Bachelor's Grove Paranormal Forums

Discussions => General Paranormal Discussion => Topic started by: Ghost1 on Mar 21 2008 - 01:46PM

Title: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Ghost1 on Mar 21 2008 - 01:46PM
Here are the must know facts that every ghost hunter should know when out on a paranormal photography shoot. There are many basics that all ghost photographers should be aware of in order to have the best possible chance of getting ghostly phenomena on film.   :Y:

Try photographing ghosts at night, not during the day.  
Daylight photos are always a challenge. Therefore it's always better to take your photos at night with a flash or in an area with subdued lighting for the best possible chance of capturing something.

Ghosts and apparitions at the best of times are difficult to spot, even with the naked eye. Because of their transparency and appearance taking effective photos during the day is virtually impossible. As such aim to go hunting with your camera at nighttime, or in dark conditions (i.e. cellars, closed off rooms) as this will give the best chance of capturing something amazing on film.

Take lots of photos to capture a ghost!  
Takes photos of anything and everything with a good background image. The odds are good that you will capture an anomaly if you take at least 50 pictures on your hunt. Then again, you might just get some great stuff on your first roll, you just never know

Ghost hunting is the opposite of some standard photographer principles, which suggest not photographing madly and hoping for one good shot. For ghost hunting it is strongly recommended that you do shot photos madly and hope for that single shot that may change our understanding of the world as we know it.

Digital cameras provide instant feedback on ghost hunts  
Most digital cameras have viewer on the back which allows you to check the results of your photo straight away, which makes it easier to hunt, track and photo ghosts.  

Digital cameras are a great tool for ghost photographers! They allow you to see your photo results immediately. No film required, which means no film development turn around time! The big advantage is, you will know right away if you have captured an anomaly, therefore allowing you to track it.

Use people to attract ghosts for your photos.  
Ghosts are quite often attracted to people and will follow them around. So include people in the photos you take.  

When taking photos of others try to include enough space to one side of the picture and above the heads of those in the photo to capture any anomalies present. Remember the purpose is to catch anomalies and people together in the same photo. Here's another trick to use when ghosts might be following you around - put the camera over your shoulder and snap a picture behind you. This can be an effective technique at times.

Ghost hang out in all types of places, not just graveyards!  
Ghosts are not just in haunted old buildings. Ghosts are almost everywhere in one form or another. So don't be afraid to take photos at the mall or out on a busy intersection at night, or anywhere else for that matter.

If you check out many of the ghost photos these days you'll notice a great number of them are taken in normal circomestances, rather than on specific ghost hunts. What this says is that ghosts are in many more places than the stereotypical old graveyards and run down buildings. As such keep your camera handy and don't be afraid to go hunting for ghosts in the modern world

Include specific objects in the photo for scale.  
Always take photos of something and not just a clearing. Having a background image such as a tombstone, tree, building etc., adds to the quality of the photo and allows mild light reflection and depth for judging distance.

Talk to the ghosts so they answer  
By making ghosts feel welcome and non threatened they are more likely to show themselves to yourself and your team, thereby making good photographs more likely.

When you enter an area that you want to photograph, such as a cemetery, follow these steps: Walk around the area for about 15 minutes before doing anything else. As you're walking around, clear your mind and think only good thoughts. (It is often thought that ghosts can sense your feelings and read your thoughts). After 15 minutes, recite the following statement or something similar. "Hi, my name is ______. We have come here to take some pictures of you as ghosts in order to show & document that there is life after death. We have only the best of intentions. We are not here to do any harm and we will only be here long enough to take our photos and then we will leave. Our only request is to take a picture of you, any of you! Thank you so much. I'll begin taking pictures now......thanks!" It may feel silly, but if you get better results, why not? Take all the pictures you think you need to and start heading back to your car. On the way, stop one last time and say: "We are leaving now. Just in case I didn't get any pictures of you on film, I will take just 5 more pictures of this monument (or whatever) and would one of you mind posing for me in these very last photos?" Take five more photos and then say: "Thank you so much for putting up with me & my group. We enjoyed being here in your company and am grateful for any photos you have allowed us to have of you. Thanks again, bye." If you were able to get some good pictures and you proved your good intentions to the ghosts, then you will be welcomed back on your return visit.

Recognize the signs that a ghost may be present.
There are certain environmental, psychological and physiological indications that may point to a ghost being present. Know what these are to improve the odds of locating a ghost to photograph.

Key signs that a ghost or spirit may be in the vicinity of you and your ghost hunting team:
    Unusual cold spots
    Unusual drafty or windy areas
    Unusual or unexpected smells
    Strange sounds (i.e. voices, footsteps, moaning, crying, banging, breathing, etc)
    Strange feeling of "being watched" or "followed" by someone (or something)

Ask the ghosts’ permission to take their picture.  
There have been many cases in which ghost hunters have gotten far better results when they have asked permission from ghosts to take a photo.  

