Victorian 'ghost' picked up by Google Street View

[NJCher]

A ghostly figure dressed in Victorian clothes was filmed on Google Street View - before vanishing into thin air.
Experts have been called in to examine the Google ghoul filmed at a former Victorian docklands which has a dark and sinister past.

The woman dressed in long skirt, crisp blouse, bow tie, blue boater hat and scarf appears to be shimmering above the pavement.

More at link...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/google/5051309/Victorian-ghost-picked-up-by-Google-Street-View.html


Cher

[NJCher]

1. Just took this into Photoshop

And blew it up around 700%. It's very interesting. The image ends at around the woman's knee area. Right in front of her is a shadow area.

This reminds me a lot of how Bitsey, my cat, came through in some of the photos she showed up in. In some of those photos, her image was partly cut off. It was like a scanner that only worked to bring in part of the image.

In Bitsey's case, one time I got a picture of her which was about 2/3 of her body. Also, she came in upside down!

But back to this photo. The woman is attired very neatly. One cannot see her face, however. It is a blur.

I wonder if there will be a follow up--for example, maybe someone will remember her or know a story of her and why she might appear at this square.


Cher

[Love Bug]

12. As interesting as this is, I'm far more interested in your Bitsey

The Google photo looks a bit suspicious to me and probably has an explanation. It is a strange, Edwardian outfit but people have worn stranger stuff on the street.

Have you ever posted any of the photos of your cat here? I'd love to see them especially the upside-down one!

[northernlights]

2. without enlarging,

just looking at the pavement (cobblestones?) and posts, everything is cut off and shifted left in a clean semicircle. There is a shape that fits the approximate shape and size of her missing bottom piece...except that it doesn't fit in terms of shading or continuation of her scarf.

What does that area look like when blown up? Curious...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. It is strange

wonder if they'll capture her again in other photos?

[MorningGlow]

4. I'd buy it quicker if she didn't look like Mary Poppins

I mean EXACTLY like Mary Poppins--not just similar period dress. That's Mary's outfit (according to the Disney movie) when she blew in on the wind at the beginning of the story.

I'm usually the first one to believe in ghosts, but I think this time we're being scammed. :(

[SheilaT]

5. My thoughts exactly.

How easy is it to photo shop stuff today?

I understand that original polaroids are considered to be valid, non-alterable photographs. And maybe anything that produces a negative, but who uses that kind of film any more? Everything is digital, so everything is suspect.

Heck, I had a photo taken of me for business purposes several years ago, and when we were looking at the digital proofs, I was asked what if any changes I wanted made. I opted for blurring my extra half chin, and it was done well enough and slightly enough that it simply looks like a slightly more attractive (and completely believable) version of me.

Back to the "Victorian" woman, what struck me the most was how un-ghostly she appears to be, not at all what I'd expect of a capturing of someone who isn't really in the here and now. I do understand that many people report ghosts who seem fully real until they disappear suddenly, but still. . . .

[MorningGlow]

6. How easy? WAAAYYY too easy

Unfortunately. Everything is suspect, especially on the intertubes, these days. (Hey, I'd like to get rid of my extra chin too! Can we do that in real life?? ;) )

There's also something going on with Google Street View and the Telegraph--about a week ago they had a "big" story that Google Street View caught Top Gear's mysterious racing driver, The Stig, hanging out by the window at the TV show's offices. Looked for all the world like a cardboard cutout, so I don't think they impressed many people with their "scoop".

Why is the Telegraph spending so much time writing news stories about Google Street View? Do they need some publicity or something? :shrug:

On edit: Not to be cynical or anything, but computer guru Mr. MG just said that Google Street View was recently released in the UK. Not to say that these photos were all faked with the intent to give Google Street View publicity in the UK, but...okay, I am. :(

[NJCher]

7. how would that work?

Does Google need publicity for its camera view? Its street vehicles? What purpose would it serve? Are you saying that Google needs hits and so they're putting these photos out to generate more clicks?

If you read the various stories, it tells that they sent the photos to professionals to examine them. That would preclude Photoshopping them because it's very easy for a professional to spot adjustments made to the photos.

I don't think that Google would engage in Photoshopping just for purposes of some type of publicity, the purpose of which is questionable.

