Heather writes, "I am a professional photographer who enjoys exploring/photographing abandoned places, and I wanted to share with you the oddest photo I have ever taken. Back when I was living in New Jersey a couple of years ago, I decided to go check out this creepy abandoned place that was just down the road from our apartment (which we dubbed 'Sapphire Woods' due to a sign which hung on a nearby tree). It was a forboding-looking old house standing alone in the thick shadowy woods of the Pine Barrens, and had been deserted for many, many years... there were lots of rumors about 'something' living inside of it, weird sounds coming from it, etc etc. But then, pretty much every abandoned place has a story like that so I didn't think much of it. Anyway I grabbed my camera and headed out to explore the place. When I got there, I found a window in the back standing wide open like an invitation, but I usually like to do a kind of 'perimeter check' around the outside of a place first just to check it out, so I began walking around the place, snapping pics. I don't remember seeing anything weird as I walked around, shooting photos... I just had a rather unsettling feeling. As I made my way back around to that open back window, I started to kinda hesitate- usually this is the point where I would eagerly climb inside to explore, but, for some odd reason... I just did NOT wanna go in there. Through the open window, I could see a closed door leading into another room (http://www.lostdestinations.com/sapphire/saph024.jpg) and something about that door, that room... it just made me feel very, very very UNEASY. Now, I am not a chicken... heh... however, I also trust that feeling in my gut when it tells me something is wrong... so I decided not to go in. Something just felt off and those little hairs at the nape of my neck were at attention. I decided it was time to leave. Back at home about 20 minutes later I started to download the photos onto my computer to have a look at them. I was going through the shots when all of a sudden something weird caught my attention. There seemed to be something in one of the windows that hadn't been apparent when I was taking the picture... in fact, in the window of the very room that had made me feel uneasy and nervous. I looked closer- it looked like a face. A LOT like a face. A very devilish, diabolical face... peering out the window from behind a tattered curtain. I took another look, yet the hideous face seemed clearer to me the more I studied it. It didn't look human... the mouth appeared to be open in a snarl, and I could even make out what looked like horns protruding from the forehead. My immediate thought was that some joker had hung a mask or something in the window to freak people out, so I decided to go right back and check it out, taking my husband with me. This was no more than about 30-40 minutes after I left the place so I figured whatever it was would most likely still be hanging there. Well, we went back and checked out the window/house thoroughly... and, nothing. No mask hung there, in fact NOTHING hung in the window besides the raggedy curtains... there was no furniture or anything near the window either... nothing that might have made the weird image. Since then, I have had dozens and dozens of visitors to my site email me to tell me that they too have spotted the creepy 'face' in the picture (so I know I'm not just imagining it!) I have sent it to a few photography experts for their opinion, and they can't quite figure it out either. At first, I thought maybe it was a reflection of something outside projecting onto the glass, but if you study it closely, you will see that there ARE things reflected onto the window from outside... like the guardrails of the road in front of the place- but these reflections are layered OVER the image of the face, as if it was behind the glass. The 'face' also appears to be BEHIND the curtain... had it been a reflection, I'd think  it would have layered right over the curtain itself just like the other reflections- not been partially hidden behind it? So, I really do not know what to make of it, it's very weird, and quite creepy. One more thing- the woods of the New Jersey Pine Barrens (where this house was located) are supposed to be home to the infamous 'Jersey Devil'... a legendary and mysterious devil-like beast that has supposedly lurked in the woods for many many years... The house has since been torn down. {Anyway, I have included to original photo and a photo with an inset pointing out where the face is, as well as one showing a closeup of the 'face'.  Also, the complete set of photos of the house from that day can be found here- http://www.lostdestinations.com/saphwood.htm ...and I DID end up returning another time and going INSIDE of the place (alone.... *GULP*!!).. those shots can be found here (including interior shots of that particular room/window)- http://www.lostdestinations.com/insaphre.htm (note the door to that room is now open, and somebody added the message 'KILL YOURSELF' to the wall between my visits)}  Thanks for your time, Heather Shade (aka Shady)
www.LostDestinations.com