The Big Orb Thread
- Thread starter Anonymous
- Start date
-
- Tags
- orbs
A
Anonymous
Guest
Digital photography
Like other contributors to this thread, I think orbs are an artefact of digital photography/imaging. After all there are very few pictures of orbs taken with none digital cameras - the campfire piccie orb although taken on a normal camera looks very much like camera flare to me. BUT don't all start shouting I am no photography expert, so I will stand corrected if this is impossible for some reason or other.
All I know is that once I am dead and if there is life after death, I hope I spend my time more constructively than floating round as a boring old orb. I mean, once you've seen one you've seen 'em all. Now, it would be different if I could be multi-coloured - bit like a "disco orb" or something !:blah: Now Yvette Fielding could get really excited about seeing one of them.....
Like other contributors to this thread, I think orbs are an artefact of digital photography/imaging. After all there are very few pictures of orbs taken with none digital cameras - the campfire piccie orb although taken on a normal camera looks very much like camera flare to me. BUT don't all start shouting I am no photography expert, so I will stand corrected if this is impossible for some reason or other.
All I know is that once I am dead and if there is life after death, I hope I spend my time more constructively than floating round as a boring old orb. I mean, once you've seen one you've seen 'em all. Now, it would be different if I could be multi-coloured - bit like a "disco orb" or something !:blah: Now Yvette Fielding could get really excited about seeing one of them.....
DrPaulLee
Justified & Ancient
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2002
- Messages
- 2,031
Moving orbs or camera fault ?
I went on a recent ghost vigil to Beaulieu Abbey and, althugh most of the time was quet (apart from the general spoutings of the psy-kookiness brigade), one thing did puzzle me.
We've all seen orbs on still, digital pictures, but we seemed to be getting mobile orbs, which appeared on super night vision mode (i.e. imga intensified, but with a 1 second time lapse). These "orbs" were moving mostly from right to left, and appeared as streaks, like comets. A few did go diagonally, from top right to bottom left.
These streaks did not appear to the nakes eye, and did not appear in my hand held image intensifier scope, which should see more or less what the digital camera was seeing.
Has anyone seen these streaks before, either in a ghostly, or a mundane setting? More importantly, does anyone know what they are, other than, as we encountered, them being branded as "apparitions".
If you want to read my full report, its on
Beaulieu Abbey
I went on a recent ghost vigil to Beaulieu Abbey and, althugh most of the time was quet (apart from the general spoutings of the psy-kookiness brigade), one thing did puzzle me.
We've all seen orbs on still, digital pictures, but we seemed to be getting mobile orbs, which appeared on super night vision mode (i.e. imga intensified, but with a 1 second time lapse). These "orbs" were moving mostly from right to left, and appeared as streaks, like comets. A few did go diagonally, from top right to bottom left.
These streaks did not appear to the nakes eye, and did not appear in my hand held image intensifier scope, which should see more or less what the digital camera was seeing.
Has anyone seen these streaks before, either in a ghostly, or a mundane setting? More importantly, does anyone know what they are, other than, as we encountered, them being branded as "apparitions".
If you want to read my full report, its on
Beaulieu Abbey
They are probably noise from the optics you are using. The fact that they appeared to move in the same direction also points to this. Plus, a 1 second lapse is a long time and could also cause over-exposure of mundane things that seem more apparent because of the optics used and the quality of other equipment.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2001
- Messages
- 916
The thing that makes me doubt orbs more than anything else is the fact they appear only on digital equipment. Surely if they were a visible phenomenon they would appear on film cameras as well.
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2002
- Messages
- 415
You would think that if they appear on digital equiptment they should appear on normal film as well.....all I can think of that would mean they would not is if they are either fault errors that occur on digital equiptment, software etc or if it has something to do with Electro-magnetic interfearence mucking about with the electronic equiptment/images. Weither this interfearence could be caused by ghosts or whatever else I dont know.
Orbs
Excuse me if these questions have been asked before...
