Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

Yesterday, on my way home from work I saw the flag of Tacoma Screw Products flying in the wind with the sun behind it. I found a location to take a few shots---comical in the sense that I was in burst mode and ended up with 227 shots. In processing the images I discovered this anomaly in the image. The image I have provided is cropped from the original to focus on the anomaly. The shot was taken using a Canon 70-200mm, f2.8L lens and a Canon EF 2x III extender. The lens was extended out to the full 200mm, thus, giving me a 400mm focal length. ISO was 125, exposure was 1/400 at f7.1. The camera was a 5D4. At first, I thought I had an oil or fingerprint smudge somewhere along the optical system. However, looking closer, it appears to me that the "shadow" image is of the cloud to the lower left of the shadow. My suspicion is that the secondary image was perhaps caused by the reflection of the cloud off of the front element of the extender to the rear element of the telephoto and then back through to the sensor. The sun was in the background but the shot was framed such that the sun was not in the image. Thus, it was to the upper left of the image. Given the conditions, I was not expecting to have any decent images as the shoot was more about practice and experimentation. Comments and analysis welcomed.

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R.G. Loc: Scotland

Hi Charles. It's a curious phenomenon but I don't think it's an internal reflection. The shadow cloud has similar features to the foreground cloud, but they're a long way from being identical. My guess is that the shadow cloud is off in the distance and it's being literally overshadowed by a larger cloud that's preventing the shadow cloud from being lit by direct sunlight. Or if it is an internal reflection, it's not a reflection of the foreground cloud that we can see in your crop.

Salo Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Spooky. Was this the only shot that showed this anomaly?

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I also think it’s a cloud in the shadow of another cloud.

Andy

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Me too. I see it often when out in early morning and with the wide sky, long distance views around my area.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

A burst of 227 shots.....maybe you overloaded the buffer and it added a negative cloud onto that image. Was it one of the the final ones? (I don't use burst so its only a guess) 'The camera' is renown for picking up anomalies that we cannot see or fail to notice....It is not a 'fault' merely the nature of the beast. Look at it as a curiosity rather than as something wrong. UFO anybody???

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

It seems out of proportion to the other clouds in that part of the sky. I think it might be an actual cloud shadow, of a cloud between the sun and the haze in the sky, falling on the haze. Good challenge!

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

It appears in all the shots that were at 400mm. It doesn't appear in the shots when I have the extender removed; however, the clouds have moved. The first series was at 200mm and then I went to 400mm. I will upload a couple more shots later tonight---one at 200 and one at 400, uncropped.

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

Thank you, R.G. I am leaning towards the thought that it is a shadow but sometimes it seems to me that it may be a thin layer of cloud. Very peculiar and quite interesting...

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

It was indeed a surprise to see that I so many shots. I was trying to catch the flag in its various positions as it waved in the wind and then choose the one I liked the most but I got sidetracked by this interesting anomaly...LOL. The shot count was even a bigger surprise when I noted 227 shots in 5 minutes and forty seconds and compared that to my shoot for my nephew at his graduation and commissioning---289 shots over a span of two days.

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

Here are three shots from the collection. The first is at 200mm. The remaining two are at 400mm. The anomaly does change between the latter two shots and the time between them is 22 seconds. The exposure was at 1/320, f7.1 but the ISO went from 100 to 125 in the last one. Shadow or cloud? Given how the sky looks at 200mm, I am inclined to think it is a shadow. Interesting as I have not seen such before. It reminds me of when I was delivering newspapers with my sons year ago an early, clear, morning. Off to the east, on a clear blue sky as the sun was rising was an inverted cone-shaped gray cast against the sky. A couple of days later I came to realize it was the shadow of Mount Rainier against the sky.

1. 200mm

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2. 400mm (2x extender+70-200mm)

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3. 400mm (2x extender+70-200mm), 22 seconds after #2.

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aellman Loc: Boston MA

I completely disagree with those who maintain that it is a cloud. If you examine the possible variables, you come up with one outlier: burst mode. I'm not saying that's the cause, but it's something worth considering.

Polock

was there a filter on the lens?
maybe find the same conditions and see if it's repeatable

Hbuk66 Loc: Oswego, NY

Anomoly= anything that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected... if you take a lot of photos, you will see a lot of anomalies, and they are mostly, for me anyhow, welcome...

Angel Star Photography Loc: Tacoma, WA

No filter was used. As for repeating the conditions, perhaps one day but I think a lot is going to depend upon the cloud formations.