False 'ghost orbs' and hair

The night was chilly and dry, but not dry enough for dust to be an issue. There were no bugs and it wasn't the right time of year for pollen. And, on our digital cameras, we could see some great ghost orbs.

So, we were thrilled when two of our film photos--above--looked so odd.

Within minutes of studying them, the truth occured to us: The red of the eerie lines matched the color of Fiona's hair. She didn't see her hair in the viewfinder since it doesn't "look" through the lens, but--in the brisk wind that night--her hair got in the way of these pictures.

We tried several experiments on other nights, and while those photos weren't this dramatic, they were similar enough to confirm our suspicions.

These photos may look great, but these false 'ghost orbs' and streaks were caused by the flash camera highlighting strands of hair.

When you're hoping for real ghost photos, make sure that they are real ghost photos, not something else.

And, be sure to see our other articles about hair in ghost photos:

• False ghost pictures - Hair tests - startling 'vortex' images.
• More fake ghost pictures with hair - liabilities of hair near cameras.
• False shadows from hair - Subtle discoloration.