One of the bizarre photos of Nancy Talbott, taken at Col de Vence, September 2006. Photo: Pierre Beake

The purpose of my trip to Col de Vence was to try to resolve the question of "authenticity" of the strange photographs being obtained there. I was constantly with Pierre and other members of the group for more than a week, day and night, both at Col de Vence and in various members' homes--and I'm certain that the photos presented here (mine, Pierre's, & other people's) are legitimate.

None of these "anomalous" photos has been altered, other than undergoing some cropping or re-sizing to fit this report.

I took both a 35mm film camera and a digital. My original intent was to constantly use both cameras but when I began to get a lot of anomalies on the digital I failed to regularly use the film camera as much as I should have. When I began to get strange images on the digital camera (which I could immediately see on the LED screen) I sometimes forgot to use the 35mm.

Percentage-wise I think I obtained fewer anomalies overall with the film camera--these mostly involving an almost total loss of normal color, except in the two below. It's interesting that Pierre Beake was the subject in both.

Daytime film anomaly in which basic color values remained normal. Photo: N.Talbott

Night-time film anomaly (BOLs) in which basic color values remained normal. Photo: N.Talbott

This loss of normal color was the most pervasive effect noted on the film prints. A majority of film photographs, both day & night, were affected in this way. In the print below the color is partially altered--but the two following photos show the more typical almost total loss of color.

Film print showing partial loss of color (and BOLs). Photo: N.Talbott

Two film prints showing more typical, almost-total, loss of color. Both day & night shots were affected this way, over many days, with many different rolls of tilm. Effect was randomly interspersed with normal-color photos. Photos: N.Talbott

It was my digital images, though, that were the most interesting. Although usually it is only Pierre who gets anomalies, that first night I began to get abnormal digital images, ranging from white BOLs and "smoke" stripes (usually in photos which included Pierre), to peculiar red effects. Temperature was in the 60s with a few clouds, some stars and no moon. There was not even a hint of rain, nor any light source at all other than the flash on our cameras.

A few of Nancy Talbott's early digital anomalies. Photos: N.Talbott

Pierre and empty, parked car (no lights on inside the car). Digital photos taken seconds apart. Photos: N.Talbott

Although a definite majority (75%+) of my digital shots overall were normal, periodically the anomalies would begin to occur, usually continuing for several minutes (and multiple shots) at a time. Pierre and I found that, often, we would get strange photos during more or less the same time periods, each using our own cameras--but these anomalies were not always of the same type.

On our repeat visits to the site the numbers of unusual photos that both Pierre and I were getting increased, although overall Pierre obtained more of them and his were generally more spectacular. However the photo, below, was taken with my digital camera on that first nite and is the only one taken at the plateau that had this odd blue effect (color here is similar to Nancy Talbott's film anomaly of Pierre drinking from the village fountain).

Xavier's wife, Dominique, at Col de Vence (Sept. 22, 2006). Digital photo: N.Talbott

The digital photo of mine, below, both reflected a particular type of anomaly Pierre has been obtaining recently and was predictive of a whole series of anomalies we would both get in the following days.

Pierre & Xavier, with anomaly typical of many obtained in recent years by Pierre. Photo: N. Talbott

I stood close to Pierre and watched while he took photographs--both in daytime and at night. He was using the same digital camera he has used for several years and I saw him do absolutely nothing out-of-the-ordinary, ever. He simply aims the camera and shoots. It was interesting to me to learn, later, that he has no more technical inclination than I do and, as of this date, still does not use a computer. All of his photos that I have from this trip were downloaded from his camera onto a computer by one of his colleagues in my presence.

For fairly long stretches of time neither one of us got anything unusual at all -- our photos were all normal. But then, every so often, something seemed to change and he or I, or both of us, would begin to get strange shots. These "active" periods would last anywhere from a minute or two to perhaps 10 minutes each, at which times I watched as a wide range of anomalies appeared on Pierre's LED screen. These becoming increasingly bizarre as we continued shooting. During one session two sets of new batteries failed in my camera.

