Ghost on Film
Still cameras such as 35 MM cameras are good to use because the negative holds up well to scrutiny and is less likely to produce some of the flaws that plague digital cameras (especially most cheaper digital cameras). Digital cameras have many advantages, however. They provide instant results that can be viewed right away. Another advantage is that most digital cameras are sensitive to some infrared light, making them ideal for capturing things you may not catch with your naked eye. Care must be taken with digital cameras because dust and moisture can appear as "orbs" (spiritual energy) and any stray hair or camera straps hanging in front of the lens could be mistaken for "vortexes" or other paranormal activity. Cigarette smoke or even your own breath can appear in photos as "ghostly mist" or "ectoplasm." Just be very careful and critical of your own photography. It's easy to believe you have a photo of a ghost when all you have is a bad photo, especially if you are overly eager to capture a ghost on film.
Be extremely critical of every photo or video you take. It is common for overly eager people to think there are ghost faces in the bushes, ghost faces in the mirror, ghost faces in the grain of the door.... you get the idea. Some people see a ghost everywhere they look. Don't let your imagination get the best of you. Gather your evidence and examine it later. Be very cautious when taking photos or videos. Rule out the obvious before you claim you have evidence of the paranormal.
Ghost Hunting Tips
Film: Kodak Max 800 ASA
By the way if you are taking photo's with a Sony Mavica the triangle orbs you get are dust. They are triangular due to the shape of the lens.
How to Take a Ghosts Photograph
Step 3: Walk through your house and talk to your ghost. Explain to him/her that you know he/she is there and that you would like to take his/her picture. Yes...being polite also works on spirits. Remember that they were once mortal too.
Mother Nature is not always your friend when you are searching for ghosts. The weather can have a great effect on your photographic out come. The dampness in the air, the chill of fall and winter weather can effect any camera. These conditions can cause orbs or what appears to be ectoplasm.
The right camera and the right film speed are crucial. You want at least 800-speed film. 400 speed is OK, but it never really gives quality to support any evidence you think you might find. The best camera to use is a digital camera. Preferably a 4.o mega pixel or higher. Low pixel cameras can cause what looks like little faces or bodies floating in the back round.
Camera control is also another issue. You need to be steady as you snap your pictures. Unsteady shots can cause what is known as the ribbon effect. Sure it looks cool sometimes, but it is no ghost. You can even take a picture of a person on slow speed and be unsteady and it can look like a true ghost. Be careful of that. Slow shutter should never be used when you are ghost hunting. Don't try to fool the experts either. They will tell you exactly how you did it.
Eliminate all light Sources
surface that is OUTSIDE
of the camera's view, yet is
picked up as it is reflected
back into the picture.
Latest 3-D Cameras
Catching a ghost on file is always an excitement, but because of the ease in which we can now alter the pictures, ghosts are hard to prove. They are not scientific proof unless one can examine the negative or original digital card. The products taken with a 3-D camera escape this scrutiny. On a regular camera, the image appears on a flat photographic paper and it is impossible to tell exactly how far the object photographed is from the lens of the cameras. 3-D pictures eliminate this question for their photographs duplicate exactly what the human eye sees. It takes two pictures of the same object from slightly different perspectives and displaying a single, depthful image when combining the two images. The 3-D photographs require viewing with a special viewer.
Placing two cameras side by side and snapping them both at the same time can have the same effect. The camera lenses should be 6.5 cm apart, each slightly tilted toward the photographed object. When using a 3 D Camera, we cannot blame reflections when we capture mist in a picture. Things we can not see before, we now see with the infrared and ultraviolet realms. They give us that look in the world where ghosts live.
