Ghost Hunting for Beginners by Rich Newman

Author:Rich Newman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ghost, paranormal, ghost hunting, beginner
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2011-08-09T00:00:00+00:00

[contents]

Photography

We must stop asking: Can these things be? And begin asking: Why are these things?

—John Keel (Operation Trojan Horse, 1970)

When it comes to haunting evidence, nothing has been around as long as ghost photography. Besides capturing the real thing, photography was also used early on by the debunkers of fraudulent spirit and psychic activity—and for every real ghost photo, there are thousands of fakes. During the heyday of the Spiritualist movement, frauds would claim to have the ability to channel the dead and would then take photos of the “spirits” and/or the ectoplasm that would issue forth from the “medium.” The methods for performing this trickery involved using double exposures and practical special effects.

Famed illusionist Harry Houdini took great pleasure from exposing such frauds, and early ghost hunters would often find themselves defending their vocation because of such wrongdoings. There were, however, photographs that were taken that still cause much debate today concerning their authenticity. Some are even considered the best examples of spirit photography ever.

Early photos date back as far as the 1860s and even include a snapshot taken by famed Civil War–photographer Matthew Brady of what appears to be a ghost standing in Ford’s Theatre, the site of the Abraham Lincoln assassination. Unfortunately, these authentic photos taken by reputable photographers would be outshined by unscrupulous individuals and groups like the infamous Crewe Circle who were proven to be frauds by early ghost hunter Harry Price.

Many of the techniques that early photographers used for photographing the dead are essentially the same today, even though the technology of cameras has come a long way. Before we take a look at the various approaches to spirit photography, let’s examine the various types of cameras used for this purpose.

Types of Cameras

There was a time when paranormal investigators steered clear of digital cameras. They believed the format was entirely too easy to manipulate using computer programs and the lack of a negative made authenticating such photos difficult. Since then, it has become apparent that ALL photos can be manipulated using programs like Adobe Photoshop, so the digital camera is now the weapon of choice. Unfortunately, the wide availability of digital cameras (and their ease of use) has caused ghost hunters to overlook other formats of photography that deserve a closer look and a little more use in the field.

The earliest cameras used for photography were film-based cameras, though the film in those days came on single plates rather than rolls of film. Since film costs money, most investigators have stopped using their 35mm cameras. This is a shame. Nothing beats the thrill of getting back a set of developed photographs and finding something paranormal. Of course, that’s the very problem that’s ushered in the downfall of 35mm cameras: the wait involved with developing film. This also costs money. So it’s understandable that you would want to take the bulk of your photographs using a digital camera—but don’t give up on film! After all, you can try using infrared film, using different lenses, and other techniques with a 35mm camera.

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