# What is this a picture of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055 "2009-03-28T01:50:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wisthekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wisthekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisthekiller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/1 "2009-03-28T01:50:15Z")
> **[Photo Storage | Photobucket](https://s730.photobucket.com/albums/ww304/wisthekiller/)** > > Store your photos and videos online with secure storage from Photobucket. Available on iOS, Android and desktop. Securely backup your memories and sign up today! It appears at the beginning of every chapter of the Del James book The Language of Fear. I cant figure out what it is and neither can anyone around me. Its the only picture there. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/2 "2009-03-28T02:12:31Z")
A bug crawling up a wall? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/3 "2009-03-28T03:22:52Z")
A dancing cartoonish dreadlocked character. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/4 "2009-03-28T03:55:33Z")
It looks like a seahorse to me… ---
**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:** [March 28, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/5 "2009-03-28T04:36:47Z")
A woman wearing a billowing gown, floating up the side of a cliff, playing a lute. Or a grasshopper. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/6 "2009-03-28T04:52:55Z")
A moose on a bungee cord. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/7 "2009-03-28T05:12:32Z")
Looks like a sticker on a windshield, in silhouette, with the horizon of, say, Kansas in the background. Looking out the windshield from inside the car. Sideways. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/8 "2009-03-28T05:57:07Z")
Looks to me like a bug on a window of an old house. Dark section on the right would be the window frame, and the unevenness is caused by the putty. S^G ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/9 "2009-03-28T09:25:16Z")
Looks like something drawn on a piece of styrofoam. Whatever it is, it wraps around the corner a bit, ruling out windshields and windows. FWIW, it was taken with a cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/10 "2009-03-28T12:41:23Z")
Looks like a poorly taken photo done with a cellphone of a page from a book that doesn’t help anyone because it’s motion blurred and out of focus. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/11 "2009-03-28T12:47:28Z")
It looks a bit like a [Sea Dragon](http://images.google.com/images?q=%22sea%20dragon%22&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi), but it’s hard to make out for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Wisthekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wisthekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisthekiller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/12 "2009-03-28T13:13:36Z")
It was taken on a cell phone but thats what it looks like. Its no more detailed in real life. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/13 "2009-03-28T14:24:36Z")
My first thought was some kind of “tribal” tattoo. But on closer examination it seems to be casting a shadow…or is that the motion blur? You really should try to take a better picture. The entire picture is out of focus. ---
**Author:** ![Clivas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clivas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clivas)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/14 "2009-03-28T14:29:44Z")
prehistoric cave painting of cthulhu? ---
**Author:** ![Wisthekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wisthekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisthekiller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/15 "2009-03-28T14:35:35Z")
Theres a new picture up there. look at the one you think is better ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/16 "2009-03-28T14:41:20Z")
I’m going with a bug of some kind. Is there any description you can provide about the rest of the page? The coloring on the two shots differs quite a bit. Any good reason why? Are all the different versions in the book essentially the same orientation, size, color, etc.? The only other thing that comes to my mind is that it could be a logo, a monogram, some icon or avatar sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Wisthekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wisthekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisthekiller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/17 "2009-03-28T15:06:34Z")
It is at the beginnig of every story(its in a book of short stories). Its on the title of every one and right before the story. The colouring is different due to the camera phone, its actually black. They are all the same colour but the size changes depending on if its on a title page or a beginning of a story. Im truly disappointed no one has read this book. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/18 "2009-03-28T15:16:13Z")
I think it might be a guy in a rowboat, but it’s too blurry to be sure. (Rotate image 90° CCW). ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/19 "2009-03-28T15:22:17Z")
OK, after looking some more - it’s definitely a person looking at something in their right hand. I think that they are in a rowboat, because the large paddle-shaped object is a paddle. The person is wearing a hat, and they have a light shirt under a dark jacket. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055/20 "2009-03-28T15:25:39Z")
> [@Wisthekiller](#): > > Theres a new picture up there. look at the one you think is better Do you have a scanner? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-a-picture-of/491055.md?page=2)