When Brendan Lang was home visiting his family in New Zealand with his partner, he decided he wanted to take in the gorgeous scenery all around him, and hopefully capture some great photos in the process. They were walking along a cliff with views of the ocean and a lighthouse, and Lang decided that this was his chance.
“When I took this photo I was going for a shot of the cliffs and ocean, as I love the ruggedness of the area, whilst also capturing the lighthouse,” Lang told The Dodo.
Lang snapped a bunch of other pictures throughout the day and didn’t take a look at them all until later. He was scrolling through what he’d captured — and was shocked when he came across the photo with the lighthouse.
In the center of the photo, emerging from the clouds, was a giant, ethereal seagull, and Lang had no idea how he’d ended up there.
“[It’s] funny because I don’t even recall seeing a seagull during the moment I was down taking some pics,” Lang said.
Was the seagull some kind of magical creature who emerged from the clouds to make his presence known? Maybe, but Lang suspects there may be a more logical explanation.
“My photos are taken on my Samsung S21 Ultra smartphone, and I believe whilst taking photos, a seagull had sailed past in between the photo’s shutter,” Lang said. “I’m not really too sure, but love this image.”
The majestic seagull will probably always remain a bit of a mystery, and that’s OK. Lang posted the photo online, and a lot of people fell in love with the magical image.
“Heaps of people commented saying how angelic it appears and how peaceful the image is,” Lang said.
However the seagull ended up in the photo in such a majestic pose, Lang is certainly glad he did.