Ringling Museum Fog? - Need Help With Photos

[MissStep]

Hello, as you can probably tell this is my first post here.

I live in FL and in Sarasota there is the John and Mabel Ringling Museum. For those unaware, the museum actually sits on the estate the Ringling's lived on back in the early 1900's. The museum itself has a giant, 2 wing art gallery, a miniature circus display, a garage last used in 1948 that now houses old circus wagons, and the most important part: the Ringling's house. Supposedly, it is said that Mabel Ringling is seen wandering the top floors of her home, however, other people say you can see her and hear her heeled footsteps in her beloved rose garden.

In March for my birthday,my friends and I decided to go. Being adventurous and hearing of the legends of Mabel, we tried snapping photos of the balconies and upper levels of the house just to see what would happen if we got lucky and got something. However, nothing out of the ordinary showed up. The museum closed at 5pm, and to get to the exit, you have to walk past the rose garden. Deciding to try one last spot, a friend of mine took my camera (a Nikon D90) and started to snap some photos after I had gotten done taking some up close pictures of roses. My Nikon is my baby and I would never not have a clean lens. I'm anal about keeping it clean and covered when not in use. So it really surprised me when going through photos to see a weird...foggy cloud in the corner of pictures.

The fog increases and decreases in thickness, gets bigger and smaller, appears and reappears, and gets taller and shorter in our opinion. However, none of us are experienced in paranormal photography. I am not a skeptic, but I also don't like to just jump to conclusions that this is a spirit. I cannot figure out why my camera picked up this fog; it goes to events with me all over Florida and in the almost 2 years I've owned it has never done this up until the rose garden. Also, these photos are taken one right after the other while we slowly changed direction of the way the camera was pointing; and none of us can even afford Photoshop, let alone know how to use it to try and manipulate a photo.

I am asking for an opinion on what we might be looking at. Are we possibly onto something or are we looking at a smudge that I guess I missed. I honestly just want to know, so any help and opinions are greatly appreciated!

Photo I took of a rose:

Photo taken of the same roses right after. You can see the fog in the upper left hand corner:

Photo of the rose garden with slight fog:

Photo taken directly after, but with a slight change of direction with fog:

Photo of yellow rose with slight fog: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/cottoncandyaya/ringling331171.jpg

Photo of same rose bush (you can see both roses) but with a thicker fog: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/cottoncandyaya/ringling331172.jpg

Photo of same bush taken directly after at a different angle, fog is nearly gone: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/cottoncandyaya/ringling331173.jpg

Photo of rose garden taken in one direction: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/cottoncandyaya/ringling331174.jpg

Photo taken directly after of rose garden from different angle but standing in the same spot: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/cottoncandyaya/ringling331176.jpg

Photo of rose garden from one view with thick fog: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/cottoncandyaya/ringling331177.jpg

Photo of rose garden from slightly different angle with lessening fog: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/cottoncandyaya/ringling331178.jpg

Photo directly after from a different angle, fog is gone: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/cottoncandyaya/ringling331179.jpg

If photos aren't working please let me know and thank you for your time!

Edited April 27, 2012 by MissStep

[Timothy]

Welcome to UM.

It's just something on the lens. Depending on the type of shot you take, the focus will make the 'fog' more or less visible, or not at all...

[ChrLzs]

Welcome!

Misstep, look carefully at the ones that have the worst effect, and you'll notice that they all have bright areas in that corner. Hence the mist/flare is exaggerated and much more obvious. I'd say it looks exactly like something on the lens (either front or rear element) most likely either a smear/fingerprint (which I accept is unlikely if you are as fanatical as you say - just like me!) or more likely, just condensation - ie it 'fogged up' in that area. I've been caught by that before..

Was the weather as damp as it looks? Awful lot of water droplets on the plants, and it looks like an overcast sky. If the camera went from a moderately warm environment (eg inside a car) to a cooler, humid environment, then it may have simply misted up somewhere without you noticing (especially if, for example, the condensation was on the rear (internal) element of the lens).

