Bigfoot . . .  Can the Beast be real but the Myth a hoax? Photo blow-ups question the Patterson Film.

   Many experts have examined the film and footage and could not decidely disprove it. At best they offered their skepticism. Others have wholeheartedly supported that it shows a real Sasquatch or Bigfoot. Many of these have been as equally qualified in Biomechanics and Anthropology as the skeptics.
   I, however, seem to be the only one who bothered to blow up Sasquatch with the now easily accessible software of the computer era. And it is from this POV that I have looked at a crucial frame of the famous footage . . .no pun intended.
   In painting or graphics one must give 3 dimensional appearances to something that is one dimension. A flat canvas or etching paper must be brought to life. This is all done by colors: lighter and brighter colors make that part of the image stand forward; darker colors make it recess. When, in a photograph, one sees varying shades of dark and light it can only be two things: different contours of the objects or different angles of light.
   Let’s look at the blow-up of the head in light of its colors and shadows.

   First, I’ve always been surprised that out of all the potentially scientific ways to investigate the Patterson film no one ever bothered to blow up any of the frame negatives to have a closer look. At best documentaries have shown scientists examining the moving footage and trying to guesstimate size and gait.
   However, blowing it up to this extent it is plain to see that there is a human face beneath the “hair.” Indeed, there is a most human nose (A). We are seeing it at an angle. The light is coming from its right (our left when viewing the photo); the underside of the tip and part of the bridge are in shadows.
   There appears to be no ape-like muzzle, and a profile shot would have, with great embarrassment, quickly proven that. One can make out very human lips, which appear as a deep magenta (B). An ape-like muzzle, on the other hand,  is oft reported as a Bigfoot characteristic. Also, in this photo the nose is definitely not continuous with the muzzle, unavoidable with an ape muzzle. In fact, the hair, as seen by the furry darkness around the face,  extends under the nose on the upper lip area like a mustache. The lips are still the most striking as they show a very European face.
   There is also no bare eyebrow ridges, as in gorillas; all is covered by hair, even to the point of obscuring the eyes; it is very thick; there even appears to be a part above the right eye (C).
   The saggital crest is covered by tight swept hair, as seen in gorillas. As such it oddly stands out from the surrounding puffy hair of the forehead and sides of the head. The sloping of the saggital crest, a correct feature of male gorillas, seems quite incongruous with the floppy waves of the surrounding hair, and appears merely to be perched somewhat precariously on top like a cone hat. (D) Below  the shadows of the right eye there appears to be a crease made conspicuous by a much lighter ridge of skin directly above it, a scar, marl or protuberance (E).

A computer art pixel recreation of this, reproducing the shadows and darker colors, shows the following features.

Stand back and take a look. Better? I think it is clear that a human nose is the case. There is the trace of lips, with a high upper lip. Compare with photo blow up above. It is easier to see on the blow up the wavy hair by the “part” above the right eye. There is a bulge indicating, presumably, a large right ear under the hair.

  It is curious to note that these are also features of Bob Gimlin, Roger Patterson’s only partner on this expedition and later a shareholder in a film venture of the journey.

[Home] [Theories] [500 Leagues . . .] [Lost Aircraft] [Lost Ships] [Introduction] [Biography]