Most of the photos I have at the moment from these sessions are strange ones Pierre took while aiming at me. Although there were many others, these will adequately demonstrate both the range, and the spectacular nature, of the photos he took while I was right there. Here, then, are some of Pierre's digital photos, taken over several nights in September, 2006.

Digital photos of Nancy taken at Col de Vence. Close-up at beginning of Part 3 was cropped from bottom image. Photos: Pierre Beake

Digital photos showing BOLs and "spot-light" effect at Col de Vence. Photos: Pierre Beake

More digital photos of Nancy taken at Col de Vence. The umbrella was opaque (you could not see through it) and Nancy Talbott's hair is brown, not orangey. Photos: Pierre Beake

Jean-Paul (member of Col de Vence group) and pink-colored BOLs. Photo: Pierre Beake

For many years my photos, taken in conjunction with crop circle research, have contained quite a variety of anomalies. These have included various sizes of whitish-to-orange, translucent to opaque light-balls (often called "orbs") to large, brilliant red circular splotches and a range of multi-colored light stripes and other light distortions. Sometimes these occur when I am in or near a crop circle, but they most regularly occur if I am in the company of Robbert van den Broeke (the young man in Holland around whom crop circles occur regularly) or, more recently, with certain other individuals in various countries who are intensely interested in this phenomenon.

Increasingly it seems that both the likelihood and the frequency of such photographic anomalies occurring is increased by physical proximity to these individuals--perhaps also at specific locations, although this is not as clear. It also seems that when I and the other person are in a similar state of mind, the anomalies increase in both number and sophistication.

One particularly curious event occurred while I was at Col de Vence. There was one member of the group, Jean-Paul, who also occasionally got strange photos on his camera--but most often he did not. I thought that his interest in the Col de Vence phenomena was perhaps more metaphysical, more of a "spiritual" nature, than was evident in other members of the group.

On my last night in France we decided to have a picnic with all of the group at Col de Vence up on the side of the hill. Jean-Paul arrived later than the others and, as he climbed up over the limestone boulders to where we were all sitting, I started photographing him. It was a cool evening and absolutely dry.

At first my photos were either completely normal or showed small, translucent orb-type anomalies (which I thought might possibly be related to dust particles in the air) around his body. So far that night no one had been getting anything unusual, but it was early and from past experience we knew to keep trying.

Jean-Paul arriving at our picnic on the hillside at Col de Vence. Photo: N. Talbott

The night before, which had been quite cold and somewhat dank, Pierre, Jean-Paul and I had spent several hours at the site and after about 2-1/2 hours Pierre had begun to get some very dramatic reddish-colored anomalies and multiple large, pink BOLs. Jean-Paul had gotten a few anomalies, too, and so had I. It seemed to me that the activity that night had been "centered" around Jean-Paul, as many of the photos below will demonstrate.

On that last night, after Jean-Paul arrived, both Pierre and I began to register multiple, huge, pink light-balls repeatedly. Neither I nor anyone else present had ever produced this particular anomaly before, but as the evening progressed, so did the spectacular nature of the photos. Following are 4 shots from the sequence I took, then several photos taken by Pierre.

The pink BOLs as they first occurred on Nancy Talbott's camera (digital). Photos: N.Talbott

The pink BOLs toward the end of the sequence taken by Nancy Talbott. The most dramatic anomalies seem to be centered around Jean-Paul. Photos: N.Talbott

Two of Pierre's pink BOL photos of Jean-Paul. Photos: Pierre Beake

Pink and white multi-BOL distortions also occurred when Pierre focused on Nancy Talbott. Photos: Pierre Beake

And there were many pink BOL distortions in photos when Jean-Paul and Nancy were standing together. Photos: Pierre Beake

More with Nancy and Jean-Paul close together. Notice small white BOL over our heads in top photo. Photos: Pierre Beake

Pierre also got a few photos showing pink BOLs when aiming at the whole group (top) as well as when focusing on Brice (bottom). Photos: Pierre Beake

Another phenomenon which the Col de Vence members have experienced over several years occurred on two occasions while I was there. A moderately loud noise--which sounds exactly like a good-sized rock hitting the ground after being thrown--will suddenly occur very near one or another of the people present. The first time it happened we were not in the plateau area but on a roadway nearby, next to a rock face where loose rocks were visible. I assumed, that time, that one of these stones had simply dislodged while we happened to be there.

