I need a Photography Expert to Tell Me what this is............

[HappyTrails55]

without going to much into it, I have a old Kodak Digital that's about 15 years old and I've taken thousands of pictures with it without a single problem until last week and I took 14 pictures of this location I'm interested in and 4 of the pictures came out with Strange Anomalies, so I'm just going to post one picture here. In this picture of a hillside, you need to focus your attention to the top of the hill and along the Ridge - Skyline that is mixed in with trees and bushes, you may need to enlarge the pic and/or zoom in on it. For a lack of a better description, I just call these the "Alphabet Pic's" of which apparently shows ...P's.....M's....and maybe a few numbers like 3's.......Just for your information, I am computer Illiterate and wouldn't have any idea on how to manipulate any photo....If my camera screwed up, okay I can understand that, but it has never done this before or afterwards, I know I'm asking for logical explanation that may not have one.....Thanks, Darrell

[xr7ator]

Well, you were able to post a pic, so I don't think you're as illiterate as you state.

I see a poorly taken pic.

TREASURE!

[HappyTrails55]

It was 20 minutes BEFORE sunrise.........

[Mackaydon]

I consistently fail Rorchach tests so I wouldn't dare venture a guess.
Don.,

[xr7ator]

Rorschach. Clever, Don..

[Back-of-the-boat]

Pixelated. Google pixelated photos pretty sure that is what happened. It could have been because of lighting or it just couldn't get a focus so when you took the pic it was in between focusing. Sometimes when I take a picture of something in the distance the camera focuses on something close and the thing in the distance is out of focus or pixelated.

[Back-of-the-boat]

Also cameras will take photos like this when they are in movement (shaky) that's why my wife takes most of our pictures because I shake a lot.

[Chadeaux]

It's called camera shake. You took this image at 1/8s and hand held. How do I know? Because the pattern is repeated throughout - top to bottom.

I used to be able to shoot consistently clear images with a 300mm lens handheld until about the age of 60. Now, I can get similar results with a "nifty fifty" (50mm) lens if I try to shoot at anything slower than 1/60s.

The camera shake can be caused by excitement or age, but the biggest culprit is the slow shutter speed. If you're out in the back country, you might consider purchasing a simple monopod. While not as stable as a tripod, takes much less space in your pack, is much lighter, and gives you a mount that will at least stop the vertical shake.

If you get a well made monopod, it can be used as a walking stick in an emergency . . . like when my old motorcycle injuries flare up while out on a shoot.