Ask the ghosts’ permission to take their picture as several people think this is the key to successful ghost photos. Effectively it means first asking out loud to the area you are in that you are not a threat and would like to take a photo of them to help demonstrate their existence to others. Give it a go and see if this works for you

Increase your odds by knowing the best places to take pic’s  
Some places are more haunted than others. Some typically haunted locations are cemeteries, old buildings, including old hotels, houses, hospitals, schoolhouses, and churches.  

Other good spots are theaters as well as any historic part of a city. Use your imagination and see what works for you. Just remember the best rule of thumb is to include places that are rich in history on your investigations.

Colder months offer the best chance to capture ghost images  
The best time of the year for capturing ghost images on film are in the colder months when electrostatic energy is at it's highest.

You can capture any kind of ghost type on film at any time of the year but the above mentioned months just increase your odds

Use as higher resolution as possible when hunting  
Cameras of low resolution can produce images with a lot of digital artifacts, especially in low light situations. Use cameras of at least 5 mega pixels of resolution.

Low resolution cameras and settings can produce elements in photos that might look paranormal, but aren’t. If you do capture a real ghost photo then the low resolution can hamper your efforts to examine the detail closely and authenticate that you have indeed captured something

Try locations that are rich in history
If you looking for top places to try capturing a ghost on film, try to find local areas and sights that are rich in history. Often significant emotional and physical events will increase the chance of capturing ghostly images on film.

For example some places to try out may include:
    Areas where large battles were fought (e.g. fields, castles, forests)
    Prisons and goals
    Convict or slave settlements
    Sites of major disasters (i.e. please be respectful in such instances to relatives and friends that may be visiting these sites)
    Churches and places of worship
    Hospitals
    Old or historical parts of your own home town

Use a flashlight to test conditions before photographing  
Keep a powerful spot light in your ghost hunting kit so you can shine in the air and check for dust particles and bugs flying around -- before you start taking pictures!]

When captured in a flash, or reflecting other light sources, dust particles and bugs can look like orbs or cause strange images to appear on photographs. Do a quick check with a strong spotlight or flashlight or torch (depending on where your live :-) to find out what is floating in the air and thus what will show up when you start shooting photos. This will help you authenticate whether you have indeed captured something ghostly on film.

Avoid freak-out - take a friend.  
Ghost hunting is inherently frightening as it is reaching out to touch something that we've been told our whole lives doesn't exist. That is scary. Take a friend, or group of friends with you, to ensure you don't have a "freak out".  

If you are by yourself you may find yourself getting a little touchy at strange sounds and occurrences that may have rational explanations. Taking a friend or group of friends with you will help you keep calm and capture better shots. Also, ghosts do seem attracted to people so this may increase the odds of capturing a unique ghostly image on film.
Speaking even more seriously, you should probably take someone with you in case you hurt yourself. A lot of the time you are going to be walking around in the dark, most likely in locations that are bit run down. Should you hurt yourself it is good to know that someone can go for help, or help you back home.

Record feelings as you take photographs to tune your skill  
As you photograph a location briefly capture your feelings and instincts in a notebook. You can then crosscheck this later with your photos to understand what you were feeling when you captured something ghostly on film.

Almost everyone has the ability to feel the presence of ghosts and spiritual entities, however most of us have not developed this ability. As you begin to hunt ghosts, record your what you were feeling at the time when you took a specific photo. For example, you might have had a really uncomfortable feeling in a specific location before you took a photo. Try to record this so that if later on you discover that you did capture something on film, you can recall what you were feeling.
In this way you will become better at recognizing your own feelings and reactions to the presence of a ghostly or spiritual entity. This will help you take better photographs in the future, and become a more competent ghost hunter/photographer


www.newenglandparanormal.com
http://tiphub.com/How_to_hunt_and_photograph_a_ghost.html
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: The Shadow on Mar 21 2008 - 03:54PM
This is a great post Bud.  :Y:
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Ghost1 on Mar 22 2008 - 12:38AM
Yes, I think the info in this article is outstanding!   All kinds of need-to-know things about how to photograph a ghost.  :Y:

This is a must read for anyone interested in ghost hunting
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Jeepgirlgina on Mar 22 2008 - 06:54PM
nice one
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: spookypooky on Jul 27 2008 - 07:56AM
I agree with the one about ghosts chilling around individuals. I think they are attracted torwards the ones they like!  cof
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Banshee on Dec 08 2008 - 11:38AM
Has everyone read this post on "How to photograph a ghost", this is filled with great info.  :Y: 
This is a must read!

