McMinnville UFO Photographs — Oregon Farmer Captures Classic Disc Images

On May 11, 1950, Paul Trent, a farmer near McMinnville, Oregon, photographed what appeared to be a metallic disc-shaped object hovering over his farm. His wife had first spotted the object and called for him. Trent took two photographs before the object accelerated and disappeared. The photographs were eventually published in Life magazine in June 1950, bringing them national attention. They became among the most analyzed UFO photographs in history. Multiple independent photographic analyses over the following decades found no evidence of the object being a model or hoax, noting the lighting, shadows, and focal distances were consistent with a large, distant object. The Condon Committee — a University of Colorado project commissioned by the Air Force to study UFOs — analyzed the photographs and concluded they were consistent with a genuine unknown object. This assessment from a generally skeptical study made the images notable. The photographs have remained a centerpiece of UAP photography discussions because they predate modern digital manipulation and have withstood decades of technical scrutiny. Paul Trent maintained his account was genuine until his death, and the McMinnville UFO Festival continues to be held annually in the town in honor of the sighting.