Ghost or an Angel?
A special thanks to a reader in Covington, OK that has submitted a photo for review. Over the years I have received countless photographs asking one simple question. Is this a ghost? It’s not that simple.
While reviewing suspected ghostly photographs there are many questions that arise. But there are five main questions I seek answers on when offering an opinion of a spectral snapshot. I invite you the readers to offer your own opinion on this photograph asking these five questions.
1. Why would there be a ghost in this photo?
2. Why did they take the photo in the first place?
3. Was it day or night?
4. Was the flash on or off?
5. What is lurking in front of the lens?
The information I received about this photo was limited but here it is.“This was taken in from of our house in Bartlett, TN three years ago. Weird. It was a beautiful night.”
As an investigator, I view photos a lot differently than most people. Even my own family photographs I catch myself inspecting them differently than non-ghost hunters. For quality, light source and sometimes unexplainable images. I along with many others see the photos a screen shot, separated by layers . The first layer is the image as a whole. The second is what is closest to the lens if a flash is being used. The third but not final image is the objects that are behind or in line with the “anomaly” featured in the photo. And last, sizing. Is the “ghost” too big or too small within the natural setting of the photograph?
Reviewing this photo I was instantly drawn to what appears to be smoke a.k.a. the suspected “ghost or angel”. The smokey image is not set back into the photo, in fact it is directly in front of the lens. I noticed the photo was taken at night of Christmas decorations. Christmas in Tennessee, I am pretty confident the weather was cold outside. It may have been a nice night, but it was probably cooler temperatures. I then noticed that the photo was taken in the dark, with a very bright flash. I highly recommend with nighttime photography or even spirit photography, refrain from using a flash at all times and it’s been suggested to that you invest in a tripod to eliminate the “smeared light” effects involving nighttime photography. Sure, you may get a lot of blank photographs, but at least you will not share with your friends and family that you “caught a ghost” and later be the laughing stock. The flash will illuminate anything and everything that is directly in front of the lens or within the flashes range. The flash then lights up whatever is there in front of the lens. In this case, it’s more than likely that it is nothing more than a deep breath captured in a photo. Moisture, cold breaths and even cigarrette smoke can, will and is destined to be mistaken as a ghostly apparition maybe even an angel. I will not get into “orbs” right now, that’s another blog for another day. But with orbs, the same rules apply but then you are getting into dust, dirt, dander, dry skin, fabric fuzz, pollen and even bugs. If they glow and have wings and you used your flash, it’s 99.9% of the time going to be a bug, not a fairy, angel or the spirit of tinkerbell.
Reflective sources- It’s important to not utilize flash photography into reflective sources. Day or night. Wallpaper, paneling, mirrors, doors, windows, glass, shiney wood, gloss paint, slick plastic, TV’s, cars and pretty much anything that reflects light. Turn the flash off!
In closing, to our Covington reader, I am sorry but you did not photograph anything supernatural at that time. It is my opinion that you captured a deep breath on a cold night. Sorry! You have a right to believe that you did of course, but at least you got a second opinion on a very controversial subject.
Do I believe that ghosts could be caught on camera? Sure! I have seen apparitions with my own eyes, so why not be able to capture one on camera, even video!
Until then, I will have to wait until the next ghostly photo arrives in my inbox! tonya@ghouli.org
NOTE: I am not a professional photographer nor do I claim to be one. I do have a close affiliation with professional photographers that have allowed me to learn about photographic discrepancies that are often confused with “ghosts”. As readers submit photos I will explain more about spirit photography right here on this blog. From orbs to visual matrixing,with your help I hope to cover it all and to learn more about paranormal photography. I will even be analyzing my own old “ghost photos” from over the years. They were “paranormal” then, but today I may have a different opinion. Looking forward to your feedback, suggestions and of course your photos!
Sincere blogger,
Tonya H.
a.k.a Paranormal Eyes
PS- Want a comparison photo? Click below
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Comments
Tonya Hacker has done what many people who call themselves “researchers” fail to do….openly look at evidence and subject it to close scrutiny. I hope that others follow her fine example.
I concur with Tonya. This is either vapors from it being cold or cigarette smoke. Most likely, it is cold air vapor from the photographer’s breath.
Hey Divas,
I agree… its not easy answeing the question, “Is this a Ghost?”
It’s not like asking, “Is this a picture of Brad Pitt?” or “Is this a picture of a Donkey?” (a connection?… naw… LOL)
But something I do like to do is also ask… why do people think that ghosts look like smoky mists or light balls of light? Has this always been the perception of ghosts 100 years ago? 500 years ago? 2,000 years ago? … I dont think so. It is my knowledge that spirits have changed into what most photographic anomalies are now or vice versa. It’s facinating…. but after taking hundreds of smoke photographs, … I believe this to be someone smoking very close to the lense.