Has anyone here seen an orb live, as opposed to seeing it on a camera? If the human eye is nothing more than a rather fancy camera, shouldn't we be seeing them as much as photographing them?
Are there any reportings of orbs before digital cameras?
Excuse me if these questions have been asked before...
Has anyone here seen an orb live, as opposed to seeing it on a camera? If the human eye is nothing more than a rather fancy camera, shouldn't we be seeing them as much as photographing them?
Are there any reportings of orbs before digital cameras?
Orbs in general seem to have arisen from misidentifications or misundertandings about digital cameras and standard cameras too. AFAIK, no-one has seen an orb in an area of a so-called haunting with the naked eye. They're one of those things that turns up later, like EVP recordings.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2002
- Messages
- 553
When I was in my mid teens (Around, '89) I had a morbid facination with Spontanious Human Combustion, meaning I was terrified of it happening but couldn't help reading about it! I remember reading a general book about the unexplained and it had an account in of a female high school student who was walking up the stairs to class. A friend called to her who then noticed a blue ball float up to the girl on the stairs, touched her sholder, then the girl went 'WOOSH' into SHC. (See why I was terrified?! lol) I think the book was trying to make a connection between ball lightning and SHC.
Why do I bring this up? Cuz I'm sure ball lightning is 'orbs' by another name!
Why do I bring this up? Cuz I'm sure ball lightning is 'orbs' by another name!
well I have got an orb photo from a normal, non didgital camera.
it was a fairly expensive disposesable one and as the orb appears in frount of a mat finish its not a reflection of a light or flash.
It is as 'real' as orb photos come but I'm still not sure if orbs are ball lighting, ghosties or what.
British museum orb photo.
it was a fairly expensive disposesable one and as the orb appears in frount of a mat finish its not a reflection of a light or flash.
It is as 'real' as orb photos come but I'm still not sure if orbs are ball lighting, ghosties or what.
British museum orb photo.
Disposable cameras seem to be prone to orbs, as are some cheaper point and click non-disposable ones.
WRT ball lightning - it's visible to the naked eye. Orbs are one of those things that only 'appear' at a later point on film.
WRT ball lightning - it's visible to the naked eye. Orbs are one of those things that only 'appear' at a later point on film.
A
Anonymous
Guest
i though orbs were something to do with either light from the flash causing a weird effect with dust in the air or an accident whilst developing film.
on a personal level i can't stand orb photos. i remember ghost photo's spooking me out in books as a kid (like the monk at the abbey, spooky (though it was faked wasn't it?) but when i google for ghost photo's i always end up with loads of pages of orb photo's. bah humbug. death to orb photos!!!
on a personal level i can't stand orb photos. i remember ghost photo's spooking me out in books as a kid (like the monk at the abbey, spooky (though it was faked wasn't it?) but when i google for ghost photo's i always end up with loads of pages of orb photo's. bah humbug. death to orb photos!!!
A
Anonymous
Guest
Orbs in graveyards
I've noticed that a lot of orbs seem to be photographed in graveyeards. Just a thought but what kind of spirit would WANT to hang around a graveyard? Surely the deceased have better things to do with their time than sitting on their graves and contemplating eternity when they can do far more fun things like haunt people or move on to whichever realm they are supposed to be going.
The amount of graveyards and orb photos I've been seeing is frankly tedious.
Anyway, must go an edit these academic journals.
Take care all.
I've noticed that a lot of orbs seem to be photographed in graveyeards. Just a thought but what kind of spirit would WANT to hang around a graveyard? Surely the deceased have better things to do with their time than sitting on their graves and contemplating eternity when they can do far more fun things like haunt people or move on to whichever realm they are supposed to be going.
The amount of graveyards and orb photos I've been seeing is frankly tedious.
Anyway, must go an edit these academic journals.
Take care all.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2001
- Messages
- 916
Failing that you could head out to somewhere you are allergic to, perhaps a meadow with lots of grass pollen, and take pictures as soon as you can after sneezing.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Orbs and pollen
Hi
The "best" way of catching "orbs" whatever they are is a to
use a video camera with ired function,we have picked up some really odd one`s doing some weird movements/angles.