Point and Shoot 35mm
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The Lens/Shutter or Point and Shoot 35mm |
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Focusing systems may be automatic (via an "active infrared" system that sends out a beam of infrared light and ranges distance based upon reflection) or fixed, which means the lens is set at one focusing distance. Autofocus lens/shutter cameras set focusing "zones" rather than focusing upon a discrete distance; generally, the more the zones the more precise the focus. Less expensive cameras have what's called a "focus free" system, an odd term that means that the camera is set at one focusing distance. Focus with these cameras is less precise. Lens/shutter cameras may have an integral single focal length or a zoom lens; the latter allows for a variety of angles of view. In most, exposure and film handling is automatic, with a built-in flash that fires when the light sensor detects a need. Because the flash is mounted in the body close to the lens, pictures of people and pets in darkened rooms can yield an effect called "red eye", a demonic look that is particularly disturbing in small children. An attempt is made to reduce this problem with a "red-eye reduction" flash setting, which sends out a burst of pre-flash light to, theoretically, cause the subject's pupils to constrict, thus to reduce "red-eye" in the picture. Here are some differentiating points among 35mm point and shoot cameras: Autofocus or Focus Free: An autofocus point and shoot camera automatically focuses on the subject in the center of the viewfinder. Some models may offer focus lock, which means that you can place a subject at the center of the finder, lock focus and then recompose so that the subject can be placed at the side of the frame without fear of losing focus on it. Focus free means that the lens is set at a fixed focusing distance. Autofocus in point and shoot cameras works in zones. The greater the number of zones the more precise the focusing. Flash Modes: One of the ways that lens shutter cameras offer exposure control is through flash modes. This allows you to choose how a scene will be rendered in both daylight and dim light. The more the flash mode options the more creative you can become. Be sure to get a camera with red-eye reduction mode. This works with a pre-flash prior to the flash used for exposure and does reduce the red-eye effect often seen when photographing people indoors. Flash off, or flash defeat turns the flash off even if the light is low. This comes in handy when photographing in situations when flash is prohibited or would be indiscreet. Daylight fill flash is used when the subject is in shadow or when the sun is behind the subject outdoors. It yields better picture quality in many instances. Slow sync or night flash mode uses both the ambient (prevailing) and flash light for exposure. It gives a more natural look to flash scenes made in low light, as it extends exposure to bring in more of the background light quality in a scene. Date Back: This is available in QD models and it allows you to have the date, time and sometimes custom captions imprinted on the back or the face of the print. Picture Modes: Because most lens shutter cameras allow for no user input on actual aperture and shutter speed settings, some cameras offer picture modes that can enhance the type of picture you want to make. When set, these modes program the exposure and focusing system to perform in various ways. Portrait mode, for example, makes the background less sharp than the subject and adds a sense of dimension to portrait subjects. Infinity mode sets the lens to focus at infinity. Because these cameras work with an infrared beam to set focus, any interference in the beam reflectance will cause focusing on that particular spot. If you're photographing through a window, for example, the beam will stop at the window pane and cause the background to go unsharp. Setting the camera on infinity mode will bypass the focusing system and cause the lens to focus beyond the obstruction. Close-up mode can be used for pictures of flowers and other close-up subjects. This sets the lens focus accordingly. Many cameras will have a focus confirmation signal that will inform you when you are focusing too close. Setting close-up mode ensures that you'll be able to focus closer than normal. Action mode programs the camera to set as fast a shutter speed as possible and is great for sports or subjects in motion. In short, picture modes allow you to customize the camera for particular shooting scenarios. They may be a bit confusing at first, but they can be a great help in getting better pictures. |
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The Beginners Guide to Digital Photography
There are distinct advantages of digital photography:
- Instant gratification See and share the photo you just took on the LCD screen on the back of the camera.
- Shoot away Since you are able to delete photos that you do not want, you have the freedom to shoot many photos of the same scene, and just keep the one or two that turned out the best. Once you discover this, you have another great way to capture memories.
- Every print's a winner Gone are the days of shooting a whole roll of film to get a few good pictures! With digital photography, you only print the best shots.
- Options Whether it's 4-by-6-inch prints to put in your photo album, homemade greeting cards printed on your inkjet printer, or sharing your photos online, digital photography opens up a whole new world of options for your memories.
What's the deal with megapixels and resolution?
When dealing with digital cameras, you'll need to become familiar with the terms "pixel" and "megapixel." Pixel is short for picture element, and it refers to the tiny "cells" that gather information in a digital camera. The term "megapixel," which is found on most digital cameras, simply means one million pixels.
