Paranormal Photography – Tammy
People have been finding strange images in photographs for a long time. Some can be explained by
natural causes, but some just cannot be explained with science or technology. These unexplainable
photographs are most likely to have paranormal cause.
Tips
Try to familiarize yourself with the area and shoot in locations that are said to have paranormal activity.
Keep your lens clean of fingerprints, smudges, and dust.
Avoid taking outside pictures in the rain, fog, dusty/pollen filled air, in places with lots of bugs flying
around, and straight into bright sunlight/lights…these all can result in lens flares and/or false orbs.
Be sure to check your finger position, camera strap, and your own hair to make sure it is not in your
shot…best to pull long hair back out of the way, especially in windy conditions.
Avoid wearing sparkly jewelry during investigations.
Do not smoke while taking pictures or take them near others who are smoking…this can result in a
fog/mist that is not paranormal, just smoke.
Watch your breath when it’s cold out also….this can result in a mist in your photos. Take a breath, wait,
and hold for a few seconds while you take your photos to avoid any false fog in them.
Be aware that inside and outside, reflective surfaces such as mirrors, TV screens as well as light
emitting objects like the sun, streetlights, etc. can create false flares in your picture…try to avoid
shooting directly at them, and/or do not use a flash.
If you are taking pictures with others who are also taking pictures, be sure not to shoot when another
person’s flash is going off and vice versa. Announce your photos when you can in a large group of
photographers.
Always shoot a minimum of two to three pictures in a row of the same shot…you want to see if
whatever possible paranormal image will show in all of the pictures or in just some of them. When
something is there in one photo and not in the other, it can add support to the possibility of it being an
actual paranormal image and will give you something to compare.
Be sure to carry extra batteries for your camera, many experience battery drain in haunted locations.
Spirits are thought to use available energy to help themselves manifest, draining your batteries is one
way to do it. Keep an eye on how quickly your battery drains while in a haunted location vs. just using
it anywhere else. I’d had many a battery drain in no time on an investigation.
What is an Orb?
Orbs are funny things. They seem to appear more when you are in locations thought to be haunted,
and to the novice paranormal photographer, they appear to be something to get excited about. As you
gain more experience, you will realize that orbs are EVERYWHERE!! I’m not saying you should not ever
consider an orb to be something paranormal, but look for orbs that are more opaque, colored (not
white), moving, and emitting their own light, these are more likely to maybe be of a paranormal nature.
Common causes of false orbs are dust, bugs, pollen, and moisture in the air.
Equipment
It’s really personal preference on whether or not you choose to use a 35 mm camera or a digital
camera for your ghostly photography. Using 35 mm cameras can cost you a lot in developing fees and
film, especially when taking multiple shots at a time. The good thing is that you have a negative that
could not have been so easily manipulated. Digital photos are gaining credibility though and you can
see immediately as you are shooting if you have anything of interest in your photos. This allows you to
concentrate on an area and check for possible sources causing the suspicious items in your photo
while you are still at the location.
If you do choose to use a digital camera, you should try to get a camera that is at least a 5.0 megapixiel.
This helps eliminate the distortion that occurs when you try to enlarge an image. This is very important
as you might have a picture of a larger area and need to zoom in on one small portion of the picture of
interest to really be able to evaluate it. The higher number megapixel a camera has the better, some
say lower megapixels and location of the flash on a camera can cause more false orbs.
Sharing your photographs with those who have experience is invaluable to the novice because they
may be able to recognize something with a natural cause in your photos that you think could be of a
paranormal nature. Over time, you too will learn to recognize what is and what is not paranormal in
your photos. Be sure to check out your photos very carefully on the computer or prints (if 35 mm)
because it’s very, very easy to overlook something that just doesn’t catch your eye immediately.
Another good reason to share your photos with others is that they just might see something you
completely overlooked.
Suggested cameras:
Olympus
Sony Cybershot
To wrap it all up…
Paranormal energy is said to be the strongest during certain solar flares and certain moon phases,
keeping an eye on these things may help you to choose dates that will be most productive to you in
your investigations. Stormy weather is also said to be a good time for spirits to present themselves.
It’s my personal opinion that what is captured in a photograph is not only directly related to the
paranormal activity of the location, but also to the person who is taking the photograph and the people
who are there with you. I think some people are more receptive to receiving paranormal images than
others and this will show in their photographs. I also feel the energy of the group of people you are
with can contribute to this as well, so go forward with a good, serious minded group of motivated
people and always have an open mind and good times while you are looking for evidence of the
paranormal. And remember, there are no sure things when it comes to photography, sometimes you
get something unusual in your photos, sometimes you won’t.
Happy ghost hunting!
People have been finding strange images in photographs for a long time. Some can be explained by
natural causes, but some just cannot be explained with science or technology. These unexplainable
photographs are most likely to have paranormal cause.
Tips
Try to familiarize yourself with the area and shoot in locations that are said to have paranormal activity.
