My favourite aspect of UM is looking at the ghost photos - old, classic ones - right down to dodgy orbs and vortexes.

Ghost photos can never be proved to be 100% authentic at the moment, but I am curious as to what our members consider to be an authentic example of a ghost photograph and why?

I'm starting the ball rolling with my personal favourite which is the Wem ghost girl. The reason I like this photo so much is the history behind the building that was burned to the ground in 1995, the Wem town hall was known to be haunted for centuries by a young girl.

The historical local records show that in 1677 the town hall was first burnt down by Jane Churm, who started the fire accidentally when she dropped a candle and since that date, it has always been maintained that the Town Hall is haunted by the ghost of the young girl. How much of a coincidence could it be that, when over 300 years later the town hall burned down again, that the figure of a young girl was so clearly captured in a part of the building, high up, where there was no floor for anyone to be standing? My own personal opinion on this is that it isn't matrixing. This photo gives me the willies and also makes me feel really sad that Jane Churm could still be there today, hundreds of years after her death.

Even though it's impossible to say for sure, what do you think is a good example of a ghost photo?

Cheers, Reg x
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it looks pretty neat but a little background would be good, was this place deserted? what's the story?

I'm not a photo guy. I'm more of a video technician. Its hard to tell a story by a still photograph. That's the problem with analyzing them for ghosts. No thanks to Adobe Photoshop, anyone can create a ghostly image. I think for the most part that is why most P.I. 's do not present photographs. Unless you were physically there, and had eyewitnesses, all it is... is a photo and a story. That's why I became a video technician. Its hard to fake a video versus a photo. I'm not saying this photo is fake. Just going by the principals of logic and common sense. To present a photograph with a ghost in it, I think it helps it become more authentic if you had a personal experience behind the photo you took. Its just like any ghostly experience you might have. Unless you have secure & substantial data to back it up, it just remains as a story. If you can back up a photo with credibility and multiple paranormal experiences, than it has a good chance that it is authentic. However, that's just IMO...

Well, as I said, the place was known to be haunted by a little girl called Jane who burned the building down 300 years ago, and before this photo was taken, before the town hall was burned down for a second time in 1995, it was known to be haunted by a girl.

Ghost photography cannot be proven, yeah especially with Photoshop, though this photo was taken 13 years ago. What I'm after (if anyone's brave enough to be shot down for it), if anyone had to say they'd seen photo of a ghost, which one would they chose, which one leave them thinking "hmmmm, could be".

I would only trust one I took myself, and under controlled conditions. Nothing else can be trusted in this day and age.

With the history behind it, it has potential to be authentic.

However, just like any place... I always say unless you have investigated the premises yourself or had a team investigate it, it just remains a story and a photo for opinions. A place is up for opinion to be haunted or not unless you investigate it. For now, all you have is their hearsay. I'm not shooting you down Reg, just trying to look at it from a skeptical P.I. point of view.

So unless you're someone who calls yourself an investigator and are able to investigate a place, your opinion isn't valid?? or if you do give an opinion and don't call yourself an investigator, be prepared to be put down by people who call themselves investigators because they know more about this than anyone else?

I always say, anyone is entitled to an opinion, UM isn't exclusively for those who investigate, I'm interested in what anyone has to say about a ghost photo, not just from an investigative point of view... if you haven't scared em off by now Mr.

I didn't ask for proof and facts and figures, I asked a casual question to all members.

with respect, Reg

Edit: I wasn't asking if anyone thought the Wem photo was authenic, I was saying it was a photo I appreciated.

The 19th of November 1995 saw a terrible fire which completely gutted Wem town hall in Shropshire England.

Hundreds of townsfolk gathered to watch outside of a cordoned off area. Over 60 firefighters came to fight the flames, and although they managed to save much of the exterior of the building, the interior was gutted. The Shropshire Star reported that despite the massive fire, “a large plaque on the town hall entrance commemorating the Great Fire of 1677 had only suffered minor water damage.” Arson was ruled out, but no one was able to pinpoint the cause of the fire.

Standing across the street with his camera was local resident Tony O’Rahilly. He had a 200-mm zoom lens mounted on his camera, and was taking pictures of the scene of the fire from a safe vantage point.

Some time later, O’Rahilly had his black and white film developed and was astonished to find an unexpected image in one of the photographs. Standing in the doorway of the burning town hall is what appears to be the image of a young girl who O’Rahilly said he did not see when he was taking the photograph.

This is a very unusual photograph indeed, notably haunting since the girl appears to be looking directly towards the camera, flames raging behind her inside of the town hall. No other picture with this image of a girl has surfaced. Who was this mysterious young woman? many locals believed the girl in the photo to be the ghost of 14-year-old Jane Churm who had accidentally set fire to the town 318 years earlier.

O’Rahilly immediately sent the image and negatives to the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena, who passed it to Dr. Vernon Harrison, a former president of the Royal Photographic Society. “The negative is a straight forward piece of black-and-white work and shows no sign of having been tampered with,” the expert said.

A BBC report on Dr. Harrison’s analysis added that “Dr. Harrison still considers himself something of a sceptic and suggested that the image of the girl may just be a convenient trick of the light - with smoke, flame and shadow creating an optical illusion at the moment the photographer took his picture.”

local resident Richard Burnham carried the sceptical viewpoint further. In his layman’s analysis of the photo Burnham suspected that the face would have to be positioned in front of the railings, which would “not be compatible with the position of the body.” He questioned if the “body” that appears below the face is even a body at all. “In a big fire, there is a lot of stuff in the air: smoke billowing around, creating patterns of light and shade, debris falling from ceilings or blowing about in the hot draughts, sealed containers exploding and so on,” he wrote. “My guess is that the photographer has been very lucky to catch some of these in an instantaneous configuration that the human eye and brain find very easy to interpret as a human figure.”

Me .....well this is one of the few photograps that make me think .....yes !

That photo is one of my favourites! The old ones are always the best.

You always have to be wary of pictures of "ghosts", what on earth would a ghost truly look like anyway? Would it look like a human being, solid and physical. Or would it be more misty looking?

We are probably never going to get 100% proof of a ghost in photo form, people are too suspicious and aware of fraudlent photos. This will continue as long as the technology avaliable to manipulate these photos continues to advance.

But i find individuals perception and opinion always changes once they've had a personal experience!

Amen Artem! That's what I was partly trying to state.

Its a good photo though. The old ones are good, because they did not have the technology back then to fake them.

Sorry if the pics dont show up, never have posted any here. If you can see them, these are my favorites.

Susan

Pretty cool pics Regency and Slbaker68

For the record,



How incorrect you are my friend, how very very incorrect you are. Photo Journalism captures many breath taking photos that tell incredible stories. Even paintings driven from the mind tell stories, you don't need a video to tell you a story with James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman narrating to get the story across.

....


Definitely not. Please don't take it as every Paranormal Investigator thinks that way. I know being a Paranormal Investigator myself I find it quite refreshing when people post such pictures, or ask for help with certain claims, or in any other way where I can help them to the best of my knowledge.

What I think he was trying to say, is that, it is often hard to tell the story of a location and the evidence given without having been there for yourself to check it out and investigate it. When someone shows me a photo taken in their house of a weird apparition I first ask, "What kind of things do you encounter, or experience?"...this helps put me in the seat where I can start to distinguish what it potentially could be. Also, this is where research comes into play. Basically what I am trying to say is that to get the best out of a photo from my perspective is the amount of information I can receive about that picture, location, etc. Otherwise you are staring at a picture wondering about the vast elements at hand.

Everyone certainly are entitled to their opinions on a photo, as a paranormal investigator I look at it more in depth than most.

A good example is an photograph of someone that you actually know is dead. It’s rare for people to post of their dead loved one’s Ghost. If I had a picture of someone that I know is dead, and he or she is looking at me in the picture-I would be 4e changed. My ghost-hunting and uncertainty will be finally concluded. An good authentic picture to me, is one that is in “focus” and “honesty’ from the photographer. The photograph has to baffle the best experts in photography and understand their indecisiveness. This is probably why that some photographs become famous because no one can explain them, specifically in the older ones. We live in an Age that we can’t trust pictures or ppl. It is sad. Then again, the above pictures n below. and other famous pictures could have been faulty cameras and deception.
This summer I am going to fix up my deceased grandparents, parents and bro’s graves. We are going to add flower beds for each plot and at the same I am going to take numerous pictures. Its an indirect way to ghost hunt. I can ghost hunt/investigate at any other unknown cemetery but not at the place that I have family buried. Odd of me.

this pic is the best

Try to post one but can't get it to come up. These are all great. Will try again later to post another and see what happens.

slbaker68, both of these are great photos. I believe the ghosts in the water had been following the boat for several days and many, many people who had known the dead sailors had witnessed it. Great examples.

Primordial you're so right. I remember being a young girl (ahem, before home computers were common place ) and looking at the books on ghosts and ghost photos at our library, and the old classic ghost photos were all present then.

Slightly off topic, you would think in this day and age, with CCTV practically everywhere we go, that there would be more evidence manifesting itself. Think about how many millions of cams are all over the world (this is a relatively recent thing), I'm surprised we don't get more ghost captures than we do.

Crywolf, you say investigators look deeper than most (which is what we'd expect), however, investigators don't HAVE to comment on it, it's not obligatory. In this case, I start the thread asking for photos and immediately there's "well I'm an investigator and I think this, so it must be" and it shuts the thread down straight away.

I did say that I don't expect photos to be backed up and that they're impossible to prove from the start, it was a casual thread to see which photos other members liked. I wasn't saying "I want you to believe that this photo is authentic", I was saying "I like this photo - which ones do you like" and then waiting to see what followed... should have known better really. smack... my.... legs.

I'm asking you specifically, if you had to chose a photo, even with your PI hat on, which one would you say would make you scratch your chin and say "hmmmm, I can't prove it, but that's pretty good" or has there never been one?

Reg x

Me and Cry Wolf are not trying to shoot this thread down. We are lending our PI Opinion on the photo. If people are allowed their opinions, so are we. Its an open topic for discussion. If you did not want a PI's opinion, then be more specific with whom's opinions you want. Basically our opinions aren't valid because we are a PI? Me and Cry Wolf are just trying to help out. Don't assume we're trying to shut the tread down with our opinions. Its up to those people to decide whether or not our opinion is valuable. I would think they are because of our experience and methods of analyzing photos.

Lots and lots of people investigate on this site Pluto and you're right, your opinions are valid and enjoyed - so is everyone elses and not more than anyone elses in my opinion (apart from those who are obviously barking), whether you're a PI or not. Please reread this thread.

I'm not having a go, well I am but not to be horrible. Honest. It was just frustrating when I was really interested in what the community thought on this subject to have it squashed, obviously (which I've stated all along) it cannot be proven, I just wanted everyone's opinion. I hope that makes sense, cause quite possibly it does to JUST me. Pluto, take your PI's hat off and tell me what you consider to be your favourite, on the balance of probabilities but not being able to prove, ghost photo. Go on, do it, do it, do it....

Reg x

With my PI hat off... older photos are hard to fake because they did not have the technology to fake them back then.

With the stories, & background among the building, its 99% probability that it could be authentic.

You are going to have analytical people squash your photos regardless if they are PI's or not. If you notice, I didn't even comment on the photo but merely was trying to back what Pluto said because you commented on his judgement. Why can't he or anyone else for that matter give his opinion on the photo without having to play into the game that you want per se. People can post their pictures that they enjoy and there will people who will doubt that picture and say so regardless. If we feel they are not authentic, we will say so....case closed.

In order for a photo to be AUTHENTIC in my view, I have to be there. I had to of taken that shot myself to know the elements at hand, or someone in my group who I trust enough to know the difference.

Looking at old photos and trying to determine ghostly apparitions is quite difficult based on the poor camera mechanics of the day. You take a picture of someone walking down the street they are a blur. I once saw a picture of a town back in the early 1900s and a child was playing on the steps leading to the city square, he was a blur and people suggested it was a ghost.

I have a book on Gettysburg with a lot of photos of soldiers working on a bridge with a few posing, the ones working were all a blur....are these ghosts as well?

Basically what I am saying, even more back in the day you have to take photos with a grain of salt because the cameras straight blew the proverbial sack.

Pluto, 99% authentic as in authentic its not a ghost, or authentically paranormal , hope to say its not that certain

Be prepared for constructive criticism no matter what you ask on UM.

I've never asked for opinions on MY photo, though I accept I'm going to get them anyway (and constructive criticism too), which is fair do's. I'm interested in what other people think is a good example of a ghost photo, even though it can never be proven.

Maybe I've not been very clear, I'm mumbling again... however, I give in with this thread (which has been bracing and akin to jumping in the sea in December) and accept defeat graciously.

(((Reg))) Good thread girl, never give up what you believe in, regardless of anyone else's opinions..JN

Regency, I've looked for two days and can't find my good example. *sigh* I lost my copy when my computer crashed and I can't seem to find it again.
It looked like a woman in victorian dress standing in a hallway.
The picture was taken by a woman at her father's retirement dinner in some old historical home.
I was there when the pic was posted for the first time in the TAPS forum and that's been years ago.
Anyway I'll keep looking and when I find it, I'll post it.
If anyone thinks this sounds familiar, let me see what you've got. I'd love to get another shot at this pic.

That's one of the saddest pics (ghost wise) I've ever seen.

