# What does this picture look like to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 24, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220 "2005-09-24T16:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/21 "2005-09-24T23:27:15Z")
My thought was, “It looks kinda like the Bonneville Salt Flats, but there’s no mountains in the distance.” Then I looked at the spoiler. Guess I was a bit off. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/22 "2005-09-24T23:53:36Z")
A closeup of some old person’s bald head and aura. (No, actually I’m with those who first thought “ocean” and then “sunrise from airplane” and the aura closeup idea didn’t come until thinking what the most outlandish thing it could be.) ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/23 "2005-09-25T00:11:42Z")
> [@rinni](#): > > My thoughts went like this. > > Well, it looks like snow, but since the OP said it wasn’t what it looked like at first glance, I’m going to guess it’s clouds. > > Of course, if you hadn’t given the warning that it wasn’t what it looked like, I would have stuck with my original guess! Heh. Me too. Once I knew I had to look past the knee jerk guess, it became obvious what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/24 "2005-09-25T00:22:38Z")
I see a mean mean man that wants to hurt me. [looks at spoiler] Hmmmmm… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/25 "2005-09-25T01:04:36Z")
I knew what it was, because I’ve taken pictures like that myself. Clouds usually don’t have the same regularity that ocean waves have. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/26 "2005-09-25T01:35:37Z")
I knew what it was immediately. I’m a big fan of the window seat and just last month I was on a flight at sunset and had an almost identical view. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/27 "2005-09-25T11:17:52Z")
Been on too many plane rides to not know. Although lately I insist on the isle seat. Funny, it seems so obviously clouds that I wondered if it was something else. The height of the photographer above the foreground makes it hard to be something else. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/28 "2005-09-25T16:18:31Z")
I thought “sand” and “clouds,” first. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/29 "2005-09-25T16:39:09Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > I thought “sand” and “clouds,” first. I thought it was sand too. I’ve never been on a plane or seen other pictures of the clouds from above them. That’s what it really looks like? Neat. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/30 "2005-09-25T17:13:19Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I thought it was sand too. I’ve never been on a plane or seen other pictures of the clouds from above them. That’s what it really looks like? Neat. I only thought they might be clouds because I had that exact “wow” moment the first time that I flew. It was sort of stamped on my memory, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/31 "2005-09-25T19:11:52Z")
I saw part of the spoiler box content before I opened the thread, so I didn’t get a chance to guess. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/32 "2005-09-25T19:59:16Z")
I guessed wrong, and I must say that is an awesome photograph. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/33 "2005-09-25T20:43:54Z")
It’s a naked woman, just like all the others. ---
**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/34 "2005-09-25T23:51:56Z")
> [@FaerieBeth](#): > > I instantly knew what it was, but then, > > I’m never on the aisle seat. I’m slightly uncomfortable in planes, so I am always looking out the window. 🙂 Hee, that was how I figured it out too. ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/35 "2005-09-26T02:54:16Z")
a desert sunrise? ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/36 "2005-09-26T03:02:16Z")
Doh! i guessed it was just messed up sand… Oh well. Nice pic though. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/37 "2005-09-26T03:57:00Z")
It seemed obvious to me that it was clouds from up above. Then again, I am in flight training and always stare out the window on commercial filghts. ---
**Author:** ![billfritter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@billfritter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfritter)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/38 "2005-09-26T19:50:58Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Nope, I recognized it for what it was. > > Of course, you have only my word on that. Good enough for you? Sure! ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/39 "2005-09-26T20:45:43Z")
Looks like…your mom. And a clown. And…ew. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220.md?page=1)