Hi all! I took this pic last night at an old abandoned cemetery. I am not an expert on distinguishing between supernatural anomalies and other natural explanations. What do you guys think? I would also appreciate any advice/tips on photographing that you could provide!


P.S. The date is incorrect b/c my crazy camera insists on resetting the date (incorrectly) everytime I put in fresh batteries and I forgot to turn the datestamp off.

Thanks for your help!
-- Karen



[ July 08, 2004, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: WitchyWoman ]

The pic is quite dark so it's hard to make out much detail. If you're wondering about the three bright spots, those look like flying bugs to me.

The topmost one (middle spot) is the most orb-ish looking, but I'm guessing it's a bug too.

Probably the best bet for capturing orbs is to wait until you feel something (hair stands up, you feel chills, or disoriented). Then ask whoever's there if they want to be in the picture, to pose for you. Take the pic, and thank them afterward. From what I've read this often improves the chances of success. After all, ghosts are people too. =)

the two on the bottom look like bugs but the top like an orb in motion. did you use a digital camera? if so the best way to get something on film is to just take as many pictures as you can, just keep taking one picture after another if nothing shows up you can always delete the photo.

I used Intellifix on the pic to bring out more details. It was a very buggy night; in fact if you look closely you can see all those tiny dots that are bugs. That's why I was curious as to why these 3 spots were so much bigger and brighter than the rest.

Kevin - I never really had any eerie feelings at this place. Well, unless you count when the cars drove by and I was sure it was a copper coming to put me in jail. LOL. Also, I had heard before about inviting the ghosties to pose for you, but then I'd also heard warnings that things like that can be an invitation for malign spirits to enter your personal space. Any thoughts on that?

Damien - I did use digital, but my camera is so crappy that I have to wait sometimes for my flash to warm up. lol. I took about 70 pics all together and have about 10 more that I'll be posting a link to as soon as I get the webpage done.

Thank you both!

Those three bugs were closer to the camera, and illuminated by the flash. As for the 3rd bug, it could be an orb, but usually orbs aren't that bright, and that one was the same color as the other 2 bugs. If you have a high-res copy of the pic and you could crop out the part with the "orb" and post that I could tell better.

Okay, here they are - one regular & one "intellifixed." =)



Do you know where I can find some standard guidelines to follow when distinguishing orbs from other objects? I have been under the impression that the paler, more opaque "orbs" are almost always bugs or dust so I don't really know what to look for now.

I'm with you witchy-woman, I have a hard time telling what is and what isn't. Times when others say that it does or they see something and I am going I don't think so and other times that I see something in a picture or believe something to be an orb and some say not?

Great picture by the way. In looking at the close up it doesn't look like a bug to me. To me it looks more like an orb. I was going through some pics that I took a few yrs back while visiting the Queen Mary, the Winchester house and Alcatraz. Used a 35mm so quality not as crisp as digital but I have a couple that I think maybe have something in them. If I can figure out how to scan and post on here I will and see what others have to say.

I think the more pictures ppl post the better, it's the only way to gain a little knowledge on how to determine what is and isn't by those better trained.

Keep taking those pictures. I can't wait to get a digital camera so I can start snapping away. I have a digital camcorder so maybe I'll give it a go this weekend and visit a few local haunts and also see if I can catch anything here if things are active at home this weekend with our ghostie and spirit visitors.

kevin, you'd be surprised at how bright an orb can get.

Hi Karen,

Very cool moving orb, nice and bright. Great job! =)

:banana: Hi Karen, As you can tell I had a look at your pictures and I feel that this is an orb! This picture looks like any other posted "TRUE ORB" shot to me. I think you got one, now if only I could get one ! GOOD WORK!!

In the close-up, it does look more like an orb. I always try to rule out non-paranormal possibilities first, so a small bright orb might be mistaken for a bug, or vice versa. You can never be 100% certain. I still have trouble distinguishing real orbs from dust in some pictures. But I'm still a relative newbie when it comes to paranormal photography. =)

Now I need to find an excuse to visit my wife's friend's haunted house and take some more pics. =)