Fake Orbs and Spirit Pictures
You happily snap away at a family gathering, as millions do daily. But when you get the pictures developed, there are strange wispy forms, mists. 'or orbs (raindrop-like blobs) or, if you're lucky, something resembling a ghostly body or face. But can they really be ghosts?
Paranormal expert Craig Hamilton-Parker thinks there's every chance they are. 'Over the years, there have been many experiments done using telepathy to project an image from the human mind onto a photographic plate,' says Craig. 'And we can photograph human auras using a process known as Kirlian Photography, which captures electromagnetic energy fields. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that spirit energy could be captured on film too.'
35mm FILM CAMERA FAKES
Craig believes that in the days of 35mm film, there was more chance of technical glitches being mistaken for (or deliberately passed off as) spirits. However, with the advent of digital cameras and camera phones, where images are captured electronically, it's harder to explain away orbs, weird streaks of light and transparent faces.
'It's intriguing that just as many people are capturing what looks like spirits on digital cameras,' Craig says. 'Years ago, it was all too easy for crystals in the developing solution to leave a mark on a picture that would look like an orb. But nowadays, with sophisticated automatic cameras, there's a lot less chance of flaws or double exposures cropping up.'
SPIRIT ENERGY?
Craig suspects that orbs, the most common example of possible paranormal evidence, could be the physical manifestation of spirit energy. 'People regularly capture orbs in haunted houses,' Craig says. 'And others say they can identify the face of a loved one. Interestingly, faces usually appear in photos of birthdays or weddings.
It makes sense that spirits would want to participate in these special occasions. On another level, these "spirit extras" could be energy or vibrations within a building. This could explain why spirits not known to a family sneak into their snaps.
'All in all, it's an exciting area,' says Craig. 'But don't be taken in by everything that is said to be a spirit picture. There are many hoaxes in circulation.'
Craig agreed to give us access to his vast collection of paranormal photographs taken by the public. So are they true examples of spooks captured on camera? 'I've given my verdict on each, but you can make up your own mind,' Craig concludes.
Spotting the Fakes Video
How to Spot a Fake:
With sophisticated computer software widely available, it's never been easier to fake realistic-looking spooky pictures. Here's what to look out for...
PHOTO MANIPULATION Be aware of suspicious lighting. In a genuine photo, the light should always come from the same direction in all areas of the picture. If the light around a face, for example, is coming from the left, but the light flooding into the room is from the right, then it's likely the two components were photographed in different locations and then later superimposed together.
FAKE ALIGNMENTS: Look out for blurry edges. If a computer has been used to superimpose something onto a scene the edges will look soft and smudgy, particularly the outside of a face or hair, for example.
TIP: Want to capture a spook? Craig suggests visiting places of 'spiritual significance', such as haunted houses or ancient stone circles. Spirit energies will be at their strongest there, increasing your chances of capturing photographic evidence of their presence.
WHAT ARE ORBS?
Orbs are balls of light captured on video, film, or digital cameras. Some people believe that orbs are spirits and paranormal energies, whereas most sceptics believe that insects, moisture, dust particles, or malfunctioning camera diodes cause them.
Can all orbs be explained in this way? For example, researchers who have taken photographs of the hands of healers show that orbs are more likely to appear in photographs when the healer is projecting their spiritual powers.
In most instances, I believe ORBS have an earthly explanation. The diodes in old digital cameras are prone to misfire, resulting in unusual orbs that can look like faces. Digital cameras also have a short focal length, which means that particles of dust and rain droplets that are very close to the lens can be captured on the camera.
Although not seen by the naked eye, ORBS can appear like balls of light to the camera. This effect is exaggerated further when a flash is used. However, this does not explain why ORBS can also appear in situations such as around a healer's hands when they are projecting their energy or surrounding a medium when they are demonstrating.
In Spiritualist circles we prefer to use the term 'spirit lights' for this type of phenomenon.
What do they look like?
One of the most commonplace "real ghost pictures" that are sent to me for analysis are of what psychics call orbs. Orbs are usually circular balls of light. Most are usually white orbs though often orbs are red and many other colours. Some orbs appear to have images and faces within them.
Although the orb can be a paranormal phenomenon, most orbs caught on cameras may have an earthly explanation.
What is the cause of Photo-Orbs?
One popular orb theory is that the orb is the energy being transferred from a source such as power lines, heat, batteries and so on. Energy, like a globule of water in zero gravity, is drawn together to form a sphere. Orbs may also have something to do with human bio-energy and may be an effect of the energy of the aura. I have certainly seen orbs around people's heads when I am making a spirit link. There is one instance that I have described in detail in my book "Protecting the Soul" in which Jane and I saw a brilliant ball of light -an orb about the size of a football- appear in the middle of the room. It was astonishing, and we believe that it may have been a protective spirit. The difference between these spirit light phenomena and orbs caught on camera is that spirit lights can be seen with the naked eye and by everyone present.
What are the circular lights we see in digital photos?
Found on a standard photograph, these can be caused by crystals in the developing fluid that leaves a ring on the picture. They can also be caused by the refraction of the light in the camera lens in both digital and standard film cameras, particularly if you are filming directly into a light source or towards a reflective surface. Dust floating close to the lens will also catch sunlight and appear to be a ball of light. A digital camera has a short focal length, so it captures dust particles and droplets of rain close to the lens. These appear as brilliant balls of light and, because of their varied size, give the illusion that they are in perspective and a part of the scene photographed rather than happening close to the camera. This is particularly the case if the background is dark and the light source is from the side or when a flash has been used. Older digital cameras will misfire their diodes in low light to produce orbs in the final image. This is most likely to happen in low light, such as in graveyards, dark, haunted houses and inside tombs.
What about the moving orbs we see on TV programs?
We've seen the same effects appear on some of my own ghost hunts- a strange ball seems to float across the picture. Now, it is quite possible that this is a paranormal phenomenon, but it is probably more likely to be dust. Similarly, if someone is smoking nearby, then the smoke may well appear to be a spook. I have spoken in the past to a cameraman from the programme Most Haunted who claimed that the supposed phenomena on the programme mislead people and took advantage of camera effects known to most cameramen.
Is there such a thing as a real orb?
In some rare instances, the orbs that appear on camera are hard to explain. For example, why do orbs appear when a healer extends their powers but are absent when they stop healing? Why, too, do photographs of mediums working also result in photographs of orbs? And why do large numbers of orbs appear at spiritually significant events under conditions that would normally not allow for orbs to be created by dust, moisture or faulty cameras?
How to Photograph Spirit Lights
"To manufacture FAKE orbs use an old digital camera in a dusty or damp room and use a flash. To capture REAL orbs use a 35mm camera using photographic film with a standard lens in normal light. Do not use a flash.
In most instances, orbs are caused by particles of dust and water caught in the very short focal length of digital cameras. They can also be caused by old cameras that have trouble functioning properly in low light or that have faults in one or more of the sensing diodes. It is best not to use flash as this can also create lens flare and other effects that can be mistaken for paranormal phenomena. To capture real orbs and spirit lights, I would suggest taking pictures of healers and mediums as they work to see if any special energies are revealed when they are using their powers."
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