The truth about aliens is out there—it has to be—and I want to believe that somewhere in this vast cosmos there is life besides us. Sure, these alien life forms probably haven’t paid any secret visits to Earth, but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t fool your friends and dig deep into conspiracy theories!
As mysterious and pixel-y as they are, X-Files-style UFO photos are surprisingly easy to make. All you need to make your own is some paper dishware, like bowls and plates (the darker colored the better), and some tape. First, gather your materials and find somewhere outside with a great view—preferably somewhere you can see the horizon. Next, craft your bowls/plates into a classic UFO-shape. I did this by taping two Styrofoam bowls to either side of a paper plate.
Now for the hard part. UFOs have to look intriguing, yet inscrutable. Nothing can be too in focus or clear—it would look like you’re in a parking lot throwing trash into the air (which you are). To make sure no one is the wiser, try pointing your phone’s camera up into the sun. Smartphones have exceedingly good cameras these days, so try taking a photo burst to capture that illusive not-too-blurry-but-still-blurry shot. Now toss your creation into the air and snap away.
Here are some of my attempts:
These were definitely on the right track, but for the finishing touches, use an app like Instagram. Play around with the tilt-shift filter until your UFO is clear enough to see but obscure enough to confuse. And don’t be afraid to add a little green to the scene. It always worked for the X-Files. Here are my finished examples of the previous photos:
Pretty good, right? You can always improve your UFO shots by making better models, and by toying around with other photo editing programs. If all else fails, try zooming in so far that you’re not sure what you’re looking at:
Going to try your hand at a UFO conspiracy? Send us links to your photos below!