Thank you Jennie, I'd love to see it when you find it, it doesn't ring any bells with me. My curiosity is pricked now.

Shankpin, I completely agree - the thought of children being "lost" and wandering alone is heartbreaking. This aspect of the paranormal is really disturbing, especially when you hear EVP's that sound like children, it's really sad.

Hi JN , it seems like ages since I've seen you.

BigWedgie,

My sister and BIL owned a pub in Telford, Shropshire. Now that was a spooky place. My niece was born there and always talked about playing with the pretty lady in their apartment over the pub. Neighbors would walk by and wave at the person in the window on the 3rd floor of their home, assuming it was my sister, or me. We had some odd occurances there but would always look for an explanation instead of assuming the paranormal even though we had experienced the goings on in Tennessee. Of course we believe in the supernatural but try to think it through before applying that title to the unusual happening that we saw and heard. We had a baby monitor from the pub to the apt and could hear her chatting away like she was playing with someone and assumed it was her nanny, but it wasn't.

Spooky photo, I agree with the comments regarding older photos as they didnt have the tools back then to do what they can today!

I love this one- always has been a favorite of mine.

The first post image honestly looks like just a woman standing there.

Its the little girl that was burned alive there--but the photo was taken after her death.

I know, and to the best of my knowledge this photo is genuine..JN

From what I've read on this one, yes it is.

This is the brown lady of Raynham Hall. It was taken by a guy who was photographing the house for Country Life magazine. Countless experts have looked at the negative and said that it is authentic. In my mind, it is the most compelling ghost photograph ever taken. If its real, this is a full bodied apparition. I saw this picture when I was a little kid, and it is truthfully what got me into the paranormal. I have been obsessed with this kind of stuff ever since I saw that photo in an elementary school library book.

I love these pictures. The girl that died in the fire looks so sad. The picture of the brown lady of Raynham Hall looks like how I would expect a 'ghost' picture to be.
Slbaker68's sailor is spooky and Primordial's pic on the stairs is frightening.


One especially wonderful idea that I've learned from reading these threads is to always have a camera ready. If you feel something, hear something or even if it's just an building that you react to, take a picture.

Yes this is an oldie but a goodie. I love this too, and its been around forever. Dont see photos like this much anymore which is a shame..JN

Raynham Hall and Primordial's ghosts on the stairs are classics.

I've always found this photo alarming too, the ghost of Mrs Chinnery which was taken in 1958 when Mrs Mabel Chinnery was visiting the grave of her mother. She had brought along her camera to take some photographs of the gravesite. After taking a few pictures of the grave, she took a picture of her husband who was waiting alone in the car.

After the picture was developed, she automatically recognised the spirit of her mother in the backseat of the car a number of years after she had died.

After years of investigation the picture has been judged to have not been tampered or altered in any way, with no explanation as to the reason for the face in the back.

Why are her eyes glowing

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I finally found it!!!!

Here is the comment from the woman who took the pictures:

Carrie writes, "I have 3 photos attached. Please view them because they are truly amazing. A full article was written about my picture in the "Cresecenta Valley Sun", a local newspaper. I also sent my photo to another trustworthy ghost website and it was proven not a fake. I have the e-mail stating that. The first one is of an apparition of which I believe to be Senator Thomas R. Bard's wife's apparition. Thomas was a California Senator from 1900-1905. This picture was taken at the Bard Mansion on the Port Hueneme Naval Base in Ventura, Ca. of which his family once lived. I took this picture on Aug.6, 2005 with my Olympus Stylus 4.0 megapixel camera. The second picture attached is a close-up of the apparition, I lightened it up a little. The third is of the room the apparition appeared in, taken 4 pictures prior to capturing the apparition."








It's probably some trick of the light or something, but I like this pic!

It's her glasses

What a great picture, Jennie, I've never seen that one before. It looks like a woman in a long gown with her hair up, it also looks like she's standing in an open doorway.

Nice one.

I think she is also holding something...

I've had a little fiddle, you can definantly see a woman's form.

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That is an exceptional photograph, I've always thought that particular one is one of the best out there. The other stairs one, and the ones from that ship are really convincing as well.

WOW Those are amazingly beauitiful, thanks for sharing..JN

I'm glad ya'll liked it.
Here's another one from the ghoststudy.com website that I really enjoyed looking at.





Photo was taken at a lighthouse in California, I'd love to know which one.

some great photos ive never seen thanks

I know and WOW..You can see her perfectly, to the point she has no legs..Great photos...JN

I think I do see a leg...

Great photos!