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Snow, rain, fog, and ghosthunting

© Fiona Broome

Since I'm about to film a "ghosthunt" outdoors, possibly in snowy conditions, it's probably a good idea to talk about how foolhardy this is. If there was any alternative, I'd film this TV show at another time of year.

In most of the Northern hemisphere, winter means snow or rain. Both make ghosthunting unreliable, at least in terms of documentable phenomena.

First, there's snow. It's wet. It's white. It sparkles and reflects light. All of those make it so that no matter how great a photographic anomaly is, we have to discount it.

The most common anomalies that we look for in "haunted" locations are orbs. These are translucent, slightly whitish (or blue-white) spheres that appear to hang in mid-air in photographs.

We do not see them when we take the photos. We see them in the prints, or when we upload the pictures to a computer.

And, due to the way that they work, digital cameras generally pick up more orbs and other anomalies than film cameras. In fact, it's a good idea to take a digital camera with you, to see if you're getting orbs in a particular setting. Then, you can take film pictures with confidence.

However, many film photographers have learned certain cues that indicate when they're getting anomalies in their photos, even though they can't see them at the time. Some describe it as the hair going up on the back of their neck, or something like that.

When you're dealing with the paranormal, it's important to know what's "normal," too.

In normal settings, orbs and other anomalies can be caused by reflections of light bouncing back into the camera lens. Due to the configuration of the lens (or lenses) and the way light refracts inside the camera, we get "orbs." The shape of the orb often relates to the configuration of lenses inside the camera. For example, some Canon cameras produce bell-shaped orbs when they're caused by light refracting. This is a useful way to discern "normal" orbs from those that are paranormal.

Approximately 90% of the photos that people send to me for analysis include obvious reflective surfaces. Computer monitor screens account for at least half the "orbs" in these photos. Others are from glass (windows, tabletops), polished floors and furniture, shiny metal objects, or--outdoors--house lights and reflective signs.

In winter, the white, crystalline surface of the snow is enough to cause false anomalies.

The snow--like rain in warmer wintry climates--also produces moisture in the air. We're still testing relative humidity and dew points, to determine at what level photos stop being reliable. We know that false anomalies occur at humidity levels lower than what we perceive as "damp" or "muggy."

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