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| Low | Medium | High |
The higher the number of pixels, the better the resolution. The higher the resolution, the larger and higher quality prints you can make. Higher quality photos take up more space on your media card, but they will give you the best prints. This guide will give you a very general idea of what to expect in terms of megapixels, resolution and output size:
| # of Pixels Less than 1 megapixel 1 megapixel 2 megapixels 3 megapixels 4 megapixels 5 megapixels |
Print Size "Screen resolution" (good for e-mailing) 4-by-6-inch prints 5-by-7-inch prints 8-by-10-inch prints 11-by-14-inch prints 16-by-20-inch prints |
Keep in mind everyone's perception is different. You may be happy with an 8-by-10-inch print made from a 1-megapixel digital camera, but your quality-conscious neighbor may think it looks too "jaggy." If you figure out the largest print size you will ever want to make, and then buy the digital camera, based on the chart above, with the megapixels to match, you will be very satisfied with your digital camera.
Which digital camera is right for me?
To assist you with finding the proper digital camera, you might ask yourself, "What will I do with the pictures?" Do you only want to post your photos to the Internet? Well, a 1-megapixel digital camera might be perfect for you! Are you planning to print your pictures on a desktop inkjet? A 2-megapixel camera would be a good choice. How about making 8-by-10-inch photos? You'll probably want to go with a 3-megapixel camera or higher. Thinking about these things will help you establish which camera is right for you.
Where do I put the film in my digital camera?
Digital cameras have removable media (or memory cards), much like floppy disks, in lieu of film. This means when you take pictures, the digital camera creates a file and saves it to this media. You can then save these files to your computer or give the memory card to a retail store to download and make photo prints, gifts or CDs . Whatever you do, it is wise to make a backup copy of your photos before you take the memory card in for processing. Then simply delete the files and take more pictures.
The number of images you store on your digital memory card depends on the size (in megabytes) of your memory card, he resolution of your camera (in megapixels), and how the camera compresses the images. Your digital camera will come with a digital memory card, capable of holding a small amount of images, but you will want to purchase additional memory cards at the time you purchase your digital camera, it is important to remember what type of media your digital camera uses.
LCD and viewfinders
Most digital cameras have a viewfinder, which you look through to take a picture (just like a regular camera). Most digital cameras also have a screen called an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), which allows you to view the scene you are about to shoot, as well as see the picture just taken. If someone says "Oops, my eyes were closed," you can view the image and retake it if necessary. The LCD also gives you access to the camera's menu system, which will allow you to change the settings of the camera fairly easily.
The LCD will allow you to view all the images on your memory card. You can flip through the stored shots and delete the ones you don't want to keep. The LCD will draw a lot of power from the battery, so there may be situations (when you don't have access to your battery charger) when using the viewfinder is a better option. It is also better to use the LCD rather than the viewfinder when shooting close up, due to the accuracy of the framing (what you see is what you'll get).
File compression and file size
Your camera will allow you to adjust your image quality, so your memory card can contain both high-resolution and low-resolution images. Use the high-resolution setting when you know you will want to make large prints, and you do not plan to take many photos. Use the lower resolution setting when you want to take a lot of pictures, and will probably only want 4-by-6-inch prints, or simply to e-mail the photos to friends.
Digital cameras will compress the pictures you take so more can fit on your memory card. The higher the compression you use, the lower the picture quality of the image. You can change the level of compression depending upon how you are using the photos. If you are taking pictures to e-mail, you may want to use the highest level of compression, while you will probably want to use the lowest level of compression when shooting to make prints. A good general rule of thumb when shooting pictures you plan to make into prints is to set your camera at the highest resolution setting and the medium compression setting.
This guide will give you a very general idea of what to expect in terms of megapixels, resolution and media storage:
Storage Card Capacity| # of pixels |
8MB |
16MB |
32MB |
48MB |
64MB |
128MB |
| 1 megapixel |
10-12 |
20-44 |
40-88 |
60-132 |
100-150 |
130-250 |
| 2 megapixels | 7-15 | 16-32 | 32-64 | 48-96 | 64-122 | 128-220 |
| 3 megapixels | 5-10 | 10-20 | 20-40 | 30-60 | 40-90 | 64-150 |
| 4 megapixels | 2-7 | 5-16 | 10-32 | 25-48 | 40-64 | 70-128 |
| 5 megapixels | 1-5 | 3-12 | 8-28 | 15-36 | 24-58 | 38-92 |
These ranges are only estimates of how many images will fit onto the given size of memory card. This will vary depending on the compression setting of the camera, which is usually adjustable. The higher the compression used, the more pictures will fit on the memory card - at the sacrifice of picture quality.
