Thread: Spirt Photography

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I have recently joined a group of paranormal investigators, as their resident photographer. I have done research on spirit photography for years, and was wondering if we had any others among us. I'd like to discuss techniques, protocols, equipment, film vs. digital, that sort of thing...

Never criticize someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. That way, when you DO criticize them, you are a mile away, and you have their shoes...

I'm not a "paranormal investigator," and my photography skills aren't at professional level by any means (I'm more into it for the artistic value). But having said that, I think it doesn't much matter what equipment you have. The reason I say this is that quite ordinary people with ordinary, even cheap, boring cameras have caught anomalies on film.

I'm sure from a professional standpoint (I take it you are a professional?) this may seem stupid to you. But trust me, if there's ghosts to be photographed, and they WANT to be photographed, you could use a disposable camera and get great pics.

Keep us updated on how this all goes for you, especially if you capture something interesting!!



"In nightmares our screams are silent, yet all fallen angels hear us on their way down." --E. Riddle

"Autumn whispers to me. It always has." --E. Riddle

The Corridors: Where Halloween is Forever
Autumn Whispers to Me

quote:The reason I say this is that quite ordinary people with ordinary, even cheap, boring cameras have caught anomalies on film.

Agreed-- some people just ALWAYS get stuff because they are sensitive. We are like that. What we don't get on "pic or Video" we ALWAY get on EVP-- I am talking cheap A$$ tape recorder also, I think you are either a "magnet or not" so it really doesn't matter with equiptment. I mean UNLESS you are a pro and trying to prove something to the sceptics. We just do this for ourselves.....



<center>"You sick f***s, you've seen one too many movies." -Sidney
"Now Sid, dont you blame it one the movies. Movies don't make psycho's, movies make psycho's a little more creative." -Billy </center>

I noticed on the "Ghost Hunter" show that everything they use is digital including their video cameras.

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I am with Autumn and Moon on this one! I have seen some really cool stuff on pic's I know my daughter took with her Mickey Mouse Kiddy camera... I mean really the veiw finder type with the mickey face and ears. I figure if you can get some of the stuff that she has with that thing you could get it with a dollar store special! Either they chose ham it up for you so to speak or dodge the camera all together when you are around.

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body,but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "holy cow - what a ride!"

I only somewhat agree that some people are spirit magnets. I think that it depends on the spirit, where the spirit is, etc. If one doesn't want to be seen they probably wont be. Although there is an interesting theory that states 'places' aren't haunted---people are. I'm open to the idea that it can go either way. But as far as fancy equipment goes, I think a lot of 'ghost hunters' end up purchasing 'impressive' equipment to 'impress.' You know?

Strangely, I've heard that those old brownie cameras are the best for getting ghost photos.



"In nightmares our screams are silent, yet all fallen angels hear us on their way down." --E. Riddle

"Autumn whispers to me. It always has." --E. Riddle

The Corridors: Where Halloween is Forever
Autumn Whispers to Me

Spirit photography is a tricky thing. One of the best and the one thing that has gotten my highest respect for Ghost Hunters’ is there down play of ‘orbs’. One they haven’t touched on yet is ‘streaks’. If you want good streaks of light across your picture take shots at night near a body of water.

I don’t care for digital equipment. There’s too many things that can effect the picture. Including high magnetic fields. A camcorder with a vhs cassette is way more reliable. A camera with a NON digital view screen would give you a fantastic preview. One of the problems with digital equipment was touched on in an episode of ‘Ghost Hunters.’ Pixelation distortion. Not to be a wet blanket but the coolest shot they got was what appeared to be something solidifying and running down a hall. What your looking at is a cat. Probably the same cat they caught on film earlier. You have a digital camera aimed down a dark path. Suddenly something far brighter drops down from above. (watch closely. the apparition starts at the top of the view screen and quickly drops to the floor.) Now the digital cameras auto focus goes nuts causing pixelation distortion. The dead give away that it is a cat is the bright paws under the ‘apparition’ as it runs form the camera’s view point. A simple camcorder would have caught the cat. You would still have an auto focus problem with the sudden appearance of a bright object. But you would have been able to see the animal. I understand they use digital cameras so they can monitor everything form one vantage point.

Once you’ve encountered the real thing you’ll understand why it’s important to stay away form gimmicks. If your presenting your pics to an educated skeptic and you have 50 orbs your not going to be taken seriously.

Even if you don't catch anything on film it sounds like a totally cool way to spend a night. Nothing gets you into the Halloween spirit like a musty old abandoned house. A few unexpected noises and a miss placed shadow or two and it's time to go home and put in that copy of 'A nightmare before Christmas' with a good bev. LOL


Ahhhh....can you hear them? The children of the night. And I’m there daddy!

Did you see last night's episode of "Ghost Hunters" putrid? The one at the Bedford, Mass Armory where something knocked their sound man flat on his butt. Even the skeptic plumbers liked that one.[8D]



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The only reason I might refer to myself as a professional is I've taken parapsychology courses and my backgound in the physical sciences is extensive. Photography is just a hobby.

As far as equipment goes, I wouldn't take anything produced with a disposable camera seriously, since they are prone to distortions in normal settings. I also shun from digital cameras whenever possible. Any images you see are a digital interpretation of the real image. Pixelation aside, it's just not accurate enough for me. I'm more of an analog person. I'd use a decent 35mmSLR with high speed Black & White or Infared film. I'll also carry a simple 110 camera loaded with regular film, to use as a comparison image.

Orbs are not ghosts, in my opinion. There are literally dozens of normal phenomenon that can create an orb like dust, insects, reflections, flashes, there's just too many other things they can be. Plus, all kinds of energy can manifest itself in many ways, A reqal orb could just be earrant static electricty.

I'm not hoping to catch orbs. I'm hoping for apparitions.


Never criticize someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. That way, when you DO criticize them, you are a mile away, and you have their shoes...

Mindcrime. I would love to pick your brains! I've not had any real training in the field but many years on the 'hunt'. Please correct me if I’m off base or just plain wrong. I believe there are only two types of hauntings. The very rear real ones and the over abundance of haunted people. Unfortunately the mind interprets input based on belief more than fact. We then alter our memories based on what we believed to have happened. Haunted people interpret every normal event into a haunting. Rationalizing based on there belief and not on facts. You can have two houses (doesn’t matter when they were built ) right next to each other. Each with the same bumps, groans and clanking. One family will rationalize the events by fact and the other by what they believe. If you go in and tell them it’s physics and not ghosts they get upset. People don’t like to be told there wrong. Even if it means holding on to a belief that’s making there lives mislabel. I've seen some really cool stuff. I've seen freshly laid gravel move as if someone was walking across it wile a dog tuck it's tail between it's legs and ran. I've seen cats eating chicken scraps with something unseen eating right along with them. Yes the meat physically disappeared. And I've seen people scared out of there wits form bad plumbing.

I saw an orb once. Not on film but right in the middle of a room. I was jamming with a band in a glassed in porch wile it was storming outside. Lightning struck close to the house and a very small orb of blue light flew in through the glass. It hung in the are between me and the bass player and exploded with a bang loud enough to hear over the equipment. We kept right on playing. Hay, it’s only rock and roll! LOL

Hallowiener, ya I got to see that one. Totally cool. There going to have a six hour marathon next week. It’s definetaly video tape time!



Ahhhh....can you hear them? The children of the night. And I’m there daddy!