelete"AutumnforestFeb 24, 2012 03:57 PM
I agree. I think that anything just dropped from the sky without anyone claiming it is totally bogus. If it were legit, they would be thrilled to share it. I also think that a game camera would have caught more than just one shot of this thing moving right in front if it."
Not if they are trying to protect it. We do not know the full story here. Nor do we know that it is only one shot.
and I am getting off topic here but this needs to be addressed. in response to Autumnforest's post was this;"Karl KozakFeb 24, 2012 07:52 PM
Baby, you are hot, red hot. If you can act, even just a little, I want to cast you in the role of Ann Darrow III in my upcoming film, Clawed 3D: Sasquatch Unchained."
Remember parents, people like this are all over the net :/
"oldmanofthebluesFeb 24, 2012 03:56 PM
As an Eyewitness of two sasquatch crossing a road . I was very close to them and I had hoped i would see this photo and see what i saw and this photo just did not do that for me. I say this is a test shot of a creature created for a movie put of there or a display somewhere such as the mayakka ape photos that floated around a # of years ago."
And
"Samuel64Feb 24, 2012 04:11 PM
To me the "head" looks "square". To many no no's for me also."
How do you know there is only one species? This is also my main problem with the BFRO. If you assume that this is a North American Great-Ape and you use tactics to find a Great-Ape then you will never find one if they are actually another species or multiple species of human. Sasquatch, Alma, Almasty, Yeti, Skunkape seem more likely to be different entities of Hominid rather than one unknown ape. Skeptics always say "Where are the fossils?" When for all we know Neanderthal,Homo Erectus, Homo Heidelbergensis could actually be the fossils. Better question would be "Where are chimp and gorilla fossils?"
Other questions or comments were Why is the camera facing the bush/tree and the lighting. The bush/tree could be the key to that. Perhaps the camera was put where it was for that reason? Maybe evidence was left and maybe several attempts were made at taking the pic. If the first attempts were wit night vision or blurry it could explain why the flash was set away from the lens. Or perhaps the person knew what they were doing the first time around? What I find compelling is that the creatures head is turning towards the flash which would be an automatic response.
I am not saying that this pic is real. That would be as dumb as the skeptics who are saying it looks like Coyote fur when it is clearly hair not fur or the others who said the hair looked combed when it is clearly matted and tangled.
My point is that with no back story we simply do not know. And with all the idiots on here who say they want to kill one to make a buck, then not giving the back story makes sense. And if these are species of Human then you commit murder if you do.
This looks like it was shot indoors with a fake tree in the background and camera lights.
ReplyDeleteit's amazing to me that nobody can accurately name the tree but many can say that this is a bigfoot for sure. makes you kinda wonder>
ReplyDeleteAnother hoax that gives the existence of bigfoot zero credibility. Folks, the only thing that will convince anyone who doesn't already believe that bigfoot exists is a specimen.
ReplyDeleteTo those of you who keep asking, "why was the camera facing toward a tree?" and using this to explain why this is a hoax. I can give an opinion of this.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Deer, bear, elk, etc. usually walk along game trails that are created by them. These trails usually use cover/concealment, on a regular basis.
If the owner of the trail cam wants to photograph wild game in its natural habitat, they will find a well used trail and place the camera in a tree pointing down toward the trail. The owner of the camera will often use "bait" or corn, apples, etc. to have the wild game stop at the general location of where the camera is positioned in order to get several pictures of the animal.
90% of my trail cam pictures are pointed toward an area that would make absolutely no since to the average person. To a hunter, it would make complete, logical since.
I had an encounter with a sasquatch in 2009. (I absolutely did not believe in these creatures until then.) The sasquatch was on a game trail on the land I hunt. It was following that trail just like the other animals in the area did. From that day forward, I absolutely knew these creatures were real.
Archer1
"AnonymousFeb 25, 2012 06:49 AM
ReplyDeleteit's amazing to me that nobody can accurately name the tree but many can say that this is a bigfoot for sure. makes you kinda wonder>"
This is a strange case where for once the supposed Sasquatch is clear but the background is blurry lol. To me that looks like a Brazilian Pepper tree. And if it is that pretty much singles the location out to South Florida (If this is taken in the U.S.)
4u3k38lcn
ReplyDeleteMy weblog: electric toothbrush