There are n number of pictures being circulated on the Internet in the name of ‘ghost images’. These images are conceived merely to stir sensation in order to fool people into believing in the existence of ghosts and demons and all those species that I don’t think exist.
Following are certain images that were when released, left the net surfers baffled and astonished. However, for the ghostly features on these photographs, the credit goes to the use of certain techniques and fixes. I am talking about Photoshop, other imaging software, the play of lights, orbs, phone apps, etc. etc.
1. Lincon’s Ghost; A Product Of Double Exposure
Technique used: Double exposure
This one featuring Mary Ann Todd Lincoln with the ghost-like appearance of her husband standing right behind is chilling by all means, isn’t it? Chilling and soooo fake! The photograph was captured by the ‘spirit photographer’ William H. Mumler, who eventually became known as a con artist and a hoaxer.
And the ghost of Mr. Lincoln here is actually double exposures of Mumler’s previous clients.
2. Another old image made ghostly using double exposure technique
Techniques used: Double exposure and heavy-handed negative etchings
This masterpiece of a ghost photograph features Moses A. Dow (with his supposed ghost assistant). The photograph was taken (or rather made) in 1872, again by the same con man as talked about above, William H. Mumler. Apparently, people paid heavily to Mumler to get such photographs made.
3. The fact that it is taken in a haunted house further helped tout it as real!
Technique used: None. That bright spiral is merely either dust particle or a piece of thread on the lens.
The image was taken in a well-known haunted house called the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis.
According to Ghost Reasearch Society, this mysterious spiral shape couldn’t be found on the negative and hence, must have been introduced when the prints were being conceived. The equipment used to generate photos apparently needed some cleaning.And the fact that many other shots in the same roll also had minor flaws prove that this one is no capture of an actual spirit dancing crazy.
4. Another example of creeping people out using ‘double exposure’ technique
They could have used the same technique to feature some non-typical ghost guy. That would have been more believable, no?
5. There’s an iPhone app called ‘Ghost Capture’
Enough said.
6. The highly popularized image of Loch Ness monster
Technique used: A toy and imagination
I guess we all know that this image. Taken in 1933, it further fueled the speculations of the existence of ‘Nessie’. However, it was later revealed that the monster was actually a trickery done using a toy submarine by the photographer and his friend to fool a lot of people: something they succeeded at by a great deal.
7. Just an eerie example of an epic Photoshop trick that even fooled the newspapers
Technique used: Photoshop tools
The ‘supposed’ ghost of a farm boy was clicked by a lady named Angy D’Arcy near Evercreech, England in 2003. The image appeared in the newspaper ‘Sun Times’ in the year 2008 and soon became a hit as a ‘ghost image’. What’s more? The image, allegedly, was even passed as an ‘authentic ghost image’ by the experts.
The truth, however, came out eventually. Someone had photoshopped young Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars, probably played with opacity and other Photoshop tools to give it a ghost-like appearance, and then pasted the image into a meadow scene.
8. Not a paranormal activity but a shortcoming of a point and shoot camera
Technique used: None. Point and Shoot camera fail.
According to Ghost Research Society, and according to our own photography experience, point and shoot cameras emit a bright light to illuminate, or ‘flash’ the subject on which the focus of the camera lies. The shutter, at times, can stay open for a bit longer, and the ‘light lag’ effect as seen in the above image is created when:
- There is a subtle camera movement caused, and
- There is a bright object or a reflection nearby.
9. Ghost of cigarette smoke
Technique used: Cigarette smoke and creative power
You will find plenty of such ghost images on the Internet.
The exhaled smoke lingers in the air for a while, and when photographed using the flash mode, the smoke gets illuminated and seem like creepy formations. Such photographs can easily be conceived by photographers smoking cigarettes in the night while taking a shot. And if the surrounding has an eerie feel to it, say a cemetery, then such photographs can easily fool people into believing in the existence of something ghostly.
It is funny how regular Photoshop fails make us laugh and question the skills of the artist. But, when techniques are used to ‘create’ ghost photographs, some of us stare them in wonderment and get fooled by easily.
Anyway, so lesson learned: Let’s not believe everything that the Internet says.
This piece, though, you can believe in. 🙂