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Ghost orbs

 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
18:21 / 05.02.02
Does anyone know anything about these? They are the fuzzy little globes of light that turn up in some photographs, like this one:



The orbs are supposedly caused by some form of supernatural energy, and photos showing orbs and trails turn up on a lot of paranormal websites. Although the pictures don't look as if they've been deliberately faked, I'm not convinced that the orbs aren't made by some sort of camera glitch. However, I don't know enough about photography to work out what might be causing them. Any ideas?
 
 
Indigo
18:25 / 05.02.02
Dunno, but I get them usually on outdoor pictures when a spot of rain lands on the lens. I'm not a photography expert though, so I don't know...
 
 
Ierne
18:28 / 05.02.02
My thought: It's a trick of the light (to quote John Entwistle ). They often happen if a flash is used while taking the photo. The light from the flash will be reflected from a surface out of shot (window, mirror) and hit the camera lens.

One of the many reasons why I never use a flash!
 
 
Rev. Jesse
18:30 / 05.02.02
Or if you used a watch face to reflect light onto a wall, that would do it too.
 
 
The One Eyed King
19:18 / 05.02.02
I'm not to sure about "Ghost Orbs". Many of the pictures I've seen of them appear to be rain spots (like what Indigo said), something wrong with the camera or the developing process.
 
 
Lothar Tuppan
19:35 / 05.02.02
Pickled tomatoes. I knew I left a jar open.

I dunno. I have seem really weird shit from a camera that has a flash 'slightly' out of synch. Weird drug like trails and blobs and stuff. Especially around people and altars.

It might just be mechanical/chemical but it certainly has certain... synchronicities to it.
 
 
Seth
09:11 / 06.02.02
I've seen similar stuff when I used to wear glasses (strange circles with slowly moving inner circles, as though part of your vision is seeing cells or bacteria through a microscope). I think it was when I wore glasses - I can't remember having seen them now I wear contacts.

Either way, they looked identical to what is in that particular photograph. I have no idea what causes the phenomenon, however.
 
 
Suffocate
09:11 / 06.02.02
The most notorious cause of "orbs" is dust on or in the lens. Sometimes, as said above, it can be spots of water... pretty much anything tiny that can get on your lense and f*ck things up.

It's such an easily replicated method of producing "ghosts", that most orb pictures are instantly regarded as fake.
 
 
Ierne
11:41 / 06.02.02
So who are the peeps in the photo MC?
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
17:41 / 06.02.02
Oh, gaahd, she's rumbled me! The peeps in the photo are utter strangers; the image was lifted randomly from the web to help create the illusion that I have a thriving, cosy family life. In fact, my main source of human contact is the Texaco station up the road, whence I shamble for beer and Pot Noodles. I'm living a lie.

(Actually, it was just the first orb piccy that came to hand.)
 
 
Naked Flame
20:07 / 08.02.02
exp- those strange circles are a reflection of dust particles floating on the surface of your eye, magnified by the reflection of the inner surface of the lens. Or, at least, that's what seems to be the case here (also 4-eyed. 5 even if you count 3rd eye as well as glasses.)

I know a little about photography- enough to know you can certainly get some pretty mad camera glitches, from all sorts of things. as for paranormal phenomena on regular film... I would doubt it. Unless, and this is kind of a big unless, there was some kind of intent either on the part of the person taking the shot (who should probably join the x-men if they can do shit like that) or the non-corporeal subject. Curious though. Got any links to others?
 
 
Rev. Jesse
20:53 / 08.02.02
quote:Originally posted by Mordant C@rnival:
[QB]The peeps in the photo are utter strangers; [QB]


Oh goodie-gum drops!

It means I can say what I've been dying to for the last week, that the blond on the right has a really really funny face and eyes.

Sorry for the Spam

-Rev. Jesse
 
 
Indigo
21:49 / 09.02.02
I hadn't noticed, but now that you mention it, you're absolutely right!
 
 
cerrifaery
21:50 / 26.03.04
Well, It could be the camera.. but we had a ritual/wedding ceremony outside when it wasn't damp. And three separate cameras caught tons of orbs. Some are from the environment. But I am sorry. I don't think all could be the cameras fault. To view a few of the pics.. taken all with the same camera... go to this addie http://celtic_faery.tripod.com/wedding.html

Hope you enjoy.
Hugz,
Cerridwen
 
 
Lionheart
06:01 / 27.03.04
Usually it's dust or moisture on the camera lens. But sometimes it's something else. I was watching some show about ghost investigators on the Discovery Channel when they showed full motion video footage of the orbs moving around. Weird stuff.
 
 
Bard: One-Man Humaton Hoedown
06:22 / 27.03.04
Let me say that, as a photographer, there's a LOT of shit that you can do with a camera, completly by accident, that looks like something supernatural. Especially when there are unforseen effects, or picutres taken by people who know nothing about how photography works.

Case in point: One of my first projects was entitled "The Duke in Exile", and featured my friend, Ian, standing in the window of a Starbucks wearing a suit and elf ears. Now, some interesitng things occured with this picture. First, though the window didn't LOOK reflective, viewing the photographs the reflection was highly accentuated, and Ian was surrounded by glowing orbs that were essentially just from different types of reflection both inside and outside the glass. One picture, however, was very odd: the window was completly reflective of the building on the other side of the street, and what I ended up with was a transparent picture of Ian, standing like a ghost in front of a full street.

The circle in the picture shown here isn't very convincing, it looks like the regular sort of thing that you'd get off a bit of reflection in the background, or something on the lense.
 
 
h3r
21:51 / 27.03.04
bard, i want to see that pic! post it please !
a picture speaks more than a thousand words
 
 
macrophage
23:16 / 27.03.04
Someone at the processor's stamped a sigil of their own's on it - straight up!!! There exists a secret order of occultists involved in this work. Similar to the Cotingley Fairy thing!
 
 
Liger Null
01:43 / 30.03.04
I once took a "ghost-hunting" class at the local community college. We went on an expedition to a haunted house and were encouraged to take photos. Several of mine had those little orb thingies in them; they were identical to the one in the posted photo. The instructor got very exited, isisting that they were spirits, as they happened to be in areas where there was supposed "activity". Personally, I think the dust explanation makes about as much sense as anything.
 
 
Bard: One-Man Humaton Hoedown
02:42 / 30.03.04
a picture speaks more than a thousand words>

I'd have to find it first. But yeah, I need to put up some pics when I get around to it. Make a page out of it. When I do, I'll post the link here.

Incidentally, the friend in question is an Asatru, and is one of the more mystical individuals I know in the flesh.
 
 
Saturnine
04:26 / 30.03.04
Having spent more than enough time watching Most Haunted, all I know about "orbs" is that they are supposed to be the first manifestation of a spirit presence - that is, a collection of moving energy. I've only ever taken notice of them on that program (on UK Living for those in the know), as they are captured on cameras, in the dark and available for playback. When it comes to still cameras, it can always just be dust.
 
 
diz
15:39 / 30.03.04
i'm usually skeptical of photo-related weirdness, but my girlfriend and i visited the Oregon Vortex the year before last and some weird shit happened. the height changes here are totally visible in person.

also, they have a bunch of photos which have captured energy whorls which look like funnel clouds. at first it looks like something that happened to the film or some weird light distortion, until you notice that they move between objects (as in you'll see one starting on the ground, pass behind some chair or something and still be visible between the slats, pass in front of someone's outstretched arm, and then emerge on top. they also cast shadows on film. very, very weird.

strangely, my girlfriend and i were later looking at a photo exhibit at an art gallery in New York, and the photographer included height-difference photos from the Oregon Vortex.
 
  
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