This can not be mistaken for dust/pollen.
We have experimented with video stills vs film stills and there is no doubt that a still shot,unles showing "movement" can be mistaken for an orb.
Most people are too lazy to bother trying to capture them on video.Whatever the hell they are.
I gather that many people here do a lot of net research for their answers.
Mike
Hi
The "best" way of catching "orbs" whatever they are is a to
use a video camera with ired function,we have picked up some really odd one`s doing some weird movements/angles.
This can not be mistaken for dust/pollen.
We have experimented with video stills vs film stills and there is no doubt that a still shot,unles showing "movement" can be mistaken for an orb.
Most people are too lazy to bother trying to capture them on video.Whatever the hell they are.
I gather that many people here do a lot of net research for their answers.
Mike
A
Anonymous
Guest
film range+human vision
"the camera picks up some things the eyes cannot see" - explanation just doesn't work for me.
Radiation that humans "see",ie light effects/interaction etc, goes from about 380-750 nanometres.
Normal panchromatic film goes down to about 250+20?- nano depending on the lense used.
ergo,panchromatic film can go into the UV end of the spectrum where the human eye cannot.
Mike
"the camera picks up some things the eyes cannot see" - explanation just doesn't work for me.
Radiation that humans "see",ie light effects/interaction etc, goes from about 380-750 nanometres.
Normal panchromatic film goes down to about 250+20?- nano depending on the lense used.
ergo,panchromatic film can go into the UV end of the spectrum where the human eye cannot.
Mike
A
Anonymous
Guest
Orbs on photo film are most likely scratched off emulsion that is blurred while printing (I am an expert so please try and take my word for it) . But on film I have no idea what they are I admit that.
Also if orbs appear in cold places like in some of the photos ive seen it could be moisture on the internal glass elements of the lens (SLR and Point and Shoot and video). also fungus can grow inside the lens.
Also if orbs appear in cold places like in some of the photos ive seen it could be moisture on the internal glass elements of the lens (SLR and Point and Shoot and video). also fungus can grow inside the lens.
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2001
- Messages
- 719
I'd agree that process marks on the emulsion will give orb effects on a print as will halation from bright lights, flash reflection from snowflakes etc. If I remember my optical theory correctly, marks, scratches on individual lens elements, even bubbles don't cause any real effect, but grease marks, condensation and probably fungus should soften the image and create halation round highlights. Possibly the cause of some still photo orbs. There has been a long thread devoted to orbs back sometime ago, probably worth reading. I asked if anyone had captured orbs on both still and video at the same time (using ir still film) to see a correlation but didn't get any replies...might be worth doing.
- Joined
- May 21, 2002
- Messages
- 691
We took some digital photos at christmas which had "orbs" on them but then I deduced that as we were playing a game with water and they were droplets in the air.
I did have a feeling that a friend who'd died the previous April was "there" and kept expecting to turn around and see her and a couple of times I thought I heard her voice but thats for another thread!!
I did have a feeling that a friend who'd died the previous April was "there" and kept expecting to turn around and see her and a couple of times I thought I heard her voice but thats for another thread!!
Stormkhan
Disturbingly familiar
- Joined
- May 28, 2003
- Messages
- 8,651
While it may be possible to photograph ghosts, the recent poliferation of "orbs" leads me to think it is the availability of digital technology that causes this.
People say they didn't see them at the time of taking the picture - Of course not! The dust particles near to the lens wouldn't be seen easily ... it takes the camera flash to momentarily "paint" them for the lens.
"They don't move in understandable patterns" - Duh! A dust mote is small enough to be moved by the slightest air current, including the body heat of people in the room. Use a sensitive thermal camera and a room with only one, moving and breathing person in is awash with "fluid" currents.
"It seems to move through people!" - A dust mote illuminated by video lighting, including low-light "painting" would be quite pale but transparent to the digital camera (because of definition problems). As they move between another subject - say a fellow investigator - and the camera, the camera would "pick up" the further subject in preference to the less tangible mote.
