entry smash 436: a shadow creating an optical illusion

extensive road travel in western Norway inevitably involves the need to cross a fjord or two at some point. recently bridges and tunnels have been built in many suitable places to make travel more efficient but there are still 32 crossings in this district that can only be made by ferry boats. for commercial traffic this entails an unavoidable delay while for many locals it's a daily routine but for tourists it is a wonderful most welcome change, especially for the driver. we can get out of the car stretch our legs and enjoy the fresh air . on the water the view from the deck is often stunning as well so it's an occasion for yet another photo or two. for shadow hunters such as myself the opportunity for discovering great shadows is an added extra bonus free of charge.

the upper passenger deck on this car ferry is made with flat sheet metal tread plates. the raised pattern ensures that it is not slippery even when wet. if you focus on the shadows from the curved railing you may get the impression that there is a slope on the upper left section and maybe even the lower right section of the flooring. the coincidental placement of some faint shadows from the shrouds add to this effect as well. however if instead you focus on the straight lines of the raised pattern of the sheet metal you will be reassured that the floor is indeed both flat and safe to walk on.

amazingly, the faint shadow from a shroud just happens to line up perfectly with the curve in the shadow from the railing thereby contributing to the illusionary effect. i didn't notice this until i studied the photo. compare that shroud shadow to the other one in the lower right corner of the photo without the railing shadow

aren't shadows fun?!

happy hunting