Software
Most digital cameras come with computer software to edit and to prganize your images. Thes programs will assist you in correcting and manipulating the brightness, sharpness and color of your photos. The possibilities for image editing and manipulation are limitless once you become acquainted with the program.
Using the flash
Both traditional and digital photograpy require good lighting for good results. Most digital cameras have a flash capability, but digital cameras are less sensitive to light than traditional film cameras. If you are shooting indoors or in a low-light situation, even with the flash, you should move close enough to the subject for the flash to be effective (no more than 10 feet away). If this is a concern, some digital cameras allow you to use accessory flashes or studio-type lighting, which are available.
If you set your digital camera on Auto, the camera will attempt to determine the need for flash based on the lighting conditions, but you still should use the manual setting when appropriate (such as using the flash in bright sunlight to reduce intense shadows). Using the flash will concume more of you battery power, so keep you spare set of rechargeable batteries charged and ready to go.
Avoiding red eye
Red eye is caused by an electronic flash reflecting off the back of the eye, making the eye look red. Many digital cameras offer red eye reduction settings, but this will also delay the time from when you click to when the photo is actually taken. Also, keep in mind red eye can be easily removed with image-editing software.
Card readers
After filling your memory card, you may want to download the photos to your computer. Most digital cameras allow you to do this with a cable that connects your camera to your computer. Another way to transfer photos from your camera to your computer is with a card reader. Card readers are like an external disk drive that will allow you to access the images on your memory card, just as you would with a floppy disk. This is one of the easiest ways to get the images from your memory card to your computer, and it helps save battery power. While some cameras come with a card reader, most do not, and you may need to purchase one.
Batteries
One of the issues with digital cameras is the issue of power. Digital cameras require a lot of battery power, especially when using the LCD screen on the back of the camera. When you buy a digital camera, rechargeable batteries are a must. Some cameras come standard with rechargeable batteries, while others do not. Either way, you will want to make sure you have at least two sets of rechargeable batteries.
There are several different rechargeable batteries on the market. NiMH _ an abbreviation for nickel metal hydride _ will perform the best, allowing you to recharge the batteries at any time while still holding their capacity. Lithium ion batteries also hold their capacity fairly well. NiCad _ an abbreviation for nickel cadmium _ are more temperamental, creating a "memory effect" if not charged properly. NiCad batteries will lose their capacity over time, so if given the choice, choose NiMH or lithium ion batteries.
Accessories
Like traditinal cameras, there are many accessories you can purchase for your digital camera: batteries, auxiliary lenses, filters, bags, tripods, adapters, cables, memory cards, and inks and paper to name a few.
Fun Features
Digital cameras, image-editing software, websites and the like all offer some sort of fun features to change or enhance your photos. From digital borders to postcards to morphing your face with the body of an animal, the world of digital photography allows you to stretch your creativity and have a lot of fun in the process. The possibilities with digital images are limitless!
Free Photo Analysis
Definitions in Ghost Photography
This happens in a lot in Woods or on back grounds that have a very busy pattern to them.
So most of the time photos that are like this are discounted by main stream ghost hunters.
Also making a face out of a pattern,the mind will automatically do this.
Ghost Photography
ANOMALOUS:
Anomalous is the definition for something out of the ordinary. For example when we pick up E.V.P on Electro Magnetic tape we are picking up an anomalous voice. Can also show up on your photos.it is something that should not be there but yet it is.
Infra Red Video
- Todays video cameras have Infrared capability .
- We believe this helps us see the energy emitted by spirits. This energy seems to reside in a different light spectrum.
- How this works:
An Infrared beam is emitted off of the camera. This is reflected off of the spirit energy and bounced back to the video camera lens.
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More to be added soon.