Photo of the Day: A Phantom Pedestrian on Eighth Avenue

Sometimes our eyes trick us — either a mirage, a hallucination, or, if you believe in that sort of thing, some claim to see ghosts, a specter or a phantom.

This picture is not supporting the belief in ghosts, but rather the belief in the ability to trick a camera — an instrument that was made to capture what is before us, true events, people, happiness and catastrophe. But it can also be used to capture what’s not really there.

This picture was taken on Eighth Avenue at Second Street, during Monday’s intermittent showers. And although I was trying to capture the “walk” symbol on the pole of a traffic light, the rain deflected the image, and produced something even better: An image of the human figure composed of a group of tiny white lights upside down, detached from its location.

Today we are asking you, our readers, to submit pictures of something that is not really there. Or something that should be one place, but appeared through the lens some places else. Either upload this photo to the article, or send them to will.yakowicz@patch.com.

Catch the phantoms of Park Slope!