In addition, some people see orbs in real life, not just in film. To them, the orbs seem to be floating in air. However, the vast majority of people see orbs [...]]]> Orbs are translucent circles or spheres that appear in photos and videos. When we can’t explain them, those orb sightings are often considered paranormal.

In addition, some people see orbs in real life, not just in film. To them, the orbs seem to be floating in air. However, the vast majority of people see orbs only in photographs and videos.

Who sees orbs?

It’s difficult to tell how many people capture orb images in photos.

However, the orbs appear in pictures whether you’re a believer or not, and whether your goal is orb photography or not.

Basically, anyone who takes photos in haunted locations is likely to see orbs in his or her photos.

It’s that simple.  Orbs are real.

Until I saw my first, baffling daytime orb in a photo, I hadn’t even looked for photographic anomalies.

Then, when I reviewed old photos I’d taken throughout the UK and Ireland, I was amazed. The only orbs were in photographs of haunted places.

From tests with the Hollow Hill team, it appears that about 80% of photographers will discover orbs in their pictures.

(Photo above, left: Orb outside the Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas.)

Orb sightings – The test

We tested our theories with about a dozen researchers and identical, disposable cameras.   Some were experienced investigators, and others were on their first “ghost hunt.”  We were all at the same (very haunted) location at the same time, and each researcher took a full roll of photos that evening.

Three of our 20 researchers had no anomalies of any kind — including orbs — in their photos.   One other seemed to capture a strange image, but it may have been a reflection.

Each of the other researchers photographed orbs in an average of three photos (out of 24 on the roll of film).

Note: Before digital cameras became popular, we were happy when two or three photos — out of 100 — revealed anomalies.

Today,  percentages are harder to estimate.  When a researcher sees orbs in his or her photos, that immediate feedback prompts us to take even more pictures in that area.

It’s always a mistake to reach conclusions from a single, limited study.  However, that night’s evidence supported our guideline that about 80% of researchers can take orb photos.

It doesn’t seem to make any difference if the photographer is a skeptic or a believer.

(Photo above, right: Orb above headstone at Gilson Road Cemetery, Nashua, NH)

Tips for more orb photos

The following seem to improve results among orb photographers:

• Use the flash on your camera.
• Use film or a digital setting between 400 and 800 ISO (or ASA).
• Take photos when your “gut feeling” prompts you to.
• If anyone notes an EMF spike, cold spot or other anomalies, take photos in that area.
• Study every photo carefully.  Enlarge it if it’s digital.  Study the film as well as the print, if you’re using a film camera.

Whether you’re actively looking for orbs or prefer other evidence of ghosts and hauntings, orb sightings intrigue many paranormal investigators.

Do you have a great tip that helps you take more interesting “ghost photos”… including orbs?  Have a question about orbs?  Leave comments, below.

At least 95% of orbs are seen in photos, not in real life.  At right, that’s an unretouched photo of an orb.

Some believe that cameras – especially digital cameras – are better able to [...]]]> Orb sightings can be very exciting, especially if this is your first orb or if the photo is very unusual.

At least 95% of orbs are seen in photos, not in real life.  At right, that’s an unretouched photo of an orb.

Some believe that cameras – especially digital cameras – are better able to detect unusual energy, and represent it as a sphere or “ghost orb” in pictures.

Before you get too excited about the orb in your photo, let’s rule out the very normal and natural things that can cause orbs in photographs.

Natural explanations

Orb photos – especially when they’re taken with a flash camera – can result from the following issues.