My opinoin. That is all. 
Maybe one day we will get a picture of a ghost. But until then, I think the mists and orbs that I have seen have all been photographic anomalies.
- Brian
Ghostology with Brian & Anna Marie
http://www.ghostologyradio.com
Some excellent information in this blog. I agree with you, this is most likely “a deep breath on a cold night.”
I like to make every attempt to apply techniques of real image forensics professionals. I’ve picked up a lot of interesting techniques from here: http://hanyfarid.org/maat/
From there, I apply knowledge of the types of lighting that would need to be present to cause similar anomalies. If conditions match, I try to explain the type of anomaly to the submitter, including a recreation photo if possible.
By the way, I tend to agree with Brian on his opinion that this photo is likely smoke close to the lens. Breath tends to spread out quickly and cause a general fog. Smoke holds together in narrow tendrils for much longer.
My family visited the famous haunted Whaley House in old town San Diego a few years ago. My husband photographed a large tree just outside the house after our tour was over. We really freaked out when we saw what appeared to be ghostly ectoplasm in the photograph surrounding the tree. Even a few paranormal investigators agreed that what we photographed was a ghost or ghosts. Then I met Tonya Hacker! Lol! She brought me back to the natural world when she said she thought it was in fact cigarette smoke we’d captured on our digital camera. Since the time she burst my bubble, I have closely examined the photo and realize that indeed the “ectoplasm” is directly in front of the lens, rather than surrounding the tree. I believe the photo in question on this blog is cigarette smoke. Sorry….it’s more fun to think it’s a ghost. I know!!!
Looks like smoke to me. Tonya is right, we all need to ask these 5 questions before we automatically assume that it is a ghost.
Dear Chuck,
http://hanyfarid.org/maat/ Is a great website, thank you for sharing. I have it bookmarked!
I dont know why this whole subject annoys me. Its water vapor you fool. Like all ghost hunters and the like you have a desire to believe so you see what you want to see. Come on though, stop the silliness and start thinking rationally, do the human race a favor.
Hi I’ve just done a google image search and came across this site because I saw something very similar last night. I was seeing a friend to the door at 3.40am and we was just saying goodbye and I looked over to the bungalow opposite and their was a whie thick smoky strange shape (about 3ft wide by 2ft high) hovering above her fence which is only about 3ft high as soon as I saw it it went straight down behind the fence I did not think for a moment that my friend had seen it but she took off and ran towards it shouting ‘What the hell was that?!’ I thought it was still behind the fence but she said that she ran towards it and looked left because she had seen it go down and shoot left well there was nowhere for it to go if it had been something earthly because there is just a long brick wall she even looked in my neighbour’s porch because there was nowhere this thing could have possibly gone. I am writing this because I have read the comments above it could not have possibly been our breath it was approximately 12 metres away, there is no water any where near hear it was clear night and quite mild. I am not into anything paranormal at all because I find it quite frightening and we hadn’t been talking about anything spooky at all and if my friend hadn’t seen it as well I probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought.
Email the photo to me at tonya@ghouli.org I will be happy to take a look!!!
Sorry I never took a photo I wasn’t expecting to see anything as I said I was just saying bye to my friend at my front door. This has really changed by perspective on things I have always been open minded but actually seeing something for myself that was ‘unearthly’ is the only way I could describe it ,it has made me wonder what, why and how. I think if it hadn’t moved I may dismissed it more easily I knew it actually was something when it moved if that makes sense.By the way I am from England, UK.
I am very interested in ghosts and I would like to hope this is the real thing as;
Water vapour doesn’t tend to swirl like that without strong wind and the author said it was a nice night.
Lots of superstition surounds Christmas and if angels are going to appear it would be around that time.
The smoke penetrates all 3 layers of the picture, where as cigerette smoke only penetrares 1.
So, I conclude (If my theory is correct) that it is a random lump of ectoplasm, that has no mind and just floats around,,,
I do hope it is though, I visited Stone henge and The Golden Fleece ( a haunted pub in York) in the hope of glimpsing one but no such luck yet!
Заметил такую тенденцию, что в блогах появилось много не адекватных комментариев, не могу понять, это что кто то спамит так? А зачем, чтоб падлу комуто сделать))) Имхо глупо…
when a wisp or smoke or fog formation is too close to the camera, I throw it out. It can be caused by someones warm breath on a cold night. When in doubt throw it out. I take a second picture immediately. Usually, it’s mist cause from the heat on a tombstone or cement. If it’s there on the second picture, I throw it out. If you have to question it, move along to the next. You’ll eventually hit something that will run your blood cold, and cause terror to grip you. I did.
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I’m so dubious of most spirit photographs that I won’t weigh in. When I see an outside shot at night with a Christmas decoration in the background, I think cold. I think cold, I think vapor, and therefore someone’s breath.