Hope that helps - sorry if you were hoping for something more exciting.

[MissStep]

No no, please don't apologize. I am grateful for the help trying to debunk or what not.

The day did start off bright and sunny, but it's Florida and that changes every five minutes. About 2 hours before this, there was a downpour, however, we took shelter in an outdoor restaurant that had no air conditioner until it passed, and then did not go inside again by the time we took these photos. As for humidity, I don't recall it being so bad that day. A little breezy, but that's it.

After it did rain I remember specifically checking if anything had gotten wet and did give the lens a cautionary swipe. I do find it suspicious that the fog stays in that one corner whenever it is seen, however I do still find it puzzling for it's appearance in the first place.

Thank you for the input though!

[sarah_444]

Was the weather as damp as it looks? Awful lot of water droplets on the plants, and it looks like an overcast sky. If the camera went from a moderately warm environment (eg inside a car) to a cooler, humid environment, then it may have simply misted up somewhere without you noticing (especially if, for example, the condensation was on the rear (internal) element of the lens).

Exactly what I was thinking, however, I'm guessing that you were already outside when taking shots of the balconies and everything was fine? Or was that from inside?

It does seem to look like something on the lens though as well.

If you notice, the closer you zoomed in on the shot, there is little or no "fog". The lens might not have been focusing on a smudge, so it would show up less.

The third and fourth shots are the widest angles and show a considerable amount more. Also, especially in the last one it seems to be slightly out of focus (judging by the yellow rose on the left, unless that's just my eyes? lol) making me think that the lens was focusing of something else, closer, picking up more of a possible smudge.

Edited April 27, 2012 by sarah_444

[ChrLzs]

No no, please don't apologize. I am grateful for the help trying to debunk or what not.

My pleasure, although given your comments about the weather and what led up to those shots, condensation does seem to be a bit of stretch - more likely a big raindrop, which would be harder to miss. I don't think you'll get a definite explanation...

Thank you for the input though!

No worries!! Hope you enjoy it here and contribute further - that was an interesting first post!

[sarah_444]

No no, please don't apologize. I am grateful for the help trying to debunk or what not.

The day did start off bright and sunny, but it's Florida and that changes every five minutes. About 2 hours before this, there was a downpour, however, we took shelter in an outdoor restaurant that had no air conditioner until it passed, and then did not go inside again by the time we took these photos. As for humidity, I don't recall it being so bad that day. A little breezy, but that's it.

After it did rain I remember specifically checking if anything had gotten wet and did give the lens a cautionary swipe. I do find it suspicious that the fog stays in that one corner whenever it is seen, however I do still find it puzzling for it's appearance in the first place.

Thank you for the input though!

I didn't see this when I had hit reply, I got distracted and it took me a few minutes longer to write my reply in. I

If you wiped the lens just before taking these shots then I'm not sure of an explanation. Maybe it was just a small smudge you may have missed?

Welcome to UM, by the way.

[MissStep]

I can assure you that it wasn't a smudge I missed, nor was it water from the roses. I didn't get that close to them even if it seems I did.

Although I've basically been debunked at this point, I know, but I guess I feel I need to mention that I'm still a little confused. It might be my inexperience with cameras or something, but I have photos taken walking around the house, and to this rose garden, all outside, all the same day and there is no fog, or smudge or finger print. I have photos taken after walking out of the rose garden and there is nothing there as well.

Can smudges and out of focus or whatever it could be really do that? And by that I mean disappear and reappear? I am certain I was moving faster (as in walking faster, moving the camera faster) at the house and while walking, but in the garden I took my time moving carefully and slowly.

I guess I'm just trying to save myself from future confusion at this point.

Thank you all again for your input.

Edited April 28, 2012 by MissStep

[Oppono Astos]

What lens do you have on the camera, is it a zoom; is the 'smudge' appearing at the same focal length and/or perhaps aperture each time? Many years ago I had a Pracktica zoom that somehow got dirt inside, but which was only noticeable with a wide DOF.