• Dust in the air – Our tests have shown that it’s harder than you might think, to create orbs with dust.  However, since most skeptics leap on the dust explanation, consider whether or not dust might have been a factor.If you take several photos at the same time, a dust orb will usually show up in all of them. The orb will drift towards the floor or ground, due to gravity.
• Pollen – Look for a yellow dot of pollen in the center of your orb.  If your orb is already a yellow color, look for a more vivid or darker yellow dot in the center of the orb.
• Humidity – If it’s very humid, damp or foggy, study your orb photos carefully.  If you see more than five or six orbs, the explanation could be moisture. This is why I recommend taking at least two or three photos, one right after the other, without changing position.If humidity caused your orbs, there will be several orbs in all of your photos.  Unless it’s a windy night and fog is drifting in, the orbs won’t suddenly appear (or disappear) in just one photo.
• Rain  — Because rain will almost always cause orbs, those orbs may or may not be paranormal.  Until we understand how to analyze orbs better, we can’t tell if it’s a ghost orb when rain is also present.
• Insects — Perhaps the easiest of all to identify, insects can be a problem in warmer weather.  Enlarge your orb and see if you can spot a small figure — usually whitish — with wings.  (I’d love to say that your photo shows a little Tinkerbell-type faerie, but those are usually mosquitos.)

Orbs can also be caused by reflective surfaces, including the following items.

• Windows and all glass objects, including table tops and cabinet doors
• Shiny metal including beverage containers mostly hidden in the grass, as well as jewelry if the photographer’s hand is anywhere in front of the flash.
• Headlights on cars, parked or moving
• Polished gravestones
• Reflective street signs

When those kinds of problems are ruled out, we’re left to wonder what orbs are.

Many people feel that they represent ghostly energy.  We often notice elevated EMF levels or significant temperature changes in the area where orbs are sighted.

Whether you believe that orbs are spirits or not, when your digital camera screen shows you orbs, it’s a good time to check carefully for other evidence of ghosts and hauntings.

—

Did I miss anything on this list of normal — not paranormal — explanations for orbs in photos and videos?  If so, add your best orb tips in the comments, below, or tell us about your favorite orb sightings.

Most of us agree that at least 90% of orbs can be explained as refracted light from moisture, reflective surfaces, insects, pollen or dust.

Some of us believe that the remaining 10% (or so) are unexplained –  called anomalies — and indicate possible paranormal activity.

Skeptics [...]]]> Ghost orbs are a controversial topic, even among believers.

Most of us agree that at least 90% of orbs can be explained as refracted light from moisture, reflective surfaces, insects, pollen or dust.

Some of us believe that the remaining 10% (or so) are unexplained –  called anomalies — and indicate possible paranormal activity.

Skeptics fall back on the explanation that those unexplained 10% are just dust.  That’s a convenient excuse.

But, let’s say that those orbs are “just dust.”  There’s still an overlooked question.  In fact, it can be startling and obvious when you think about it.

Why do we see so many more orbs in photos taken at haunted places?

Why are there dozens of orbs in photos taken at a haunted cemetery, and hardly any orbs at a field just down the street from that cemetery?

If they’re both equally dusty, shouldn’t we see an equal number of orbs in the photos?

Let’s backtrack for a moment.

GHOSTS AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

Most ghost hunters point to physical evidence such as doors that slam without explanation.  Or, they’ll talk about lights, radios and televisions that turn on “by themselves.”

Similarly, I’ve heard a broken piano play music at The Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana.

We’ve seen balls roll by themselves, pencils move across tables, and so on.

So, why is it so preposterous to think that a ghost might deliberately lift flecks of dust, to manifest as orbs in our photos?

Remember the movie, Ghost?  In one scene, Patrick Swayze — as a ghost — struggles to move physical objects.  Fortunately, another ghost shows him how it’s done.

But what about ghosts in cemeteries and other haunted locations?  Maybe no one has shown them how to move large and heavy objects.  Perhaps a particle of dust is all that they can manage.

A ghost that gets our attention with a fleck of dust is no less real than a ghost that slaps someone, rolls a ball across the floor of a deserted hospital, or slams doors in an empty hall.

SUMMARY

In most cases, ghost hunters dismiss orbs caused by obvious reflective objects such as stop signs, shiny headstones, car lights, insects and rain.

Sure, some orbs are caused by dust particles.  What’s important is this: Is the dust an anomaly?

If you’re seeing unexplained orbs in photos taken at one location, take photos at a nearby location with similar levels of dust,  pollen, and so on.  Equal orbs indicate natural causes.

However, if you see orbs in photos at a haunted cemetery but not in photos at the Little League field next door, the real issue isn’t whether it’s dust.  Instead, ask why the orbs only show up in the haunted cemetery.

