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UAP Photo
A weird thing happened on June 3, 2023, right in front of my face, that I never actually saw. I was visiting my sister in Gardnerville, Nevada, and out on a training ride for America’s Most Beautiful Ride, a 100-mile ride around Lake Tahoe. Spotting a lovely vista, I pulled over to snap a photo. I later discovered that, in addition to a lovely scene of Sierra Mountain goodness, I had also photographed a UFO. Below is an accounting of what appeared in the photo and an accounting of my attempts to discover what it might be.
Disclaimer
It’s not spectacular
It’s almost impossible to see the object when viewed at normal playback speed. We have employed a number of techniques below to help identify the object within the clips.
The Scene
This image was taken on June 3, 2023, in Mesa Vista, California, near my sister’s home in Gardnerville, Nevada. I was in town for America’s Most Beautiful Race, a 100-mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe and out on a training ride when the photo was taken.
The Data
All relevant data are contained within the original file’s metadata. My only anecdotal contribution is that the object made no sound. It was too far away for sound to have reached the camera within the 3-second clip contained in the “live” photo. I can report that at no time was the object heard passing overhead.
Investigation
I submitted the file to MUFON on June 26, 2023, and subsequently spoke with Nancy Felipe, State Section Director/Field Investigator Nor Cal MUFON 9264. It is Case 131516. We exchanged emails and did a couple of phone interviews. I gave her all the original materials. The case was eventually closed and officially classified as “unknown.”
The Data
Times and Locations
In an effort to fully document the photo and the circumstances of its making, I have included the GPS data gathered by my Apple Watch Ultra of my ride. It correlates the metadata from the device used to take the photo, an Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max.
I recorded this video moments after discovering the object in the photo. It is my initial reaction and contains some salty language.
This “sighting” is in no way spectacular, which makes it all the more compelling in my mind. It’s just an impossible aircraft going about its business, secure in the knowledge that it’s moving to fast to be seen. It is only dumb-ass luck that it passed in front of my camera at the exact moment I took the photo. It’s even luckier that the key photo selected by my phone contained the object dead-center.
Skeptics are uncomfortable with the amount of luck involved with the making of this photo. My only answer is to be as transparent as possible with all aspects of the circumstances.
Others have suggested that it’s a bug. I don’t think it’s a bug, but it could be.
Others have suggested that it’s a straight-up hoax. It is within my technical skill to have added a UAP to a video. It is not within my technical skill range to have created a hoax video in the form of a HEIF file, along with all the time, geolocation, camera settings and sundry iPhone Pro Max 14 metadata.
Metadata
About the File
HEIF can store a single image, a sequence of images, image bursts, and image collections, along with audio data and text. It can also support various types of metadata. We are able to detect the object’s motion because Apple’s “Live” photo function. Photos taken with the Live Photo feature enabled captures 1.5 seconds of video before and after you press the shutter button. This results in a 3-second video clip, along with the still photo. Users can then select any image from the 3 second video capture as the “key frame.” This comes in handy if someone blinks during a photo session. “Live” photos allow you to select a different, non-blink frame from the series.
HEIC files are not compatible with web protocols, but you can download the original file using the button below.