Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image/Simon Menner
Topics: Photography, Art, Military, Nature, Reddit, Optical Illusions
Ella Scott
Topics: Photography, Art, Military, Nature, Reddit, Optical Illusions
Only eagle-eyed viewers can spot the sniper hidden in this photographer’s art—are you one of them?
If you find yourself browsing Reddit from time to time, then you may have come across the popular thread, Find The Sniper.
The community sees Redditors posting images of everything from cupboards to gardenscapes, all with something simple and relatively small hiding in plain sight.
It’s a fun way to waste away a rainy afternoon, with levels ranging from easy for beginners to expert for those who reckon they possess a sharp eye.
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While these puzzles rarely include a real sniper - instead opting for objects like rings or glasses - Berlin-based photographer Simon Menner has actually gone one step further.
For his 2014 project Camouflage, he snapped military personnel residing in abandoned buildings and hiding in grasslands across Europe.
To bring the photography project to life, Menner contacted the German, Lithuanian and Latvian Armies to see whether they would lend him an actual sniper to hide in his snaps.
After they presumably said ‘yes’, the artist and the sniper headed out into three European countries to take pictures.
“Even though they are invisible due to their professionalism, there are hidden snipers in every of these images,” he wrote on his website. “They are aiming at the camera and therefore at the viewer.
“I am extremely grateful for the openness I did encounter,” he added, praising the officials for their ‘friendly’ support.
Menner’s Camouflage series focused on a number of different environments; from the snowy planes of Latvia to the lush woodlands of Germany.
It’s fair to say almost all of the creative’s ‘Find The Sniper’-style images are challenging.
However, one of the stand-out shots is an abandoned, windowless building in the Land of the Blue Lakes.
The almost-empty scene was caught by Menner as he stood a short distance away from the dilapidated building under the cover of some trees.
While the image initially looks void of life, we confirm the sniper does feature in the photograph—but can you spot it before we point out exactly where it is?
If you’ve got time to spare or want to prove to yourself that your eyesight is particularly good, then you may be able to see the sniper.
If not, we recommend utilizing your device’s ability to ‘zoom in’ and look at the second-floor tower. If you still can’t see it then let us put you out of your misery.
The sniper is lying on the ground on the upper floor of the tower, aiming his gun through the door.
If you didn’t catch him this time don’t worry, Menner’s Camouflage collection features more than 30 images to scan and if you finish those, there’s always the Find The Sniper Reddit thread.
Happy hunting!