While I applaud digital photography in the area of paranormal investigation (more for the poltergeists to screw around with
), the orbs have only become an epidemic since the technologys widespread use. My suggestion? Use both a digital and "ordinary" cameras and look for additional substantiation to any haunting. Oh, and don't worry about orb photography ... there's plenty examples of the art about!
People say they didn't see them at the time of taking the picture - Of course not! The dust particles near to the lens wouldn't be seen easily ... it takes the camera flash to momentarily "paint" them for the lens.
"They don't move in understandable patterns" - Duh! A dust mote is small enough to be moved by the slightest air current, including the body heat of people in the room. Use a sensitive thermal camera and a room with only one, moving and breathing person in is awash with "fluid" currents.
"It seems to move through people!" - A dust mote illuminated by video lighting, including low-light "painting" would be quite pale but transparent to the digital camera (because of definition problems). As they move between another subject - say a fellow investigator - and the camera, the camera would "pick up" the further subject in preference to the less tangible mote.
While I applaud digital photography in the area of paranormal investigation (more for the poltergeists to screw around with
), the orbs have only become an epidemic since the technologys widespread use. My suggestion? Use both a digital and "ordinary" cameras and look for additional substantiation to any haunting. Oh, and don't worry about orb photography ... there's plenty examples of the art about!
taras
Least Haunted
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2002
- Messages
- 1,625
- Location
- Edinburgh
Orb Attack!!
Here's a photo I took the other night with my digital camera. Seems the "spirits" had all left the ground and were heading some place...
By the way, I have seen a "ghostly orb" in real life (see thread "A Little Incident"), and they are nothing like the ones people capture on digital cameras. When will people learn...
Here's a photo I took the other night with my digital camera. Seems the "spirits" had all left the ground and were heading some place...
By the way, I have seen a "ghostly orb" in real life (see thread "A Little Incident"), and they are nothing like the ones people capture on digital cameras. When will people learn...
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2001
- Messages
- 1,921
Orbs on Psychic Secrets Revealed
I've just finished watching Psychic Secrects Revealed on channel 5.
The program is about this magician who did one show where he did lots of psychic type tricks and then spent the rest of the series explaining how they are done.
One thing that he did was to arm some people with digital cameras and take them off to a haunted house. He put them in a room that he told them was the most haunted in the house, which was in semi darknes, and got them to snap away. And guess what, lots of orb photos.
So they got the guy on from Fuji to explain. Looks like it was just dust after all. And because digital cameras tend to be smaller the flash is closer to the lens making it more likely to happen.
He even took some orb pictures of his own by waving a duster about above the camera.
I've just finished watching Psychic Secrects Revealed on channel 5.
The program is about this magician who did one show where he did lots of psychic type tricks and then spent the rest of the series explaining how they are done.
One thing that he did was to arm some people with digital cameras and take them off to a haunted house. He put them in a room that he told them was the most haunted in the house, which was in semi darknes, and got them to snap away. And guess what, lots of orb photos.
So they got the guy on from Fuji to explain. Looks like it was just dust after all. And because digital cameras tend to be smaller the flash is closer to the lens making it more likely to happen.
He even took some orb pictures of his own by waving a duster about above the camera.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2003
- Messages
- 1,634
Yes, I 'm kinda amazed though perhaps I shouldn't be that people ever got excited about this "phenomena" .It's pretty obvious that the use of flash can can create all sorts of effects but the gullible would prefer to there is some paranormal effect rather than seek technical advice. Also because of their nature so many more pictures can be taken with digital and delete the ones that don't have the effect. I'm sure the spirit world has been waiting all this time for them to be invented so they can manifest themselves to us!
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2003
- Messages
- 876
orbs
Most of the time it is dust that is close to the lense and is reflecting the flash. You will find that it exclusively happens when you use a flash, I've not heard of the phenomena occur with out this.
Most of the time it is dust that is close to the lense and is reflecting the flash. You will find that it exclusively happens when you use a flash, I've not heard of the phenomena occur with out this.