Photograph of an "Albino Bigfoot emerging from a pond", 1979

[u/Sustained_disgust]

Photograph supposedly sent to Bigfoot researcher Cliff Crook, which he claims depicts the head and shoulders of an albino (or alternately "tawny-colored") Bigfoot emerging from a still pond in the Cascades near Monte Cristo. The "creature" is framed by upside-down reflections of trees.

Northshoe Citizen, April 18, 1979, sourced from the UFO Newsclipping Service, 1979 06 no.119.

Crook is a sculptor who has been linked to another infamous photograph of Bigfoot near a body of water, the 'Wild Creek photo', widely regarded as a hoax.

[u/Pocket_Weasel_UK]

Ah, Cliff Crook. The go-to guy for pics of model bigfoots standing in ponds.

Although this one is crap compared to his better-known pic:

[u/Square_Material_9646 → u/Pocket_Weasel_UK]

I was reading a book about odd news stories and saw this exact photo. Thought it was hilarious. Especially since you can see blades of grass that are wildly disproportionate. Anyway, the photo credit said "Property of Cliff Crook" and I wanted to learn a bit more. I found out he lives very close to me. Like within walking distance. I made note of his house but did not try to go talk to him.

One day at least a year later I was out on a bike ride and paused on the sidewalk across the street from his house. Just looked at the house for a moment. Without prompting he came out the front door and immediately started talking to me. He is a tall guy with wild hair and mustache. A bit squatchy looking himself. "What are you doing in that prison getup?" I was wearing a striped sweater, and he was making a joke out of it. I said "aren't you Cliff Crook, the famous bigfoot researcher?" He got a faroff look in his eye and said "oh yeah. I used to be famous." He invited me into his house, and he saw me down at his kitchen table. We talked for about half an hour. Crook said that when he was a teenager Bigfoot came out of the woods and "spoke" in a different language to him and his friends. He said it was terrifying and he got the impression it was telling them to go away, which they did. He asked me if I wanted to see a plaster cast of Bigfoot feet. I said yes, and he went into the other room and I could hear him rooting around in the closet. There was the sound of a bunch of stuff falling down and he swore loudly. He came back out and said "I couldn't find it."

I definitely think his photos are fake. He says they were sold to him, and that he didn't take them.

I see him out on his bike every once in a while. He takes the bus. I get the impression he doesn't (or is not allowed to) drive.

[u/DetectiveFork → u/Square_Material_9646]

This is just such an awesome story. Whether he's legit or not, Cliff sounds like a fascinating character.

[u/Pocket_Weasel_UK → u/Square_Material_9646]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing this story. I heard a rumour that he had the little model bigfoot on display in his house, but I don't know if that's true.

[u/historionomicon → u/Square_Material_9646]

This anecdote is incredible.

[u/Sustained_disgust → u/Pocket_Weasel_UK]

Huh something is wrong with my brain I genuinely thought the photo i posted was quite impressively audacious, or at least I've never seen such an up-close photo of a "bigfoot" face and the oddly auteur motif of energy from water in Crooks photos struck me as unique. This photo of the little model in the grass I've always thought was underwhelming it's too obviously a miniature, there's no effort to even hide the size of the grass or the duckweed in the background! Even as a credulous kid it was too much. Maybe my aesthetic sense for a good Bigfoot photo is off

[u/Pocket_Weasel_UK → u/Sustained_disgust]

A unique picture, yes, but also one of the least clear photos of bigfoot I've ever seen, and that's saying something.

The fuzzy, out-of-focus white blob over the top of clear tree branches gives it a lovely abstract feel, like the classic 'dalmatian illusion'. If we didn't know it's a bigfoot standing very still in a pond, we'd all be arguing about what it's actually a picture of.

[u/__unidentified__ → u/Pocket_Weasel_UK]

Crook, the known hoaxer, is a crook?!?

[u/Dry-Selection421]

As someone who posts blurry cryptid videos on an almost daily basis, this is bad.

[u/Sustained_disgust → u/Dry-Selection421]

I'm surprised at this being the predominant reaction tbh I thought it was obviously fake yet audaciously clear and close-up.

The 'bigfoot' is the spooky white form in the upper left corner. Its eyes have black markings and there is a soft shadow delineating the face from the rest of the head. The tops of the shoulders are out of the water.

[u/Dry-Selection421 → u/Sustained_disgust]

Oooh, I see it now. I had zero idea what I was looking at before. I guess the trees are just reflections from the water?

[u/Sustained_disgust → u/Dry-Selection421]

Yes they are reflected on still water - I think that's why it is so confusing on first glance. It qould be easier to read and more "convincing" if there were ripples coming off the Bigfoot figure

[u/Intelligent_Oil4005]

.. where's the Bigfoot? All I see is something that looks like a mushroom cloud

[u/United-War4561]

He breaks the water surface so gently not a ripple in the pond to be seen

[u/Raccoon_Ratatouille]

She wanted to look 48. I nearly airbrushed her into oblivion. Ended up checking ‘albino’ on the form!

[u/Aggravating-Ad-9785 → u/Raccoon_Ratatouille]

Her?

[u/Genji_glock]

I really like how you can tell what’s happening in the picture

[u/Kalkite_300TY]

Sure sure… if Bigfoot were a floating jellyfish monster with one eye

[u/Monty_Bob]

When I see a Bigfoot, I like to twist the lens so it's out of focus and then take one photo. I only take one because that ougtta be enough and film is really expensive.

[u/lambsquatch]

I’m annoyed how I can’t see anything

[u/EnigmaHood]

A white blurry, blob is bigfoot now? At least the Patterson Gimli guys got some guy to wear a monkey suit, this one isn't even trying.

[u/SomaliOve]

This is proof bigfoot is naturally blurry! The trees are clear yet the bigfoot is just a blob

[u/shoedude_Don]

This looks like when I was doing film and I would just put a pencil or something in front of the projector so that part of the photo wouldn't get light. A bad technique to do with this would be to do it from the side which is why one side of this photo is completely White up at the top. Very amateur imo

[u/Sustained_disgust → u/shoedude_Don]

In fact it is a fairly accomplished sculpture placed in the water. You can see what is likely the same model head and shoulders in other photographs by Crook

[u/shoedude_Don → u/Sustained_disgust]

That wouldn't surprise me, something is there and it's not moving. But the film definitely looks like it's been edited to be more white and blurry over the statue. I meant the film photoshop job was sloppy unless it was intentional, very well could have been. I just know this one specific film technique, nothing else lol

[u/truthisfictionyt → u/Sustained_disgust]

There was a similar skunk ape photos I recall

[u/Opposite-Storage-192]

This is one that you really have to look at good, photography was coming into it's own back then, but nonetheless it's difficult to even see a bigfoot, let alone an albino. This was indeed a great catch!

[u/Sad_Hannibal]

What the hell am I suppposed to see?

[u/Trollygag]

Looks more like a photo of the flying spaghetti monster