What happens when a distinguished, highly reputable photojournalist with credits from The New York Times, Der Spiegel, Marie Clair, Time Magazine and other prestigious journals – sees and photographs something in the skies he cannot identify? The answer is, of course, that he writes about it. In fact, he put his reputation on the line to write a straightforward report of what he saw and of his challenge to capture the image.
Richard Emblin is the director and editor-in-chief of The City Paper, the English language newspaper in Colombia. He has covered conflicts in Colombia and Angola and has published photo essays from around the world. But in the 4/12/15 on-line issue of The City Paper, Emblin’s article took a radical departure from his usual reportage.
Under the title ‘Shape-shifting UFO spotted over Bogota,’ Emblin explains his sighting, presents the evidence, but makes no claims. “I am not here to convince you,” he writes. “That is not my objective. Just that this wet Sunday … something mysterious was seen over Bogotá for which I have no answers.”
Emblin once aspired to be a commercial pilot so he knows aircraft well enough to make distinctions at great distances. He has also studied flight maps, flight routes and flightware. “I understand these machines. I admire them. There was no fuselage, no winglets, no sound. This was no plane,” he asserts.
Emblin details the process he went to in order to capture a picture of the shape-shifting UFO and why he was certain it was not a drone, a balloon flight, or any sort of small aircraft. He lets his readers know that his photo skills are a bit rusty. But he also asserts, unequivocally, “I do not manipulate my images.”
We are invited to come to own conclusions.
Subscribers, to watch the subscriber version of the video, first log in then click on Dreamland Subscriber-Only Video Podcast link.