There are lots of pictures out there that are claimed to be of ghosts or other paranormal phenomanom, but a large majority of them are not. Most of them are simply misidentifiation of something normal. Sometimes the photographer will honestly believe they captured something paranormal, sometimes they will intentionally fake a photograph for fame and attention. We are going to explain some of the most commonly mistaken objects in photographs on this page, and are including some examples of these false images.

Orbs

There are many pictures of orbs out there, and 99% of them are simply dust, moisture, or insects. Dust is in the environment everywhere. When you take a picture with a flash, any particles of dust that are within a few inches of the lens will show up in the photograph. Because the camera is not focusing on them, but instead focusing on the object of the photo, they appear fuzzy, and out of focus. This gives the illusion that they are large, spherical and hovering in front of the camera. Many paranormal enthusiast will take pictures, and upon developing/downloading them, will see these dust orbs, and assume they are paranormal orbs. This has led to many pictures being posted online which are nothing but dust, moisture, or insects.

Before you take photographs in an area, it's a good idea to turn a flashlight on and aim it upwards. If you can see particles of dust in the beam, then it's a good chance that your pictures will have dust orbs in them. If you are in an area that has been unused for some time, then dust is there. Simply walking into a room like this will stir the dust up. If you must take pictures in an enviroment like this, stand still for a couple of minutes after entering to give the dust a chance to settle before taking pictures, to lessen the chance of you getting a dust orb. Moisture in the air can have the same effect. If you take a photograph in the rain at night, with a flash, you will get the rain drops that are falling right in front of the camera. This also happens in snow for the same reason. Thus, you should never take pictures in the rain or snow. Flying insects can also give the same effect if they are passing in front of the camera as the picture is taken.

Another possible source of a fake orb are flashlight beams. When against a flat surface, sometimes the flash will not overpower the light from a flashlight, and will pick up the spot. This spot obviously appears glowing, and can lead to a misidentification. All of these problems can happen with both regular and digital cameras.

A true paranormal orb can be determined by several factors. If the orb is emitting it's own light, if you can see the orb being visually blocked by an object, say part of it is behind something in the photo, or if the orb appears to be in motion, or blurred, while the rest of the picture is perfectly in focus, then it's possible it's a real orb. If the orb is emitting it's own light, and is blurred, make sure it isn't a blurred light (see below.)

Ecto

There are several things which can produce very realistic ectoplasm-like effects in photographs. The biggest of these is cigarette smoke. When illuminated by a flash, it looks almost identical to real ecto. This is the reason why we, and most other paranormal investigative groups, have a no-smoking policy on our investigations. Fog can also appear ecto-like. This is why you have to be especially careful on damp nights as not only do you have a chance to get false orbs, but false ecto as well. Spider webs, when close to the camera, can also appear as ecto in photographs.

Reflective surfaces such as glass, metal, glossy painted walls, even glossy posters can reflect a flash onto an adjacent surface, and appear to be ecto or another paranormal object in the photograph. Be especially careful in rooms with lots of glass, mirror, or metal objects.

Vortexes

Camera straps are a very commonly misidentified objects. Most cameras have camera straps, and they are usually hanging loose as the person is taking a picture. Sometimes the strap gets in front of the lens, especially when aiming the camera downwards. Such an object so close to the lens, especially when illuminated by the flash, can appear to be vortexes, or other objects of a paranormal nature. If the strap is a light color, the light from the flash bouncing back can also give this appearance. Always make sure your camera strap is secure when you are taking pictures.

Blurred lights

When taking pictures at night or in the dark, any blurring of the image can cause light sources to appear to be moving, or to be a paranormal object. Digital cameras have a delay between when you press the shutter button, and when the shutter actually goes off. This is because the camera has to process the signal, and then trigger the shutter. Shutter delay is different from camera to camera. Any movement after the shutter button is pressed can cause image blurring. Know how long your camera's shutter delay is to minimize blurred pictures.

Both regular and digital cameras also feature adjustable shutter lengths (depending on model) for fast action shots, or low-light conditions. Slow shutter speeds will increase the time the shutter is open, and thus let more light in to strike the film/CMOS sensor. When using slow shutter speeds, any movement while the shutter is open will blur the image. Always use a tripod or place your camera on a flat, steady surface before taking pictures if you use a slow shutter speed.

Intentional fakery

There are some people who will intentionally fake a paranormal photo for the fame and attention. Be aware of what we have described and see if the picture exhibits evidence of these misidentifications. The person might try taking pictures in a dusty environment, or intentionally blow smoke into the air before taking a picture. Others will use other methods, like double-exposing a regular camera, setting a very long shutter speed and blurring an object, or digitally altering the photographs to appear to have caught something paranormal. Depending on the methods they used, and the complexity of it, these pictures can be either very easy to discern, or very hard. Just remember to look carefully before deciding if the picture is truly something paranormal, or if the person is trying to fool you.