Strange "artifact" on E-PL1 *EDIT: Mystery solved!*

[996gt2]

I was shooting a nighttime event for my school's paper today and noticed a very interesting thing in one of the photos.

Link: http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/8510/lightingofthequads.jpg

Look at the lower right at the red spot. It looks like a person's face, no?

Does anyone have a clue what that is and what caused it?

Here's the EXIF:
Camera Maker: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Camera Model: E-PL1
Lens: OLYMPUS M.17mm F2.8
Image Date: 2010-12-01
Focal Length: 17mm (35mm equivalent: 34mm)
Focus Distance: 2.76m
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure Time: 0.333 s (1/3)
ISO equiv: 3200
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No
Color Space: sRGB
Caption: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

[Rudi]

Yeah, it's pretty obvious. It *is* a person's face, and it was exposed by the AF-assist light on that little camera the guy is holding, just to the right of the "artifact".

 

[Amin Sabet]

Very strange. Some sort of ghost ?

 

[Amin Sabet]

Yeah. It *is* a person's face, and it was exposed by the AF-assist light on that little camera the guy is holding, just to the right of the "artifact".

Ah, a much better explanation than my ghost . Why is it such a tiny face?

 

[Rudi]

Ah, a much better explanation than my ghost . Why is it such a tiny face?

Because he/she was moving, so it's distorted, and the AF-assist beam is pretty narrow.

 

[996gt2]

Because he/she was moving, so it's distorted, and the AF-assist beam is pretty narrow.

Ah, thanks! Mystery solved.

 

[Rudi]

No problem. I just wanted to prevent yet another "Unsolved Mysteries" TV special...