The Trouble With Orbs

There are a number of different types of photographic anomalies that turn up on film during investigations. Many researchers believe that these types of activity portray actual ghosts, but I cautiously refer to it as "paranormal energy" on film, simply because there are so many unknown variables when it comes to paranormal photography. Some of the strange images on photos that turn up include eerie rays of light, floating objects, mists and shapes and even apparitions that appear to be human, but perhaps the most common images are the so-called “orbs”.

Many of the “orb photographs” that turn up on Internet websites or in books seem to come from cemeteries but they actually seem to have an annoying habit of showing up almost anywhere. They have become the most commonly reported types of “paranormal photos” claimed by ghost hunters today. Despite what you might see and hear though, there is absolutely no hard evidence whatsoever to suggest that orbs are in any way related to ghosts. Yes, they do often turn up in photos that are taken at haunted locations, but as you’ll soon see, many of these photos have been called into question. However, I do think that legitimate photos of image anomalies (or orbs, if you prefer) exist. These photos do show a type of paranormal phenomena, but just what type that is remains to be seen.

One of the largest problems that exist with “orbs” is that many researchers have made the leap to claim that “orbs” are actually ghosts. To date however, there has been absolutely no evidence provided to state with any certainty that “orbs” are actually ghosts. Some of them may be paranormal, but ghosts? There is no way that we can say that just yet.

As mentioned, orb photos are the most commonly seen "ghost photos" today and you will probably see more photos on the Internet of these purportedly "mysterious" balls of light than of anything else. While I do believe that genuine photographs of paranormal orbs exist, they are not as common as many people think. An "orb photograph" is usually one that is taken in an allegedly haunted place and somewhere within the photo is a hovering, round ball. Some of these “orbs” appear to be giving off light, while others appear to be transparent.

Despite the claims, the majority of “orb photos” are not paranormal at all, but merely refractions of light on the camera lens. This occurs when the camera flash bounces back from something reflective in the range of the camera. When this happens, it creates a perfectly round ball of light that appears to be within the parameters of the photo but is actually just an image on the lens itself. Many people often mistake these orbs for genuine evidence of ghosts. These false orbs can also be created by bright lights in an area where the photo is being taken, by angles of light and by many types of artificial lighting.

When looking at “orb” photos, you will note that most of them occur when the camera flash is used. Some of the photographers will insist that their flash was not on, which means it was and they didn’t know it. The automatic exposure control on most any standard 35 mm camera uses fill flash in all but the brightest light. It should also be noted that “orbs” were actually quite rare before digital cameras became common. In the early days of low-cost, cheap digital cameras, some “ghost hunters” actually proposed that digital cameras are “superior for orb photography”. And since they were producing more “orb” photos, this was technically true. But the digital imaging chip is very different than traditional film photography and was far inferior until recent times. Some of the earlier, low-end digital cameras were made with CMOS chips and they would create “noise” in low-light photographs that would be mistaken for “orbs”. It seemed that when they were used in darkness, or near darkness, the resulting images were plagued with spots that appeared white or light colored and where the digital pixels had not all filled in. In this manner, the cameras were creating “orbs”, and they had no paranormal source at all.

If all of these problems exist with image anomalies --- “orbs” --- then is there any reason to believe that they might be paranormal at all? I believe that there are legitimate photos of what are anomalous, round balls of light that can be photographed and can sometimes be seen with the naked eye. But how do we tell a real “orb” photo from a false one?

There are a number of determining factors, not the least of which is corresponding activity. By this I mean, photographing an “orb” just after recording a sharp temperature drop, or some other event that can be documented. In every aspect of paranormal research, corresponding activity, and documentation of the activity, is vital to the success of the investigation and to authenticating the activity, evidence and especially the photographs.

The investigator should also look at the photograph itself. In doing so, watch for image anomalies that are especially bright or are especially dense (in other words, you can’t see through them). This is important in determining which anomalies are likely genuine because false “orbs” are readily identified by the fact that they are almost always very pale white or blue in color and are transparent. Also, watch for anomalies that appear to be in motion. This can be a very good sign that the image is genuine. I have seen a number of photos that are believed to be genuine in which the anomaly actually moved several feet during the time when the shutter of the camera was open. In situations like this, it’s hard to believe that the anomalous object could be anything other than paranormal in origin.

This photo is believed to show a genuine orb. The image seen at the right side of the photo appears to be an orb that was captured in motion during the seconds the shutter of the camera was open.

SOME EXAMPLES OF FALSE "ORBS"

This photo shows a false orb that was created by light refracting on the camera lens. There are a number of spots within the frame that reflect the light of the flash, including the basketball backboard. Note how the orb is almost transparent!

The photo was taken at a documented haunted place, but this photo provides no evidence of that!

This photo shows an example of an orb that is created by the artificial, overhead lights. Two orbs appear in the middle of the frame, towards the center. They are created on the camera lens by the florescent lights of the meeting room.

"ORB TROUBLE" IN CEMETERIES

As mentioned though, one of the things that I have noticed about “orb photos” is that the majority of them seem to be taken in cemeteries. I have often been openly critical of ghost hunting in cemeteries. By that I mean, actually just going out to cemeteries and shooting photographs and hoping to capture something on film. While this is great for the hobbyist, I don’t feel that it’s serious research. Needless to say, I have been harshly criticized for this view. In spite of this, I have not changed my mind about the fact that random "ghost hunting" is not an investigation. And if this isn’t reason enough to discourage this kind of activity, I now have another reason for taking this view.

One of the problems that I have had with this type of “ghost hunting” involves the photos that often come back from it. Ghost hunters, with no idea of any corresponding evidence, often come back from cemeteries with copious numbers of “orbs” in their photos. Again, I do feel that some of these anomalies constitute paranormal energy, but most don’t, so I decided to try something out on my own.

With three other researchers, I went out to a cemetery that we picked at random on a warm summer night and took several rolls of film. We had no readings, stories or reports to justify the decision, but just took photos anyway. After having them developed, we discovered a number of the photos were filled with semi-transparent “orbs”.

On a hunch, we then went to a nearby football field that was roughly the same size as the cemetery we had already visited. We walked around for a few minutes and again shot a few rolls of film. I was unfortunately not surprised to find that these photos were also filled with orbs. Was the football field haunted? Of course not!

What we did was walk around both areas and stir up dust and pollen from the grass. When we took the photos, these particles in the air caught the reflection of the camera flash and appeared to be "orbs". We also discovered that such photos could be taken after walking or driving on a dusty road. The dust particles would reflect the light, just as moisture can do, and make it seem as though the air was filled was "orbs".

I can’t help but feel that this might explain some of the photos that have been taken in cemeteries that have been thought to be paranormal in origin. Does it explain them all? No, it doesn‘t, but such tests and experiments beg all of us to be careful in our research. As I have always maintained, there exist no experts on ghosts or paranormal photography. My thoughts are that if we can discover the ways to rule out the false photos, we have a much better chance to discover which ones might be genuine.