However, such an explanation was not possible for the 2nd incident a few nights later. At about 2:30 am quite a few of us were in the plateau area on the narrow road which bisects the plain, standing near a lone scraggly tree next to the road. We'd been taking photos for several hours and Pierre and I (and Jean-Paul also on this night) had gotten many anomalies. Suddenly we were all startled by what sounded like a rock hitting the ground right next to the tree, just a few feet away from all of us.

The hill on the opposite side of the road slopes gently upward and does have multiple rocks and stones lying about on the ground. But no one was up on that side and there was no way a rock could have ejected itself or fallen (if, perhaps, dislodged by a small animal) to reach where we were standing. The sound was one loud "clunk" with no repeated sounds as would be caused by a stone rolling along. The slope of the hill down below the tree is also covered with rocks, but anything falling from this area would have landed far below us.

Jean-Paul pointing to where sound of rock hitting ground came from. Photo: N. Talbott

NT photo taken immediately after sound of rock hitting ground. Note square-shaped light on upper left. Photo: N. Talbott

Jean-Paul and NT near tree, immediately after rock fall. Photo: Pierre Beake

Close-up of Jean-Paul at tree, immediately following sound of rock hitting ground. Notice diaphanous white anomaly, upper left. Photo: Pierre Beake

One last thing to report. It is perhaps the most significant, perhaps not significant at all.

After several nights taking photos at Col de Vence with Pierre and various other members of the Col de Vence group, it seemed to me one evening that Jean-Paul (who had not been getting anomalies) really wanted to get some. I had been getting dozens of the pink light-ball anomalies that night and I had many others from other nights and, so, it occurred to me all of a sudden that I didn't need any more to accomplish the purpose of my trip. Right then, in my head, this thought occurred: "I don't need any more of these marvellous photos, give mine to Jean-Paul."

You will have to absorb what happened next in whatever way suits you, but I swear that instantly I stopped getting any photo anomalies at all--and Jean-Paul started getting them left and right. After about an hour of this, with me also shooting repeatedly and getting nothing and him getting them constantly, I thought to myself "well, you don't have to give them all to him," but this thought didn't change a thing. After another hour or so, I just put my camera away.

Jean Paul, meanwhile, was having a great time. At one point, while several of us were standing with him near our parked car, he expressed a desire to see the car "explode." The resulting photo not only looked like the car had exploded -- the light shooting out of the car window threw a reflection on the road itself.

Car "exploding" at Col de Vence. Photo: Jean-Paul

It was now quite late, totally dark and chilly. There was no visible light source of any kind. Jean-Paul had simply aimed his camera toward the car and, using the flash, had taken one photo--the results of which we all immediately observed on his LED screen.

What fascinated me most about this photo was not just the vivid light effects and pink haze. The car is on the right side of the road (and photo); it was totally dark and had been sitting there for hours with no one inside it and no lights on inside or out. Looking at the photo I realized there was a reflection on the roadway beneath the yellow stripes of light which appear to be shooting out of the car windows. How could there be a reflection beneath these light stripes when none of us saw any light whatsoever emanate from the car as the photo was taken? In order for there to be a reflection of any kind, doesn't there have to be a visible light source? We were all standing close to Jean-Paul and within 10 feet of the car, and no one saw anything unusual. And, once again, there is that peculiar, small, white anomaly in the upper left side of the picture.

The photos you have seen in this report represent only a small fraction of the amazing photographs taken at Col de Vence over the years by a number of people. Since I took a lot of these photos and/or was present and watching while a majority of the others used here were taken, I know they're "real." What this indicates about "reality" is now the important question for me.

Nancy and Pierre at Col de Vence. There were a few "normal" photos taken of us there, but we like this one better. Photo: www.coldevence.com

For more information about Col de Vence and the DVD now available, please see www.coldevence.com.

Postscript: in a conversation with Xavier at the end of March he reports that a multi-national group of photographic experts will visit Col de Vence to implement a variety of photograpic experiments. We will report any results as soon as we have them.