Jeff Ritzmann's Report pg.4



Final Thoughts and Conclusion



I have, to the best of my ability, tried to find the explanation of this photo as something other than an unknown object. Despite my efforts, it has withstood a battery of tests that ordinarily would expose a flaw, or provide an answer of some sort.



As mentioned, we are in a unique position here - contact with a willing shooter who is a professional photographer, willing to provide any and all datasets, and has been extremely forthright and honest despite some of my more unusual questions which are not the typical "form submission" of a UFO case.



I have, over the course of the past 2+ decades of involvement with this field, come across few if any photos that I feel demonstrate the aspects of this phenomena (that, unfortunately, many will not talk about) better than this single shot. I believe this photo to be of high import, and extremely valuable in perhaps redirecting or reforming the currently held notions of what the UFO phenomena represents - although this is asking for much to bear on a single photo. I have always held the notion that the true article can be banged on with a hammer and do just fine, while the plethora of fakes and hoaxes fall apart under scrutiny. I feel this photo represents the genuine article for many reasons, but the main focus here to be discussed is the horizon/camera alignment.



In short, the UO is in alignment with the camera, not the horizon. This object, in my opinion, has aligned itself to the witnesses camera. As many who have seriously studied the UFO phenomena will know, it often tends to "self negate" by casting doubt upon itself. I have called this the "paranormal escape hatch" - and it exists from the enigmatic ghost evidence to the UFO phenomena. Much of the UFO interested public is largely convinced of "nuts and bolts" craft originating in some extraterrestrial, highly exotic culture. A photo such as this, with it's tailored, and very personal self negating display, does not fit the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) of a physical "craft". It seems to point to something much more strange, much more complex, and far more interesting. In no way do I remove the ETH as a possibility for some UFO sightings - it cannot be fully removed from the table. However, much of what we refer to in this field about UFOs does not fit that hypothesis nor data when closely examined.



I would call such a sighting as the one being examined here, a "manifestation" of what we'd expect a "flying saucer" to be. The shooter has related to me that she does consider the "alien" possibility, and it is fully within the realm of her paradigm. She has also referred to the photo in this manner: "Could this be my long desired UFO moment?" "SHOOTER" said she mentioned to her accompanying husband that the clouds in the area during the drive (and during this shot) looked like "spaceships". She has made mention also that she desired a paranormal experience, yet was afraid of one at the same time.



"SHOOTER" it should be mentioned, is not just any photographer - but a highly talented and well regarded artist using the medium of photography. It would be my assessment after looking into her career, that she is well known, successful, and is not - if I may be so bold to say - hurting in the financial venue of her life. She clearly, more so than nearly anyone else I have met as a witness - has nothing to gain by bringing forth a UFO photograph, real or faked. That she is an artist, is very compelling to me, as many experiencers of paranormal events are creative people.





I have examined "SHOOTER's" artwork, and although I cannot make any conclusions about her personal experiences - her art contains several interesting items and consistencies: large or misshapen heads, large or exotic eyes shot in ultra closeup, and many of her photos contain elements of what we in this study would call "alien" features. A quick perusal of her Facebook page shows she has or had an interest in owls - owls being something very closely associated in visitation cases. Is "SHOOTER" an experiencer of visitation? In discussion with her, I do not get the sense that she feels she has had any kind of experience whatsoever. I simply find her art, and fixation on owls interesting to mention here in the context of the phenomenon.



To get to the end of this report, including my current line of thought will require me to explain - not what paranormal events are - but what surrounds them. Mr. George Hansen has written an extraordinary book entitled "The Trickster and the Paranormal". In discussions with Mr. Hansen, he noted to me that what surrounds paranormal events is essentially "anti-structure" or liminal states.



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