by Steve Moon
Bigfoot researchers wander trails through dense forest during the darkest night of the month without the use of a light. We get to know a trail during daylight hours and then return at night and--without even the benefit of starlight on some nights--we hike it in the dark. When we start our night hikes we can’t move until our eyes fully adjust to the blackness. Then we may use a dim red headlamp if necessary, but we try not to disturb the darkness. We love hiking in the dark. We do this to observe "eyeglow."
Eyeglow is a term we use to describe the glow that we observe in the darkness that is unlike any other phenomenon that we have ever seen. We attribute it to Bigfoot because of the nature of our hundreds of observations. We are documenting our observations and hope one day to come up with an explanation for the mechanism which causes this glow. The Bigfoot may have photophore cells in the irises of its eyes. Our long-time collaborator, physicist Tom Ruh, originated this idea.
We attribute the eyeglow that we regularly observe to Bigfoot based on unique and corroborative observations that we have recorded over time. We have gotten to know Bigfoot well through our observations and consider Bigfoot to be a relict hominid--our cousins distantly removed. The reality that we are dealing with another form of human is no more obvious than when studying Bigfoot’s movement through the landscape at night when they seem particularly active; when they are interactive with us. Their behavior is betrayed, if you are observant, by their eyeglow.
We can be in the dark night, deep in the timber next to a river, when suddenly a tree will be illuminated by eyeglow! I once observed the ground at a trailhead light up white, and then a flash of white twenty or thirty feet down the trail, followed by a cartoon-like streak of white light as a Bigfoot vacated the area. I once sat on a log next to a stream in a small canyon and turned to observe two huge sets of eyes glowing at me from around a nearby tree. No artificial light was present during any of these occurrences. Based on hundreds of these types of experiences, many of us have ample proof that Bigfoot’s eyes glow.
Over a period of eight years I have observed primarily three colors of eyeglow: red, white, and blue. Many researchers have seen these colors in the woods at night, and some folks report seeing yellow or green. I once observed blue eyeglow with a few flecks of green in it. I’ve seen a set of big blue eyes at a range of twenty feet and was clearly able to see black pupils in the center of each eye. The observation on the log described above was of a huge set of glowing white eyes that looked completely opaque, with no pupil. I have seen bright streaking ruby red light in the woods many, many times. I’ve seen eyeglow that looked like an LED flashlight, and I’ve seen it so dim that it made me wonder if my eyes were playing tricks on me. Many of my research friends routinely make similar observations. Many of us have observed objects being illuminated by eyeglow. The illumination of objects, usually trees, by eyeglow is what really convinces us that the eyes of Bigfoot are capable of glowing. This is what differentiates "eyeglow" from "eye shine." Eye shine is only visible when a light of some sort is shined in the eyes of an animal. A deer's eyes lit up in the darkness by a headlamp is eye shine. A raccoon's eyes lit up by a hunter's lantern is eye shine. Red eyes in photographs are caused by the use of a flash, and that’s an example of eye shine. Eyeglow is very different. In eyeglow, observed in Bigfoot, the eyes actually glow. They don’t shine, reflecting light. They glow. It is very important to differentiate the two phenomena by calling one eye shine, and the other eyeglow.
Eyeglow can be mysterious and beautiful. We have stood in the center of a state forest on dark night for twenty minutes or so, talking, when it suddenly seemed to get just a little bit darker around us. It was as if someone had turned out a light somewhere in the forest, which was extremely unlikely. We have observed this repeatedly, and it’s nothing like the light that is caused by aircraft and satellites, which we also observe. This subtle illumination seemed localized. One night two of us observed a flash of light in an area that was very near us that was also extremely subtle. We had to immediately confirm with each other that we had indeed seen what we thought we had seen. Developing sensitivity to eyeglow and the ability to really observe it well takes time. But the rewards of knowing about and observing eyeglow are many if you are a Bigfoot researcher.
If you observe eyeglow it is very important to immediately let your companions know. If one of them also observed it, you know it’s real because you have corroborated your observation. Your companions can start watching that part of the woods and may see it as well. Always share your experiences so that others may benefit from the experience with you. Document these occurrences in audio files by recording your conversations. Confirmation of an observation by a companion is critically important. Speak up any time you observe something that seems out of the ordinary.
Documented eyeglow occurrences are few and far between, and it’s important to recognize good documentation, archive it carefully, and analyze the occurrence. One night two of us observed a Bigfoot peeking at us from behind a tree, down a hill about a hundred feet away from us. I was observing its eyeglow when the Bigfoot peeked at us, and each time Rick would simultaneously record a thermal video of a heat signature popping out from behind the tree. The audio recording in the video provides a running dialogue of the event. That experience, and the resulting video, as well as follow-up photos that provided scale, and evidence of wear on the tree trunk where the Bigfoot had been hiding, provided documentary evidence that Bigfoot are capable of eyeglow. Further analysis of that video would provide other insights into the phenomenon of eyeglow, and the behavior of the Bigfoot that produced it.