The answer might be: Ghosts.

They appear to be floating or gliding energy forms, so they can be anywhere at all.

We’ve heard reports from people who successfully ask orbs to move to certain locations for photos.  For example, they tell the ghost to move the orb over a particular doorway or gravestone.

(Generally, we only [...]]]> Orbs can appear anywhere.

They appear to be floating or gliding energy forms, so they can be anywhere at all.

We’ve heard reports from people who successfully ask orbs to move to certain locations for photos.  For example, they tell the ghost to move the orb over a particular doorway or gravestone.

(Generally, we only ask ghosts to manifest however they can, if they’d like to appear in a photo.)

During many years of studying ‘ghost photos’, we’ve noticed an odd pattern among many orbs. They appear in consistent places. The trend is so predictable, we believe it’s beyond coincidence.

In an unusual number of photos, we’ve seen orbs directly over the head of a person. In most cases, the photos were taken at a significant event (such as a wedding or prom) or a family gathering.

Other orbs appear over chairs, as if the ghost is sitting there.

The photo above shows an orb ‘seated’ at the haunted Golden Fleece pub in York, England. (Hollow Hill researchers investigated there in June 2007.) Because the restaurant has many shiny surfaces, we discount most orbs, but the placement of this one caught our attention.

WHAT ARE ORBS?

To be honest, we don’t know what orbs are.

We call them ‘ghost orbs’ when we can’t explain them, after considering humidity, dust, reflected light, and so on. (See our Ghost photography > False anomalies section, in our Ghost hunters guide articles.)

We have ample proof that unexplained orbs appear in haunted places in dramatically higher numbers. Orbs seem to appear in areas where EMF levels spike. We’re not sure if orbs contain higher levels of energy, but some researchers believe that they do.

ORBS IN PHOTOS v. ORBS YOU CAN SEE

A small — perhaps gifted — minority of researchers are able to see orbs in real life. However, the orbs that they see don’t usually appear in photos taken at the same time.

In most cases, researchers don’t see anything before, during and after taking photos that — when viewed on the monitor or printed — reveal orbs.

After over a dozen years of professional research, members of the Hollow Hill team are still astonished when we see vivid orbs in photos, though we saw nothing unusual when the photos were taken.

SPARKLES AND ORBS

Years ago, we were the first ghost hunters to use the term ‘sparkles’ to describe an odd visual effect that occurs with some cameras. You can read about them in our article, Sparkles and anomalies.

We’ve learned that, when we see sparkles, there’s a good chance we’ll find orbs or other photographic anomalies in our pictures.

SENTIENT ORBS?

We’re not sure if orbs are related to spirits that are aware of us and can respond to the people around them.

However, we’ve seen enough ‘ghost photos’ to know that orbs often appear in similar locations, as if they’re comfortable among us.

Whether they’re posing for group photos or sitting comfortably in a favorite chair, the placement often seems deliberate.

However, although this picture was not taken in a “haunted” location, we wonder [...]]]>
original photo (unretouched)
scanned image, outlined

We took the photo on our webpage, Ghost Hunters – Ecto and Smoke, as part of a controlled experiment. We were demonstrating how smoke can look like “ecto” in photos.

However, although this picture was not taken in a “haunted” location, we wonder if the spirits are having fun with us.

When we look at our original photo–and especially the area in the enlargement above–we see an outline of a classic Christmas angel, or even a cartoon-style ghost.

Or, as another reader pointed out, it also looks similar to the “dove of peace” symbol used in many Christian churches.

We’ve outlined the general shape in the scan shown on the right, to emphasize where the figure is. (Looking at it again, we traced one of the lines slightly wrong, but the shape is still startling.)

We don’t know what to think about this. It’s probably a coincidence… but it’s certainly an odd one.

In ghost research, we never know what to think when “odd” things happen. We don’t want to leap to conclusions, but when something this unusual shows up in our photos, we wonder if the spirits are sending us a message.

Here are some results from our initial study of cigarette smoke.

