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You've the eyes of a marksman if you spot the sniper ready to hit you in 10secs

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You've the eyes of a marksman if you spot the sniper ready to hit you in 10secs
You've the eyes of a marksman if you spot the sniper ready to hit you in 10secs

BY the time you've spotted the sniper, it's already too late.

Somewhere in this picture is a perfectly camouflaged marksman who is aiming at you and ready to pull the trigger.

Can you spot the hidden sharpshooter in this scene? qhiddxidzziehprw
Can you spot the hidden sharpshooter in this scene?Credit: Simon Menner

Artist Simon Menner took the photo above after he was granted permission to watch snipers training with the armies of ermany, Latvia and Lithuania..

It shows grass and scrub in a bleak landscape with what appears to be the ruin of an old concrete building.

Also in the picture is a soldier with a high-powered rifle - but he's virtually invisible.

You could have the eyes of a marksman if you spot the sniper in 10secsYou could have the eyes of a marksman if you spot the sniper in 10secs

Blending in with the surroundings is as much a part of a sniper's training as learning to hit a target from a mile away.

They must be able to survive alone or in pairs in unforgiving terrain, digging holes for shelter.

And when the moment comes to strike, they must be ready - all without being spotted.

Simon spent six years following snipers on training exercises to capture their remarkable ability to blend into their environment.

He watched them help each other make their "ghillie suits" using natural elements such as leaves and dead grass to match each landscape.

His series of images - called Disappearing Act - appear at first glance to be quiet and sometimes eerie landscapes, from sunny meadows to forests and fog-shrouded mountains.

Lurking in every picture is a sharpshooter with his gun trained directly at the camera.

In some images - including the one on this page - the sniper is only 30ft away but still very difficult to spot.

In real life the sniper would be at least a quarter of a mile from the target, who would have no chance of seeing them.

Need a clue? Look at the small dark shrubs near the centre.

Tree appears to be full of leaves in winter - but can you spot what's going on?Tree appears to be full of leaves in winter - but can you spot what's going on?

Keep scrolling to see the answer with the sniper circled.

Simon told Wired: “I like this project because the key aspect of the photos isn’t visible.

“In a way the interesting part is when the story happens in their minds.

"They look for the sniper and think they found them, but then begin to question themselves. I find that fascinating.”

Last week we challenged readers with another picture from the series featuring a sniper hiding among large boulders.

Another shows a snow-covered scene with sparse trees that appear to offer a sniper no hiding place.

Meanwhile a self-declared "hide and seek champion" has filmed himself camouflaged in a forest.

He then stands up to reveal himself in the sniper-style YouTube video.

The camouflaged sniper is close by, but very hard to spot
The camouflaged sniper is close by, but very hard to spotCredit: Simon Menner

Felix Allen

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