Like many other enigmatic behaviors that we attribute to Bigfoot, the occurrence of eyeglow is erratic. Believing in the existence of eyeglow is in fact quite a stretch. But if you are persistent you will see it, and like anything else, seeing is believing.
Eyeglow can be documented using conventional film photography and a simple 35mm manual camera. The only other items needed are a tripod and a locking shutter release cable. Yes, you can still get those. I use Kodak Ektar 100 ASA color negative film, because it has a ton of exposure and color latitude compared to a faster film and it has incredibly fine grain, which translates into very high acutance (sharpness and fine detail). I focus a 50mm lens, which provides a normal perspective in the 35mm format, at infinity, and set the aperture at f:4. I then put tape on the lens to lock these settings in place. Sometimes I use a slightly wider 35mm lens, so that it’s easier to capture an occurrence of eyeglow when I point my camera in the darkness. I shoot at a sixtieth of a second and a lens aperture of f:4 if I’m walking around at night with no tripod or use the same lens settings with the shutter held open for ten minutes or more with a tripod or stand. Both techniques have yielded remarkable results.
Red eyeglow captured by Val Adams with exposure and camera setup by Steve Moon. The bigfoot was partially hidden behind the fender of a vehicle, and was about 10 feet away from Val. This image apparently documents a pupil and illuminated iris. The image was taken at the parking area of Brush Creek Canyon near Arlington, Iowa, in Spring of 2011. Kodak Ektar 100 film was used in a Pentax K-1000 camera with a 50mm lens. The exposure was 1/60 of a second at f:4. All lab work was done at University Camera in Iowa City.
This image was made by Steve Moon on the Cedar River near Atalissa, Iowa. Steve and Adam Newman were camped overnight at this location. This was early evening. As Steve and Adam stood talking, with a candle lantern hung in a tree, movement was heard in the direction that the camera was pointed. The blue eyeglow in the image undoubtedly documents the movement of a bigfoot. The second image is an enlargement of the area circled in red in the first image. My interpretation of the image is that the bigfoot moved into the area from left to right, evident in the streak of blue becoming brighter towards the right. The bigfoot may then may have moved into a closer position, as seen in the bright spot on the left, and remained stationary. The area where the eyeglow occurred is about 100 to 150 feet from where Steve and Adam were standing. During the remainder of the evening other eyeglow was observed, and an extremely loud wood knock was heard at very close range. Kodak Ektar 100 film was used in a Ricoh KR-5 camera with a 50mm Pentax lens. The exposure was approximately ten minutes at f:4. All lab work was done at University Camera in Iowa City, Iowa.
Physical documentation of eyeglow elevates it from the theoretical to reality. There is eyeglow! It does exist. And it can be documented repeatedly for study. In other words, results can be replicated, which is critical to any scientific methodology. Using the simple formula given above anyone can do this. It takes time and perseverance to be successful. You need to do it a lot! It will become a real chore. You have to be very motivated, but who wouldn’t be if they have seen eyeglow and want to show it to others. You must use some sort of artificial light to take an establishing shot at the beginning of each sequence, because you will collect many sequences from different locations on a single roll of film. You will have to find a place that will develop your film. University Camera in Iowa City, Iowa, where the above images were processed is now closed, but there are still a few labs around. If you can’t find one look up Rocky Mountain Film Lab on the Internet. The film will have to be digitally scanned by a lab that is reputable, and you must be sure keep the original film. Never, ever let the lab throw away your original film. It is the film that is the permanent analog document that gives this method it’s robust quality. The film is a credible record of the eyeglow that cannot be manipulated. It is what we consider to be very good data that cannot be questioned.
So dust off that film camera. Look around and buy one if you don’t have one. My favorite camera for documenting eyeglow is the Pentax K1000. These are extremely common, and very inexpensive. Pentax lenses are very sharp. The Ricoh KR-5 is also a good one, and it uses the same mount as the K series Pentax, so you can use a Pentax lens. Many Nikons and Leicas will work just fine. The key is to use a camera with a manually operated shutter that needs no battery. We will publish your results in a broad study of eyeglow photo documentation, if your submission meets specific criteria, which includes adhering to the above technical guidelines. We would ultimately like to produce and maintain a geo-referenced dataset of visual images of eyeglow using these methods. Do it! Send your results to us!
Steve Moon
Lowlands Bigfoot Research Group