Sometimes the real thing doesn't look like the real thing. That's the nature of life.



Cher

[MorningGlow]

8. No, no--I AGREE with you, Cher

I LOVE this sort of thing, and nobody more than me wants it to be entirely true! Okay, I won't accuse Google or the Telegraph or anybody of anything at this juncture--I just think it's odd that the Telegraph put out three stories within the course of a week or week and a half, all about mysterious photos on Google Street View, just when Google Street View started up in the UK and needs the publicity. I think that has to be taken into account.

I will read the stories to learn more about the professionals' assessment.

Peace.

[Celebration]

9. What is the purpose of Google Street Views?

I know that there is a lot of video monitoring of people in England, and some people don't like it. Maybe putting up ghost stories makes it seem more fun. That doesn't mean the stories themselves are fake. I can imagine that something like that would catch a lot of strange apparitions. But that might have something to do with the publicity.

[MorningGlow]

10. Beats me

But Google has hit upon it as a way to make money, that's for sure. Clicks = cash and all that. Share some mysterious photos, and more people will go to Street View to see what they can find. I'm not damning Google for that--it's a for-profit business, so all's fair. I don't doubt that the app has caught many strange things on its cameras, for sure.

I'm also not dismissing the idea that Google found these strange pics and is merely sharing them with the press in order to get publicity (not saying Google CREATED these or anything).

[Why Syzygy]

11. Street views is part of google maps and google earth.

Your house probably has a street view on the map.

http://www.gstreetsightings.com/

[kentauros]

20. Although the image has been debunked now, "how" it would work otherwise

is rather simple.

Think about this Street View function. In order to have it at all, Google would need literally billions of images to composite such a thing together. All it takes is one of the image-professionals slipping in one little faked image as a joke, especially if it were on some seldom-used roadway, and then wait to see how long it takes the world to find it. I don't know if the person would get fired for that, but people have been let go for less (George Carlin got me fired once :P)

Photoshop is a very powerful imaging tool. I need to get the latest version myself as I recently learned some masking techniques that my current version (CS2) doesn't seem to be as capable of as CS4. Specifically, masking hair to you can erase the background and put in something else and keeping that delicate edge to the person's body and clothing :)

Here's a small example of my own Photoshopping:

[uberblonde]

17. I have to agree.

That's the young Julie Andrews.

[Orrex]

13. I love idiosyncratic GoogleMap images, but check it out: (DIALUP WARNING)

If you go to that location in Cardiff on GoogleMaps, you can see another shot of this woman in an adjacent view:



I added the yellow outline for clarity; it doesn't appear on the original image. The severing of her legs in the first image is an artifact of the photo compositing. Still, it's pretty nifty!

[MorningGlow]

14. Well, there you have it--busted

Thanks for this, Orrex. I thought this was kind of fishy. I won't say I'm not disappointed, but it's good to sort out these kinds of things--there are plenty of true mysteries out there without muddying the waters with the iffy ones.

Also, thank you for pointing this out with politeness and respect--it means a lot. :yourock:

[Orrex]

15. You're very welcome!

This is your (collective you) group, after all, so I try to mind my manners.

She's visible on a few other images, and you can actually zoom in to see her more closely than I showed. The green cursor-arrow on the image shows you exactly where to place the streetview icon if you'd care to check it out for yourself!


I wonder if that woman knows that she's been described as both a "ghost" and "Mary Poppins?" LOL!

[MorningGlow]

16. I don't know anything about the Cardiff docks

But I'd guess she's "local color"/a historic reenactor? Or possibly playing Mary Poppins at a local theater and she's on a break. We may never know...! But dang now she's famous! Needs a better wig, though--the pic you posted shows how bad it is!
:rofl:

[Why Syzygy]

18. fwiw

Orrex has my vote for a "pretty decent guy".

He has two little kidlings, and I've no doubt they've got a good daddy.
(And I think he drinks green tea!)

[Orrex]

19. That's very kind of you to say--thanks!

Not a big fan of the green tea, but I like to think that I'm not screwing up my kids too badly...

:hi:

[JanusAscending]

21. One other thing I noticed is,

she casts a shadow! Ghosts don't have shadows, at least as far as I know?? Good catch!

[NJCher]

22. you win the Armchair Sleuth of the Day!

Good work!


Cher