ORBS, LENSES AND HUMIDITY

Ghost orbs can be one of the most reliable ways to tell if something odd is going on at a site that's supposed to be haunted. However, all ghost hunters must be cautious about calling something a "ghost orb" when humidity is present.

The problem with humidity in the air is that, at a certain level, the teensy particules of moisture reflect the flash when I take a picture.

Even with a "good" camera, these reflections can look almost exactly like orbs. (With lots of study, you can often tell the difference.)

For an extreme example--on a night that was obviously misty--see this orb photo taken at Gilson Road Cemetery, Nashua, NH. Because of the moisture, we can't claim that those orbs represent ghosts. (Some may, but we'd rather err on the side of caution.)

Less obvious photos include the two at this webpage, take the same night, at Gilson.

However, when I'm ghost hunting on humid or foggy nights, I'll also use my budget-priced Canon camera, a Snappy LX//, because it has a funky refraction system.

With the Canon, when the damp air reflects my flash, the resulting images are bell-shaped on the film. Genuine, ghostly anomalies show up as mist or actual orbs.

For example, in another photo, the eerie mist rising from Rufus Lawrence's grave at Gilson Road Cemetery (Nashua, NH) is anomalous, while the damp air around the grave is not.

How can I tell? Take a look at this photo, taken at Rufus Lawrence's grave at Gilson Road Cemetery.

Moisture produced the bell-shaped "orbs" throughout the photo. However, the rising mist from the grave--which we did NOT see when the photo was taken--does not reflect the same bell shapes.

We've tried several experiments with this, using different cameras, in different weather conditions, and even with a hand-held spritzer of water.

So, the Canon is my film camera of choice on damp nights. Ghostly anomalies are easy to separate from normal moisture.

However, I also carry an Olympus camera, for another purpose.

OTHER GHOST HUNTING USES FOR CAMERAS

Something about the flash on my Olympus camera produces "sparkles" in settings where we'll find other manifestations/anomalies.

So, I use my Olympus as the barometer. If I snap a photo and we see "sparkles," there's a good chance that we'll witness--or at least photograph--anomalous activity.

When I use the Olympus, about 80% of the people with me will see the sparkles, if anyone does. They look like the drifting, fading sparkles of light as a firework descends. They fall slowly, from the moment of the flash and for about a second afterwards.

My Olympus is the classic AF-Twin. I have no idea why its flash produces consistent sparkles if the setting is "haunted," and the Canon flash doesn't.

We've seen the sparkles with other cameras, including digital cameras. I suspect that the effect relies mostly on the particular psychic abilities of the ghost hunter, and the sparkles are enhanced better by some cameras.

DIGITAL CAMERAS AND GHOST HUNTING

Digital cameras are great, and produce more and better results... which I assume is a good thing. Frankly, ghost hunters aren't sure.

With a digital camera, we can tell if we're getting "orbs" immediately, too.

However, with digital images, we don't have negatives to analyze. That's why many ghost hunters are opposed to digital cameras as a research too.

With a photo such as the one below, you have to trust the integrity of the photographer:

This looks like a great photo, but rain was moving in. Humidity may have been a factor. Like it or not, we have to discount the orbs. That cemetery is haunted, and we usually get great orb photos when we're there. But, because of the approaching rain, we can't say that this photo indicates ghosts.

IS IT REALLY A GHOST?

It's important not to put the cart before the horse. Often, people see a photo with an orb and then decide that the site is haunted.

It's far better to work from the other direction: Start with a site that you suspect is haunted, and then look for anomalies. Just keep in mind that photographic anomalies may be symptoms of a haunted site. We don't know what the anomalies are.

Please do not ask me if something is a "vortex." I'll use that word to describe the physical appearance of an anomaly, but--beyond that--your guess is as good as mine.

I'll use words such as "orbs" to mean the clear/milky translucent circles we find in photos taken at "haunted" locations.

I'll talk about "portals" when it's a location with a saturation of anomalous activities.

However, I won't claim that an orb is definitely a ghost, or that any of this is hard evidence of hauntings, life after death, communications from the Otherworld, etc.

We find unexplained orbs at locations that are supposed to be haunted. We know that we don't find orbs in other locations, except when they can be explained by reflections, etc.

That's all we can claim.

As a psychic, I'd love to be able to prove that ghosts exist and hauntings are real. I can't. Not really.

That's one reason why some of us keep visiting sites that are supposed to be haunted. We're looking for hard, scientific evidence. Will we ever find it? Maybe. Maybe not.

FILM SPEED FOR GOOD "GHOST ORBS"

My primary camera is digital. It picks up more orbs and anomalies than my film cameras do. However, I also rely on film to support the evidence in my digital photos.

For my film camera, I use the grocery store's "house brand" film, 200 or 400 ISO, 35mm.

200 isn't great at night for details, but it's okay. I especially like it for sorting out what might be a paranormal anomaly... and what definitely isn't.

400 is better for details, but it can look too grainy in prints to determine if something is actually an anomaly. In my experience, anything over 400 is nearly worthless, because it's too grainy.

But, some other ghost hunters swear by film speeds of 800, 1200, or higher. I'm sure it depends upon what you're looking for, and how well you can sort through the various lights and flickers on film.