Keep your lens clean of fingerprints, smudges, and dust.
Avoid taking outside pictures in the rain, fog, dusty/pollen filled air, in places with lots of bugs flying
around, and straight into bright sunlight/lights…these all can result in lens flares and/or false orbs.
Be sure to check your finger position, camera strap, and your own hair to make sure it is not in your
shot…best to pull long hair back out of the way, especially in windy conditions.
Avoid wearing sparkly jewelry during investigations.
Do not smoke while taking pictures or take them near others who are smoking…this can result in a
fog/mist that is not paranormal, just smoke.
Watch your breath when it’s cold out also….this can result in a mist in your photos. Take a breath, wait,
and hold for a few seconds while you take your photos to avoid any false fog in them.
Be aware that inside and outside, reflective surfaces such as mirrors, TV screens as well as light
emitting objects like the sun, streetlights, etc. can create false flares in your picture…try to avoid
shooting directly at them, and/or do not use a flash.
If you are taking pictures with others who are also taking pictures, be sure not to shoot when another
person’s flash is going off and vice versa. Announce your photos when you can in a large group of
photographers.
Always shoot a minimum of two to three pictures in a row of the same shot…you want to see if
whatever possible paranormal image will show in all of the pictures or in just some of them. When
something is there in one photo and not in the other, it can add support to the possibility of it being an
actual paranormal image and will give you something to compare.
Be sure to carry extra batteries for your camera, many experience battery drain in haunted locations.
Spirits are thought to use available energy to help themselves manifest, draining your batteries is one
way to do it. Keep an eye on how quickly your battery drains while in a haunted location vs. just using
it anywhere else. I’d had many a battery drain in no time on an investigation.
What is an Orb?
Orbs are funny things. They seem to appear more when you are in locations thought to be haunted,
and to the novice paranormal photographer, they appear to be something to get excited about. As you
gain more experience, you will realize that orbs are EVERYWHERE!! I’m not saying you should not ever
consider an orb to be something paranormal, but look for orbs that are more opaque, colored (not
white), moving, and emitting their own light, these are more likely to maybe be of a paranormal nature.
Common causes of false orbs are dust, bugs, pollen, and moisture in the air.
Equipment
It’s really personal preference on whether or not you choose to use a 35 mm camera or a digital
camera for your ghostly photography. Using 35 mm cameras can cost you a lot in developing fees and
film, especially when taking multiple shots at a time. The good thing is that you have a negative that
could not have been so easily manipulated. Digital photos are gaining credibility though and you can
see immediately as you are shooting if you have anything of interest in your photos. This allows you to
concentrate on an area and check for possible sources causing the suspicious items in your photo
while you are still at the location.
If you do choose to use a digital camera, you should try to get a camera that is at least a 5.0 megapixiel.
This helps eliminate the distortion that occurs when you try to enlarge an image. This is very important
as you might have a picture of a larger area and need to zoom in on one small portion of the picture of
interest to really be able to evaluate it. The higher number megapixel a camera has the better, some
say lower megapixels and location of the flash on a camera can cause more false orbs.
Sharing your photographs with those who have experience is invaluable to the novice because they
may be able to recognize something with a natural cause in your photos that you think could be of a
paranormal nature. Over time, you too will learn to recognize what is and what is not paranormal in
your photos. Be sure to check out your photos very carefully on the computer or prints (if 35 mm)
because it’s very, very easy to overlook something that just doesn’t catch your eye immediately.
Another good reason to share your photos with others is that they just might see something you
completely overlooked.
Suggested cameras:
Olympus
Sony Cybershot
To wrap it all up…
Paranormal energy is said to be the strongest during certain solar flares and certain moon phases,
keeping an eye on these things may help you to choose dates that will be most productive to you in
your investigations. Stormy weather is also said to be a good time for spirits to present themselves.
It’s my personal opinion that what is captured in a photograph is not only directly related to the
paranormal activity of the location, but also to the person who is taking the photograph and the people
who are there with you. I think some people are more receptive to receiving paranormal images than
others and this will show in their photographs. I also feel the energy of the group of people you are
with can contribute to this as well, so go forward with a good, serious minded group of motivated
people and always have an open mind and good times while you are looking for evidence of the
paranormal. And remember, there are no sure things when it comes to photography, sometimes you
get something unusual in your photos, sometimes you won’t.
Happy ghost hunting!
| Here are some examples of photos and video that can be explained to operator error and common mistakes |
This orb was captured during a recent investigation at the
Woodland Opera House. Upon further investigation, and
trying every conceivable way to debunk it, we discovered
that it was in fact the other video camera that we use set on
nightshot with an Ir enhancer behind the curtain
Woodland Opera House. Upon further investigation, and
trying every conceivable way to debunk it, we discovered
that it was in fact the other video camera that we use set on
nightshot with an Ir enhancer behind the curtain
| Camera strap |
| Dust orbs |
| Flash in mirror |
| Smoke |