Ghost photo Debunking

This is a photo I took of myself.

Yeah call me vain, was making some flexing ninja photos for facebook......

Anyway.........

I wanted to find out if anyone had seen or actually have photos with the same traits as mine.

Now that light source is from a light bulb, nothing spooky there. In fact, nothing in that photo could be classed as paranormal.

Have any photos you have/seen got these, sort of "light lines"?

By no means am I a photo expert, so maybe any experts can pick out some more things that are perhaps common among "ghost" photos.

All the Best

TheOmen





[edit on 4-9-2008 by TheOmen]

[edit on 4-9-2008 by TheOmen]

So obviously I'm not trying to make a hoax or anything, but do you think people have done this before and attempted and perhaps suceeded in fooling people?

reply to post by TheOmen


Of course! This is the biggest problem with ghost photos - some folks are so eager to believe in them (maybe so they know something happens after you die, that they might be able to meet up with dead friends and family they miss dearly - quite understandable) that they will latch on any image that could show a ghost, regardless of whether it has a mundane explanation.

Rationality is something this field needs - currently there are too many believers who assume something is real until it is debunked, as opposed to the rational stance, which is something is unreal until demonstrated otherwise.

Recipe for a Ghost Photo

1. find a poorly lit area

2. add a pinch of lens flare

3. a touch of double exposure

4. a cupful of anomalious light sources

5. a dash of overexposure

note: be sure to set your camera to low shutter speed so everything cooks properly . . .

reply to post by JPhish


Once cooked, serve to a crowd itching to believe.

Feeds everyone.

reply to post by JPhish


I agree, but I also think that some people may have done the same as me, taken an innocent photo of themselves or some one else, and then tried to pass it off as a ghost.

reply to post by TheOmen


It's not just ghosts - there is one member on this site who takes photos with a terrible webcam, saved as JPEG, messes with the contrast, re-saves, then says the compression artefacts are electric aliens. The passing off of fake photos as real isn't always the act of a hoaxer, but sometimes of someone who doesn't know what they're seeing. The only explanation they have is other-worldly, and a ghost/alien/David Icke photo is born.

and a little part of me dies.

Lets not forgot photoshop I made this by putting my camera on my desk and taking 1 photo with me not in frame and 1 poking my head around the door all ghost like. All I did then was bang them together in photoshop put the image with me in it as the top layer drop opacity to around 15% hit it with a blur brush to cover any inconsistencies between the 2 images and Bob's your uncle a realistic ghost image in under 5 mins.

I'm not saying all images of ghosts are fakes, just pointing out how ridiculously quick and easy it is to fake nowa days.

reply to post by dave420


If I see a picture of a ghost, I will try to see if there is an explanation myself. If I cannot explain it, I do not immediately believe it is real or unreal, just a photo that has an anomaly in it. Once the professionals look at it and if they can rationally explain it, then it is solved. If they can't explain it, it is an unknown anomaly, not necessarily a ghost.
What I am stating is I won't call it a hoax until it is verified as one, and if it isn't, I will not start calling it a real ghost.

I don't think it's a ghost. But the footing looks realistic, i.e. the "ghost" doesn't look like it's floating or sunk into the ground.

And I see three images here. The most obvious "ghost" that looks like he's talking on a cell. Then a head that's slightly to the right, which looks like the same guy, only smaller.
Then the third head, slightly to the right of the second, looks exactly like the first, only larger. It seems to fade out way before the ground though.

Honestly, if you didn't photoshop this piece, I'm inclined to think that something wonky happened with the camera.

I didn't see it asked before, do you know this guy whose image is smack dab in the middle of your photo? Or did he come out of nowhere?