The photo [...]]]> We often see photos that claim to display ‘ectoplasm’ but actually show smoke. Even if someone had been smoking 20 minutes earlier, smoke particulate lingers in the air and can reflect light. This is easy to confuse with genuine anomalies.

Here are some results from our initial study of cigarette smoke.

The photo above shows cigarette smoke that could be confused with ‘ecto’.

When we took these photos, we were surprised at how difficult it was to create an ‘ecto’ effect with smoke. Normal smoking doesn’t produce much ‘false ecto’ in tests, even around the lit cigarette.

The following photos were taken on our patio, which is enclosed on three sides and should have kept the smoke from dissipating too quickly:

As you can see, even when the subject was actually smoking, most of the photos showed no actual smoke. However, we were able to produce two good photos (out of five in this portion of the experiment) by having the subject deliberately exhale in front of the camera. One of them is the top photo, above.

The more obvious photo is shown below.

[Smoke from a cigarette looks like 'ecto'.]

We’ve discovered that smoke is a factor, but it’s less predictable than we expected.

In our opinion, if there is any chance that someone’s been smoking in the area within the past 20 minutes, photos that show ‘ecto’ must be discounted.

However, smoke isn’t as much of a problem as we thought.

Some people seem to attract ghost orbs more than others. We’ve known ghost hunters who never see orbs in their photos, but they get great EVP… and vice versa.

Those of [...]]]> Ghost orb pictures are among the most popular evidence of hauntings, and orbs can be the easiest subjects for beginning ghost photographers.

Some people seem to attract ghost orbs more than others. We’ve known ghost hunters who never see orbs in their photos, but they get great EVP… and vice versa.

Those of us who do capture ghost orbs in pictures, also seem to bring home higher percentages of ghost orb photos each time. We don’t know if the ghosts have become more comfortable with us, or if we’re developing an innate sense of where the orbs are.

Some ghost researchers claim that one or two orb photos per hundred is very good. In profoundly haunted locations, as many as 35% of our photos will include genuine orbs.

However, at The Myrtles Plantation, we had no orbs in pictures where humidity should have produced them.

The photo at left was taken in back of The Myrtles Plantation, near the marshy land and pond. We expected at least a half dozen false (natural) orbs in this and other photos.

(We haven’t analyzed other patterns yet, such as images in the grass that may be significant.)

We include this photo to show you that, even in a very haunted location, professional ghost hunters don’t always find great orbs or other anomalies in their photos.

INDOOR ORBS

Indoors, we generally get more false orbs from reflecting glass and metal surfaces. At the right, you can see one of our few good orb photos taken at The Myrtles Plantation. (An enhanced close-up is shown, below.) That’s a broken piano at the entry to the most haunted wing of The Myrtles Plantation. We checked the piano carefully, and some of the keys are jammed so that the piano doesn’t work. We also examined it closely for microphones or other evidence of a hoax. It’s a real, broken piano with nothing added. There’s no sound equipment anywhere in that wing, that could account for what we heard later that night.
After dark, The Myrtles Plantation changes from a pleasant historic home to one of America’s most haunted sites. During our visit, that piano started playing all by itself, around midnight. It wasn’t a melody, but the “plink, plink, plink” of a small child tapping on the keys at the far right side of the keyboard.

The experience was eerie, but one of the less startling events of a dramatic night at The Myrtles Plantation.

We weren’t at all surprised to see an orb over the piano in several of our photos–taken from different directions–including this one.

Ghost orbs are the most popular evidence of hauntings. The question is, how can you capture them in photos?

We often say, “go with your gut feeling.”

But, when you’re new to ghost hunting or ghost photography, that may not be enough. You may still be learning what a reliable “gut feeling” feels like.

When we see sparkles, we’ll usually find anomalies in our photographs, too.

When ghost hunting, we’ve seen sparkles with several flash cameras, but most often with my old Olympus AF-1 Twin camera. You may have seen sparkles with your own camera, [...]]]> In ghost photography, one reliable measurement tool is a phenomenon that we call sparkles.

When we see sparkles, we’ll usually find anomalies in our photographs, too.

