East coast of Vancouver Island near Kelsey Bay, British Columbia, Canada
The Hannah McRoberts Photograph
Hannah McRoberts took a landscape photograph on Vancouver Island in October 1981 and only noticed a sharply defined disc-like object after the film was processed. Richard F. Haines later examined the original negative and camera and published a detailed photographic analysis. He found no evidence th
Why This Case Matters
One of the better single-image cases because the original negative and camera were reportedly available for technical study rather than only a later scan or print.
Chronology
- 8 Oct 1981 landscape photograph taken near Kelsey Bay
- object unnoticed at time
- film processed and disc noticed
- original negative/camera supplied for analysis
- Haines publishes detailed analysis in 1987
- later researchers debate small-near-object versus distant-airborne interpretations
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: A small nearby airborne object, tossed object, insect/bird or deliberately staged object remain possible because a single image cannot establish range. Haines's work argues against film/camera artefact but does not prove distant scale.
What Remains Unresolved
- Current location of original negative
- full-resolution scan
- precise lens/camera metadata
- range
- whether object shows motion blur
- independent technical re-analysis with modern tools.
Key Takeaways
- The analysis supports that an image was physically recorded on the film
- it does not establish that the object was large, distant or extraordinary.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: