What caused this?

[Rickbb]

I'm guessing something on the lens creating a weird flare. Small drop of water that got on just for that shot and wiped off when putting the phone back in his pocket.

 

[webestang64]

Google "phone camera lens flare" and you will see the same flare on a few of the Google images.

 

[jestep]

Here's the one from 1 minute earlier, it was texted so low quality, slightly different angle because they were farther away. I was actually surprised the shadow moved that far as well, reminds me of trying to take nighttime photos of the moon and even a few seconds of exposure blurs it. Anyway, still assuming it's some sort of absurdly rare optical flare effect, just thought someone might have seen something like it before. May have to print and frame a copy for them just for laughs.

 

[480sparky]

I'm going to agree with the Transient Foreign Matter on the Lens theory.

 

[webestang64]

Interesting..... Dust inside camera lens, lens flare/ghost

 

[Warhorse]

I'm not saying it was aliens...but

 

[petrochemist]

I promise this is not edited.

If it's a phone picture it is edited. Quite why the phones software edited the flare to look like an alien appearing I can't say...
It does look nice anyway!

 

[480sparky]

Technically, EVERY digital photo is edited. You can't see it until it is. Jez sayin'.

 

[mrca]

You are witnessing an inter-dimensional temporal vortex forming. Don't get too close...

Na no, na no. As robin williams used to say.

 

[DaveAllen]

It's a lens flare for sure, but I've gotta agree with everyone else that I've never seen one that looks like this before, neat!

 

[RacePhoto]

Maybe I'm missing it totally but it looks like an internal lens reflection. I don't know about phone lenses, at all!

 

[gherzig]

My dad took this photo last week in Utah. It is not photoshopped, nor altered in any way, I'm trying to figure out what the heck this is. My assumption was some sort of lens flair but not going to lie, it's pretty creepy and I've never seen anything like it. It was just from his Samsung phone camera, I have a picture from 1 minute earlier and it wasn't in that one. I have worked in graphic design and IT for about 20 years now and do amateur photography and I can't explain it.

View attachment 254317

I notice a patch of snow directly below the flare. Could there have been some droplets in the air from melting/evaporating snow?