When ghost hunting, we’ve seen sparkles with several flash cameras, but most often with my old Olympus AF-1 Twin camera. You may have seen sparkles with your own camera, too.

In ghost hunting, “sparkle” is a term that I developed in the over ten years ago. (It’s not trademarked, but I was the first to use the term among professional ghost hunters.)

What Sparkles Are

Sparkles are small, brilliant flashes of light that fade within a second, at least ten feet from the camera and usually at 30+ feet away. They resemble the lingering, falling remnants of fireworks as the display fades from sight.

Another paranormal researcher described them in terms of shards of metal, suspended in the air for a few seconds. In fact, since posting this page, we’ve heard from several researchers around the world, who’ve witnessed this same phenomenon.

Sparkles are definitely not pollen or insects, as a detractor tries to assert. Individual sparkles appear to be 1″ to 4″ in height, and perhaps 1″ wide. They are distinct, single flashes of light.

Most sparkles are white, but some are pale pink, a light golden yellow, or icy blue. There may be a dozen of them, or what appear to be hundreds.

Who sees sparkles?

Not everyone sees sparkles. So far, approximately 80% of those who go on ghost investigations with me, see them. The ability to see the sparkles does not seem to relate to how well the person can perceive other paranormal manifestations. Also, skeptics, non-believers, and believers see them–or don’t–and that seems to have no relationship to their belief in ghosts.

When I see sparkles, they are astonishingly beautiful. In fact, I’ll often taking photo after photo, simply to see this amazing visual display. The number of sparkles can vary from one photo to the next, as will the location of them. However, I rarely see sparkles stop occurring before I am out of film.

Sparkles generally indicate that the photos will contain anomalies, usually translucent, milky spheres that we call “orbs.” The sparkles will not appear in the photographs.

What Sparkles Aren’t

If you’ve seen sparkles when you’ve been ghost hunting, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you think you’ve seen sparkles but aren’t sure, rule out these logical explanations first:

Bugs

Bugs – Unfortunately, I’ve seen many people mistake a bug or two for anomalies when they’re taking ghost photos.  When you’re taking photos, either watch in front of the camera (not through the viewfinder) or have a companion check for you, to see if bugs are being highlighted by the camera. If bugs reflect the light immediately in front of you, bugs may also reflect the same light, further away.

Also, if you’re someone who attracts insects, consider not wearing bug repellent when you first arrive at the investigation site. You’ll know quickly if bugs may interfere with your photos. Then apply your repellent, and keep the insects in mind when you see things that they may cause… such as a sparkle effect.

Finally, take a look at streetlights. Are bugs being drawn to the light? Moths are an unlikely cause of anything that could be confused with sparkles.  However, if you’ve never seen sparkles before, it’s possible that large moths can reflect just enough of the flash to confuse you.

More often, bugs cause wavy lines and even winged shapes in photos.  The latter are frequently mistaken for faeries.

Moisture

Sometimes, we overlook the simple explanations. If it has rained in the 24 hours before your ghost hunt, the “sparkles” may be moisture reflecting the camera’s flash from leaves and other surfaces.

Use a flashlight; if the leaves look shiny, they’re probably reflecting your camera’s flash, too.

Or, shake the trees and shrubs if you aren’t certain. If moisture falls off, that’s the most likely source of your reflections; they aren’t “sparkles.”

Reflections

Reflective surfaces – Beer cans, broken glass, stop signs, the eyes of cats or other animals, trail markers, bits of windblown tinsel, foil, or plastic can reflect the light from your flash. If the sparkles appear in the same places in each photo, it’s probably a reflection.

This is one reason why professional ghost hunters recommend that you always take two consecutive photos — or more — as close together as possible and with no movement of the camera in the interim.

An anomaly will usually appear in only one photograph. A natural phenomenon (such as a flying insect or they eyes of a raccoon) will usually move from one photo to the next, or show up in both photos at exactly the same location.

Use a flashlight to check for reflective surfaces.

Pollen or dust

Pollen or dust – These are not likely to be mistaken for sparkles.

Pollen, dust, floating milkweed, and so on, will provide distinctive imagery. The effect is somewhat cloudlike though it may be sparkly in appearance as well.

