What the Blur is That?

Frame from the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin Film

I have a request for everyone.

PLEASE STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT BLURRY PICTURES AND VIDEOS!

I see these comments constantly. “Oh look another blurry picture” and “wow Bigfoot sure is a blurry creature” are versions of some common ones, but there are way more variations to this. I even saw someone recently say a tripod would work wonders.

But does anyone ever stop to think about why they are blurry before making those comments? Let me explain why blur is a normal thing to encounter when photographing or taking videos of strange phenomena and cryptid creatures. I recently explained this to someone in a Facebook group and received a nasty message from a different member saying I was delusional and lying to make fake photos and videos seem real. This is not true at all. I hope you, the reader of this article, will keep an open mind here rather than being nasty. If you do have a problem with anything I say here, I welcome you to leave a respectful comment on this article in the comments section or send me an email via the contact page on this site.

While most of us have phones with cameras capable of taking high-resolution photos (though the flip phones are used commonly by those in older generations who spend more time in the woods than younger generations do), that doesn’t mean anything. We don’t all carry around our phones in our hands during every waking hour, especially when we are walking through the woods, which is the most likely place to see a creature, or when simply spending time outdoors. They will be in our pockets or some less accessible place on our person. In our houses, they are typically placed on tables or chairs and even on the floor. So upon seeing a creature or some visible phenomenon, the person then has to retrieve their device. That takes time. It takes me two to three seconds to get my phone, an iPhone 8 as of the time of this writing, out of my pocket. Sometimes more, rarely less. Then it takes time to get the camera active, get the point of interest within view, zoom in, and let the camera focus. That is at least another two to three seconds, if not more depending on the size of the phone (some current smartphones can be quite large) and the distance away from the activity or creature. Now imagine how long it would take if the person had a Point and Shoot or DSLR camera. That would likely be double the time, even longer if the photographer had it in the manual settings.

Now put that into perspective with how long sightings last. Use Bigfoot as an example. On average, a Sasquatch sighting lasts 5-6 seconds or less. It takes at least four just to get a cell phone camera out and ready to take a proper photo or video. Then the user has to try to keep it steady and on the Bigfoot while it moves incredibly fast out of view. That easily causes blur in a photo. Have you ever tried to take a photo of a moving object and have it come out perfectly clear? It isn’t easy! Then we also have to remember that the panic of trying to get a photo before it is out of view plays a huge role as well. I was out simply taking photos of the full moon one night and it was cloudy. I kept losing view of the moon behind the clouds. I got a clearing for a few seconds as I was about to call it quits and managed to snap a few photos before it disappeared again. None of them came out clear. They were all extremely blurry. But ironically I did capture an unidentified flying object in the very last one smack in the center of the moon so it wasn’t a complete waste.

Now add in the fear and shock people often experience when encountering a Sasquatch or really any kind of cryptid creature or phenomenon. Fear and shock typically cause shaking or possibly failure to even try to get photographic evidence at all. So if you combine all of the above factors together, that typically results in a blurry photo and explains perfectly why it is so hard to get a clear photo.

The troubles of taking a photo of a Bigfoot don’t just apply to them. They apply to other creatures as well, plus other strange activities like UAP and ghost sightings. Getting a clear photo of something is not as easy as pointing a camera and pushing a button. I am a trained photographer, so I can take some pretty good photos (proof is included below, so you know I really am a photographer. It isn’t a Cryptid, but it was taken at the haunted town of Batsto, New Jersey so same difference right?). But if the conditions aren’t perfect and I am not calm and steady, I couldn’t even walk outside and take a photo of a flower without getting some blur whether I am using my phone or my Nikon D5600 DSLR! One small breeze and that flower is going to sway. A strong breeze could move me as well. If the temperature is cold I could end up shaking. There are so many variables that can cause blur in photos.

I have mostly been referring to photos, but videos can be shaky for similar reasons. Most people already have some level of shakiness to their hands. The fear which often accompanies an encounter can result in even more hand movement. If you are pursuing the creature you are videoing that will likely result in even more shaking. So unless you have your camera in a stabilizer such as a DJI Osmo smartphone stabilizer you will likely not get a completely steady video.

Now, am I saying every blurry photo or video is of what is being claimed? Absolutely not. But is every blurry photograph or video fake? Absolutely not. Recently I saw someone say a photo was of a ghost in their dark bedroom. I am almost completely certain it was not a ghost, but a pile of clothing. And it was actually in the comments of that posted photo where someone complained about blurry photos where I explained the contents of this article in much shorter terms which resulted in the nasty private message I received. Compare that situation to the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin Film which has been proven to have been a real Bigfoot. The video is very shaky, but there is a reason. Upon encountering Patty (the name the Bigfoot has been given because Roger Patterson filmed the footage and it was clearly a female, so Patty fits well) the horse Roger was riding freaked out (something that particular horse never did) and bucked him off. He hurt his leg, but as he got up and started moving toward Patty he was limping and was also traveling over rough ground. So the start of the footage is very shaky. And even when he finally steadied himself his heart was beating and his adrenaline was pumping so the Cine-Kodak K-100 film camera he was using continued to move. But careful video stabilization and analysis can prove a video real or fake. It has been done many times with the PGF, most recently on the series “The Proof is Out There” which has conclusively proven the footage to be real.

So rather than immediately discounting a piece of photographic evidence because it is blurry, do some careful analysis. You may be surprised at what you find. And please, stop complaining about the blur every time you see something blurry. It only discourages those who have real photos and videos from sharing them because they fear the ridicule they will receive because it isn’t crystal clear. No one wants that. So please be respectful of anyone who shares their evidence. Treat others the way you want to be treated. And as always, if you have an encounter to report, a photo/video to share, or even a simple question do not hesitate to contact me.