I went on a ghost hunt. I cannot tell you where, because it is a secret, but I did go on one. Several years ago a co-worker and I talked about the “paranormal”. The question, “Is it real or is it fake?” From that discussion was born a ghost hunting group.
My co-worker has led the group enthusiastically, while I have remained in the background consulting from time to time. You see, I do not believe that there is such a thing as a ghost. I believe the human mind seeking something in the realm of non-reality will eventually find what it is looking for if it looks for it long and hard enough. As a Christian I also believe that doors can be opened in reality to things not so pleasant by pursuing evidence of an afterlife here on earth.
“So, why did you co-found a group of ghost hunters if you don’t believe in them?” You may ask. Well, I’m a student of human behavior. I have spent all of my adult life wondering why people think the way they do, act the way they act, and believe the way they believe. For me, human behavior is one of the most fascinating subjects that can be explored.
People are interesting creatures. Their reaction to certain situations is one worthy of note to those who seek to understand the ins and outs of a person, culture, sub-culture, and society. The individual belief systems of those who gather for a purpose, no matter that purpose, is also something that is noteworthy in my opinion, because it can reveal a great deal about how one lives within the environment (defined for this article as “societal surroundings”) they have chosen to live in.
“So, how does this apply to photography Mike? Isn’t this website all about photographic art?” I know that thought may be running through some of your minds. Photography plays a large role in validating or invalidating a person’s experience with those things they label as paranormal. At least, those who are seeking validation believe so.
In reality, there is nothing that can validate something that does not exist. On the ghost hunt I was tasked with reviewing the photographs that were taken by the group if, or when, they thought they captured something paranormal. In the time that I was there I was called upon twice to look at some photographs that were taken. In both circumstances I was presented with “orbs”.
An “orb” in the world of hunting ghosts is supposedly the manifestation of energy generated by a ghost as it tries its hardest to appear. In most cases when an “orb” is captured in a photo it is simply dust reflecting the flash of the camera. The image of the reflected dust appears as round, most times spherical, giving it the appearance of something “other worldly”. The first of the two photographs presented to me as a possible “orb” was as described above. It was just dust.
The second photograph proved to be more of a challenge in trying to figure out what had been captured. It looked like a very bright white ball of light and very large as well. It was time to ask some questions of the two that were present in the room, because the image was very unusual.
My first question was, “Where were you both when this was photographed?” They indicated they were sitting on separate couches that were at a 90 degree angle to each other.
My second question was, “Were you both taking photos at the same time?” They said that they were.
One of the things I noticed in the photograph of the challenging “orb”, that led me to the last question, was a washed out area behind the “orb” itself. There was a door jam that had been lacquered to a high polished finished and it appeared that the culmination of two flashes going off at the same time had caused an unusual reflection from the wood. The rounded shape was a flare from over exposing the reflective surface. This was not an “orb”, but a physical reaction found with the way light acts on a lens.
My point in bringing up the human mind and photography is this. People must be careful not to jump to conclusions when they see something that they do not understand. Our brains are geared to make sense out of what we see and will seek to rationalize the matter at any cost.
Photographers have a responsibility to their viewer when communicating through the images they make. We must attempt to be as clear as possible as to our intent (visually), so that not all interpretation made by the viewer is lost to misunderstanding. In other words, we want the viewer to jump to the correct conclusions about what we photograph.
The photographer’s job is to play with the viewer’s eye as a story is told or some important message is presented. We must strive to help the viewer avoid jumping to any conclusions about our understanding of the environment around us. To do that we must pursue the craft with the past experiences we have gained and a great understanding of how our tools work.
We are predisposed to the same mindset that a ghost hunter might have going into a “hunt”. We enter a circumstance with our camera thinking we have analyzed it fully with all of our expectations attached. The key is to go into it with our eyes wide open to our expectations, so the reality of the moment is fully present. The end product can validate or invalidate what is seen by all those exposed to the experience, but having a proper and healthy attitude about why we shoot what we shoot will ensure that reality always plays a role.
As for ghost hunting? Well it continues to be a study in human behavior for me, as opposed to “unhuman”. I do not believe, which makes me the ultimate skeptic and I am absolutely fine with that. I am sure it makes me a little unpopular with the hunters in our group as well, again I am fine with that.
I will continue analyzing photographs and hopefully in the process learn much more about how light and lens work together. After all, when you are presented with something “paranormal” and you know nothing like that exists, thinking inside the box to explain cause is an absolute. What better box to be in than that of a photographer who understands how image making works. In the end it is simply an exercise in understanding the human mind, its behavior, and the mechanics of photography.
(The photographs used in this article were provided courtesy of Salt City Paranormal. All rights reserved.)