Like this:

Recognize the signs that a ghost may be present.  
There are certain environmental, psychological and physiological indications that may point to a ghost being present. Know what these are to improve the odds of locating a ghost to photograph.

Key signs that a ghost or spirit may be in the vicinity of you and your ghost hunting team:
 
    Unusual cold spots
    Unusual drafty or windy areas
    Unusual or unexpected smells
    Strange sounds (i.e. voices, footsteps, moaning, crying, banging, breathing, etc)
    Strange feeling of "being watched" or "followed" by someone (or something)
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: SedateYourHate on Feb 23 2009 - 01:44AM
That's a great guide, I'm definitely going to keep all of that in mind. Thanks. :)
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Exodus on May 25 2009 - 12:11PM
I've always been into ghosts and signals and so forth, so many of these signs come as second hand to me.  More specifically, the feeling that they are around.  As a matter of fact, the last time I was at Bachelor's, I hit one spot in the graveyard where it instantly reeked of roses.  I didn't have the smell anywhere else when I was walking, I just hit one area and it was just WHAM.  Found that strange.  I took pics, but nothing showed up.  :^(
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Witchiepoo on Nov 29 2009 - 01:43PM
WOW!! That was some interesting reading there ghost! Thank You... che
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: agnostimed13 on Apr 03 2011 - 05:56PM
Plenty of interesting info here. I've never heard of a couple of them.
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Graveyard Hound on Sep 07 2011 - 10:56AM
 :praying: Assuming they want it taken, I've found out that many are quite camera shy.
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Steve Abrams on Sep 07 2011 - 04:21PM
:praying: Assuming they want it taken, I've found out that many are quite camera shy.

The reason most ghost are shy is because they are NAKED! When you do see a ghost they are fully clothed otherwise you see a shadow. When you hear noises they are trying to scare you away because they don't want you to see them nude. That's why they seem to disappear when you turn on a light or use a flash.
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Graveyard Hound on Sep 07 2011 - 10:27PM
 boThanks for the info. :25:
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Darkone on Sep 08 2011 - 06:58PM
Great theory Steve, but if that's the case why are there no naked ghost pic's at all.  They always seem to be in "period" clothing...from the time of there death.
 
I know you where kiding though.   :giggle2:
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Swampertchamp on Feb 01 2012 - 11:20PM
And you also have to be able to debunk things before you say it's a ghost like in this picture by Dale Kaczmarek
http://www.ghostresearch.org/ghostpics/fake/reflection_1.html (http://www.ghostresearch.org/ghostpics/fake/reflection_1.html)
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: ashleirose on Jul 08 2012 - 02:55AM
This is pretty interesting. I also want to capture a ghost on my own but I can't. Haha. I feel like I'm a detective trying to scout a ghost with my camera to but it always ended up with nothing. Many people does not believe in ghost so I would like to show them some proof but I always fail. You have provided a nice tip on how to do that. Thanks. I always love to learn about ghost and love watching horror movies. Prior to this, I also discovered a site that relates well to this forum. I enjoyed watching and reading about paranormal in http://booalert.com/. (http://booalert.com/.) 
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: mavet on Oct 16 2012 - 11:41AM
Great post - especially about talking to them and asking for their permission. I hear and sense them myself so whenever I go in to photograph, I always say hi and ask if they wouldn't mind letting me take some photos of them. Plus once they realize I can hear them, the gossip channels are open and everyone starts talking lol! I have some nice pics from Bachelor's Grove. One with a lady in blue with a little girl in pink, one with a hooded skeletal figure holding a baby and a few more fun pics. They've always been very accomodating for me. Just a bit chatty but then again the most chatty ones are in the older cemetaries in England.
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Relia on Mar 23 2015 - 09:20PM
This post was really helpful! I'm actually going in a hour with a friend to Woodlawn/Clements Cemetary in my hometown of Champaign/Urbana. My dad was just recently buried there plus there's an urban legend surrounding a ghost there known as the blue man ghost. I'm a photography student so I'm taking my camera with me and my friend has an EVP recorder. Wish me luck xD. If I catch something interesting, I'll be sure to post it.
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: JaWi on Mar 24 2015 - 01:23AM
Well good luck to you Relia,
 I have to say you have more nerve than I do !!! lol
Let us know how it went ...
Title: Re: How to photograph a ghost
Post by: Ghost1 on Apr 03 2015 - 06:58PM

How did it go, any luck? 





This post was really helpful! I'm actually going in a hour with a friend to Woodlawn/Clements Cemetary in my hometown of Champaign/Urbana. My dad was just recently buried there plus there's an urban legend surrounding a ghost there known as the blue man ghost. I'm a photography student so I'm taking my camera with me and my friend has an EVP recorder. Wish me luck xD. If I catch something interesting, I'll be sure to post it.