Unexplained Shadow in Photos: Can anyone explain the dark shadow in the upper left of this photo? This happened intermittently while taking photos indoors last weekend. It just seemed...

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Can anyone explain the dark shadow in the upper left of this photo? This happened intermittently while taking photos indoors last weekend. It just seemed to start and stop at will, and did not happen outdoors. And no, I did not have my finger in front of the lens.

Sony a6000 w/ 16-50 lens, no flash, and a lens hood.

(Download)

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

It's clearly a shadow, something between the light source and the subject. It's not something inside the camera. It's not a finger in front of the lens, but maybe someone 'well endowed' off to your side, again between the flash / light source and the wall.

I'd think you were on a tripod and remote shutter release, but not far enough beside or behind the flash to avoid interfering. So, someone in the room causing the same interference.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

jaymatt wrote:

Can anyone explain the dark shadow in the upper left of this photo? This happened intermittently while taking photos indoors last weekend. It just seemed to start and stop at will, and did not happen outdoors. And no, I did not have my finger in front of the lens.

Sony a6000 w/ 16-50 lens, no flash, and a lens hood.

It looks like a shadow of your lens cast be your flash onto the wall. Are you sure no flash fired? If it were something inside the camera, it would have sharper edges, but it could be something inside your lens.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

You did use a lens hood? "Start and stop at will" related to focal length?

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I had a lens and hood that would show in my frame at short focal lengths. This is clearly a shadow, though, because picture detail is visible.

bbradford Loc: Wake Forest NC

Ever hear of shadow people? I think the joints haunted.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Lens hood, yes. Tripod, no. Exact shadow or whatever in different locations in the same building. Intermittent occurrences. Turned camera off and on between occurrences. Puzzled.

mffox Loc: Avon, CT

Do you know where your cat/dog was at the time?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

mffox wrote:

Do you know where your cat/dog was at the time?

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

jaymatt wrote:

Can anyone explain the dark shadow in the upper left of this photo? This happened intermittently while taking photos indoors last weekend. It just seemed to start and stop at will, and did not happen outdoors. And no, I did not have my finger in front of the lens.

Sony a6000 w/ 16-50 lens, no flash, and a lens hood.

It could be a sticky aperture blade not
Try a different lens.

RonDavis Loc: Chicago, IL

jaymatt wrote:

Can anyone explain the dark shadow in the upper left of this photo? This happened intermittently while taking photos indoors last weekend. It just seemed to start and stop at will, and did not happen outdoors. And no, I did not have my finger in front of the lens.

Sony a6000 w/ 16-50 lens, no flash, and a lens hood.

Hi Jay…..this sadly looks a little familiar….so my reply/question is a little tainted from my experience. You say this problem is intermittent and you turned the camera off and on to clear the problem (for different shots)? (Hopefully this isn’t an on-going problem and was just this one occasion).

Take a look at the aperture and shutter speed of the problems shots. Are all the shadows the same density, same location in the frame?

Could this shadow really be inside the camera, i.e. coming from the shutter curtain moving slower than dictated? Was there a common f/stop setting among the shots when this occurs? (Aperture blades interference)?

Of course shooting outside would change all these variable settings and the problem wouldn’t occur….maybe.
This is a nice camera/lens combo, but stuff happens. Might be time for a (manufacture) check-up.
Good luck Jay.

User ID

Its a lighting shadow. No worrying about your gear. You say that it follows you from room to room ? If so then you are causing it. Do you wear a weird hat ?

mikee

When I look at the downloaded image data it says "Flash, compulsory, strobe return", and the image was taken at 1/160 sec. Does this mean you used a flash? I'm thinking maybe you use your left hand from the side to focus??? Is the shadow from your hand?

User ID

mikee wrote:

When I look at the downloaded image data it says "Flash, compulsory, strobe return", and the image was taken at 1/160 sec. Does this mean you used a flash? I'm thinking maybe you use your left hand from the side to focus??? Is the shadow from your hand?

(Download)

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

So this looks like a wall display in a museum or something similar. Could it be a neck or wrist strap blocking part of the field of your flash? It looks like that or something similar, especially since you said that it moves around.