Really Funny but Curious Shooting Picture

[Whig]

I found this picture for sale years ago and just had to invest all of about $3.00 in it. I had to get it because it really is a fascinating, quite dated, shooting curiosity that I still have not been able to figure out. It shows some guy from about 100 years ago apparently shooting someone else somewhere in a wooded area with a lever action rifle of some sort, maybe a Marlin or a Winchester. I love the shooter's hat.

But, I can't explain why or what or if it is even real! The apparent "victim" really looks like a fake person like a scarecrow or something. I just can't explain it. I have taken a magnifying glass to it and still can't make out if it is real or not.

If it's real, why would someone have actually taken this picture? The picture is mounted on an old piece of mat board, also. It obviously was part of a display or scrap book.

I wanted to share this with any KCA onlookers to get your reaction and see if anyone has more insight about what's going on.

I just can't look at this enough without being more baffled. It might even be some kind of crime scene or assassination.

Enjoy!

[spectrum]

To me it looks like some friends having fun with guns and a camera. It reminds me of when my grandfather was in medical school there's a photo somewhere of either my grandfather or one of his friends on a gurney surrounded by Cadavers like they are the doctors. While one of the skeletons has my grandfathers pipe. At one point I had a copy of the photo but don't know where it's at or if my dad still has the original.

But back to your photo, it does make you take a whole lot of takes while looking at it. But the person being shot just seems like it's a massive dramatization of the act. Like the super slomo's in the matrix.

[Knute1]

It does look like the "victim" is in costume. The coat sleeves seem too long. What is up with his eyes? The mustache is odd looking. Also, the stance seems to be sustainable for a still photograph.

The shooter is not in recoil and there is no puff of smoke, even if it is "smokeless" powder there should be a hint of it.

So I vote that it is a staged photo. Perhaps as a visual advertisement of a theatrical play and displayed with other photos.

[butlersrangers]

Obviously, a real action photo from the early days of the Zombie Apocalypse. This was before it became widely known that a 'head shot' was needed.

This did not end well for the young man in the Bowler Hat. His brains were eaten by the un-dead Zombie.


Actually, I think the 'target' is some type of manikin. The face doesn't appear real .... or ... he was moving or just butt ugly!

[Whig]

I thought about the Zombie Apocalypse once also. Way ahead of its time!

[Knute1]

I know!! It was an early school photography class. Everybody had to submit an interesting photo and the rest of the class had to guess the story behind it. Yeah, that's it. ::)

[Whig]

What would happen in today's politically incorrect society if someone submitted this picture for a photography contest for original or creative content?

[Culpeper]

The school would be locked down and the student would be in handcuffs be frog marched to the psychatric ward for evaluation.

Then all of the societal parasites would show up to counsel everyone else.

Of course rational people like us would just smile and laugh and make comments about zombies and such stuff.

[Whig]

One good thing this Zombie stuff has done is increase the value of my Pythons! I have shot and collected these since I was a kid. Haven't bought one in years because the price is so high. Used to get them for $400 30 years ago when I was in college and just starting to make money afterwards. Great pistols!

[Whig]

5 years I've had it and nothing. Sometimes that's all you've got!

But it has been fun and well worth the three bucks.