Once you eliminate the possible, whatever remains, no matter how unbelievable, might be the real thing.

 

Pictures of true ghosts are few and far between and lend themselves to interpretation.  However, here are a few things you can do when examining your photos.

 

Be open minded but skeptical.  Approach the analysis of each picture like a detective.  Don’t assume every anomaly in your photo is a ghost or spirit, there could be a very reasonable explanation for it.

 

Learn your camera functions.  Observe your pictures during the day, night, indoors, and out.  Try taking photos in all types of weather.  How do lights react with and without a flash?  How do your pictures look if there is smoke around or you can see your breath?  Experiment.

 

Analyze the original photo.  Review the picture before re-saving, re-naming, or editing it in any way.  If you want to do any editing to enhance the picture, make sure you do it on a copy of the original.  In this digital age, make use of your computers zoom function to check those hard to see areas.

 

Check your pictures for natural causes.  Are those orbs made from dust flying around?  Did your flash reflect off of anything?  White walls close to the lens can give you a false misty image.  Was there any moisture, steam, or smoke in the area?  Was it raining or snowing at the time?  Could that slightly dark area at the side of the picture be a shadow on the lens from your thumb or finger?  Could those little spots of light be from street lights in the background?

 

Camera straps and insects will fluoresce when your flash is used.   If your camera lens is dirty or smudged you may notice that an orb or dark area repeats in the same spot in more than one picture.

 

Are you seeing things?  It is important to look for signs of pareidolia or matrixing.  Pareidolia is a phenomenon where the mind perceives a familiar pattern where none exists, like an animal in the clouds.  If any part of the background image makes up part of the ghostly features, then it is more than likely a coincidence – or pareidolia.

 

These paranormal investigation tips and tricks provided by Joanne Schiavoni, Paranormal Research & Investigation Society of Manitoba (P.R.I.S.M.)

 

Note: This photo was taken during production of Season 2. All crew was accounted for and the location had been secured. Who is that in the top left corner?