Pollen and dust can also cause orbs in ghost photos, but they’re usually different from the orbs that professional ghost hunters post online. When the orbs are caused by pollen or dust, there will be dozens of orbs in the photos. (See “This is NOT a portal for ghosts” for an example of too many orbs.)

Milkweed is easily identified if you quickly approach the area in which you’ve seen the reflections off it.

Reminder: Enjoy the sparkles when you see them. They will not appear in your photographs.

Fiona Broome is the founder of Hollow Hill, a published author, and an international ghost investigator.

False ‘ghost orbs’ and anomalies can happen to anyone, even professional ghost hunters.

On damp or rainy nights, most of our photos include false anomalies. (We take photos anyway. After all, we might capture something genuine in our pictures.)

But, many of the photos that we receive in email are clearly false orbs. That’s [...]]]>

False ‘ghost orbs’ and anomalies can happen to anyone, even professional ghost hunters.

On damp or rainy nights, most of our photos include false anomalies. (We take photos anyway. After all, we might capture something genuine in our pictures.)

But, many of the photos that we receive in email are clearly false orbs. That’s not the fault of the photographer.  It can take years of experience to identify orbs caused by humidity and reflections.

In some cases, we don’t say anything, especially when someone really wants to believe they’ve captured a ghost on film. Why spoil their fun?

(The photo, above right, shows false anomalies.)

To tell what’s real and what’s fantasy, here are some simple rules:

Watch for reflected light from objects in the photo. We’ve seen hundreds of photos with that include obvious reflections. One of the most unique was a photo of a woman with orbs in front of her. However, she was wearing a beaded sweater, and the beads were reflecting light at the camera lens. The reflections appeared as orbs.

In another case, an oval-shaped orb appeared near the top of a photo, taken outside. Again, we could see the source: An outdoor light created a flare on the camera lens.

Since the light hit the side of the lens, not in the center, the shape was distorted into an oval.

Indoors, orbs can result from any shiny surface. Watch for glass, shiny tables and floors, and metal objects.

For a 27 Oct 2000 article, The Nashua (NH) Telegraph newspaper asked Hollow Hill’s Fiona Broome to analyze a spooky photo. The picture included an irregular bluish translucent shape.

Ms. Broome correctly identified the “anomaly” as an irregular piece of window glass, leaning against an old house. It reflected the blue sky, but was translucent enough to give an eerie effect.

Watch for echoing anomalies in the photo. Like the classic “lens flare” when the camera is pointed just so at a light source, there are echoes of some natural lights.

If you see more than one identical (but usually fainter) “orb” or “vortex” in a photo, ask questions. It could be a genuine anomaly. Or it could be something that reflected light at the lens, and then the external and internal lenses created the multiple anomalies.

The camera strap problem. If you see a white or black line, especially at the right side of the photo, ask questions.

Ghost photographers must either remove the camera strap, or keep the strap around his or her neck. Otherwise, the strap drifts into the frame and look like a vortex.

The thumb problem. Some people are literally “all thumbs” when taking photos. That weird shape in the corner of the photo might be the photographer’s thumb.

Or, it might be a ring on a finger, or even a strand of hair.  It happens to everyone, now and then.

In warm weather, ask about lightning bugs. These little critters flash at the worst possible moment, and–if you’re accustomed to them–you may not even notice them until they appear as an orb, dot of light, or even a rod (if your shutter was open long enough to show them moving).

Watch out for attention-hungry photographers. Some people deliberately fake ghost photos. Anyone with a freeware graphics program can take a photograph and modify it so it looks like a convincing ghost photo.

How can you tell? Rely on your “gut feeling.” Often, people who are too eager for attention talk too much, and–sooner or later–they say things that reveals what’s really going on.

If their stories don’t add up, raise an eyebrow.

The bottom line is: A ghost photo is only as reliable as the expertise and integrity of the person who took it. Amateurs can get great, real “ghost photos” on their first ghost hunt, with the cheapest disposable camera.

However, not every “ghost photo” is genuine, even when an experienced photographer genuinely believes it.

Always examine each photo carefully.