ghost photography

V

vicky123

Suspended / Banned
Messages
7
Name
victoria
Edit My Images
Yes
hi there, i enjoy ghost hunting and want to know what lens is best. i have a canon eos 400d can anyone help?
 
Hi Victoria, welcome!

I have no idea of the type of shots you'd be taking during ghost photography, but if you post up some images you like and that you'd like to replicate maybe we can help you with the type of kit you will need.
 
I was going to be unkind, but then I realised I quite happily take photo's of people being joined together in Matrimony by 'God', so I live in a glass house.:)

For shooting in dark places you'll need a camera with good high ISO capabilities and a fast std lens, maybe a Sigma 30mm 1.4
 
That's not a very helpful reply to someone's first post on the forum....
 
kelack said:
That's not a very helpful reply to someone's first post on the forum....
Click to expand...

Neither is this pointless post of yours. So, thanks for sharing.

To the OP:

For shooting in low light you might want to try reflecting any light you have or if you believe there is something _actually_ there, a flash may help you identify it.

If you prefer not to use a flash, perhaps you want to make use of available light and/or create the perception of darkness and gloom, a wide aperture standard prime may be a good choice.

Cheap as chips 50 1.8 or a YN565-EX flash might be a cheap starter flash to consider. Reflectors (pop up) are very reasonably priced on ebay.

In all seriousness though, don't expect a lens to bring out the ghouls you think exist.
 
I suggest getting a film camera, screwing up the exposure, screwing up the devving and kinking the film, then you might get things that look like ghosts.

You could also just use photoshop.
 
ajed said:
Neither is this pointless post of yours. So, thanks for sharing
Click to expand...

I think you'll find that my message as a moderator was just to point out that we should all be a bit friendlier to each other.
 
ajed said:
Thanks for clarifying that, with another post.
Click to expand...

probably best to take some time off to let the caffeine out of your system.
 
too many idiots making modding not fun at the moment. 1 down, several to go.
 
I've taken a fair few fake ghost shots. 10 stop filter, nice long exposure. Get somebody (or yourself) to stand still in shot for a few seconds. Voila, instant ghost!
 
Hi Victoria :wave:

If you're looking to try and capture evidence of paranormal activity, then (from what I've heard) the preference seems to be for night vision/image intensifier devices that can be attached to a camera, a camera that's been modified to capture either infrared or full spectrum images, or thermal imaging equipment.
The first two options can cost a few hundred, the last one a few thousand...
 
A 50mm f1.8 and decent flash used to work fine when i took my old 350d on a few ghost hunts. There are loads of IR and full spectrum cameras on ebay but not great. Sony also do a few with nightshot, the SC-F707, DSC-F717, DSC-F828, DSC-V1, DSC-V3, and the H9. I had the dsc-v1 for about a year. Just noticed where you are based so sent you a private message with the name of a group in your area.
 
None of the above will help you to capture a ghost.

What you will need is a very good video recorder (AS HIGH PIXELS AS POSSIBLE ALONG WITH VERY HIGH ISO) preferably infra red, good EVP ( Electronic Voice Phenomena), thermometers, infra-red sensors and magnetic field detectors.

A lot of patience and nerves preferably with a bucket of do-nuts and coffee.


But then what do I know, I saw this on Ghost hunters... :-)

Just remember you are capturing energy not a solid figure.

Have you considered the Canon 60Da?
 
Last edited:
Plenty of ghosts were captured on film, so pop into your local charity shop and see what you can pick up for a fiver.
 
I'd suspect that you'd need a fast wide angle lens? Suppose it would be similar to photographing things like bats and such where you never know where they will appear next.
 
Ive got a friend who photographs, orbs and other entities, he just uses a point and shoot, hes got lots of good orb, and unexplained shots he isnt a member on here, but I have some of his shots on disc I will ask him can I post them,
 
Last edited:
Well sorry to see a few less than helpful posts :shrug: but I suspect we shall need a little more information on what you want to capture :thinking: or maybe that you think your going to capture :D

Welcome to TP :wave:

Matt
MWHCVT
 
Hi Victoria. Short of some very expensive, and specialised, equipment I don't think the lens is going to make much difference at all. Your 400D with something reasonably fast (f1.8 - f2.8) in the 30 - 50mm range should work as well as anything else. I did read a discussion about the merits of using film v digital for this sort of thing, but it was a while ago and I can't remember the conclusion.

I'm a reasonably open minded sceptic but, just out of interest, have you ever seen a ghost or anything that could be interpreted as one?
 
thanks for all of the relpys. some useful, some amusing, will investigate and post results.
 
I suppose a lot would depend upon the length of exposure you are going for. If you're using long exposures then possibly any lens would do but if shooting in lower light you may need a wider aperture.

If you do need a wider aperture something between a 20mm f1.8 to 30mm f1.4 may be worth looking at but a 17-50mm f2.8 may be ok if you are happy to use higher ISO settings.

It's a fascinating subject and I wish you luck.
 
woof woof said:
I suppose a lot would depend upon the length of exposure you are going for. If you're using long exposures then possibly any lens would do but if shooting in lower light you may need a wider aperture.

If you do need a wider aperture something between a 20mm f1.8 to 30mm f1.4 may be worth looking at but a 17-50mm f2.8 may be ok if you are happy to use higher ISO settings.

It's a fascinating subject and I wish you luck.
Click to expand...

To be honest my mate uses a PS, as he just wants to catch orbs so long exposures will just blur out anything, so I would say the quicker and often exposures the better, not sure if flash helps though
 
Indeed, but I was thinking of being able to capture an image of something which may not be visible by eye (as in EVP) and if it isn't how do you know when to press the shutter :D

Anyway. The OP probably knows more about this than me, I just thought that it may be worth mentioning that if doing longer exposures using almost any lens may be possible depending upon the lighting level and the length of the exposure.
 
Unless a ghost is going to stand (float?) perfectly still, then a long exposure won't be much good. You'd need shutter speeds similar to those used on living people.

If you want to capture "orbs", then you will need flash.
 
HMansfield said:
Unless a ghost is going to stand (float?) perfectly still, then a long exposure won't be much good. You'd need shutter speeds similar to those used on living people.

If you want to capture "orbs", then you will need flash.
Click to expand...

I'd have thought the orbs would be self illuminating?

Many years ago I shot a documentary on this subject, I didn't capture anything on the actual film. However, when location scouting I took a photograph of the outside of one of the 'haunted' buildings we shot in, when I developed the photograph there was a clear humanoid shape in the window, but one which was completely featureless. It was even published in the local rag with an accompanying story! If I had a scanner I'd put it up here.

Some people think it was a reflection of the cloud in the window, but it certainly looked pretty creepy!
 
Last edited:
I'd say 98% of 'Orbs' are just specs of dust lit up by flash outside of the focal range of the lens, nothing mystical about them. It's also supposedly only really a problem that digital cameras face but I am not 100% on that.

http://www.ghostweb.com/orb_theory.html

I analysed 100's of photos for a local ghost hunting organisation as the 'leader' was one of the girls I work with. Despite the fact that she is a total fruit loop who seems to live in her own little dream world (and i mean considering getting a Twilight tattoo at 27) the group was very popular although I never attended myself.

Several of the photos were due to breath in cold air or smoke/fog although these were rarely believed by the group to be so.

As for equipment, I'd suggest a nice wide aperture wide angle lens for taking nice photos inside rooms and getting maximum shutter speed and coverage.

Off camera flash might also help :)
 
odd jim said:
I'd have thought the orbs would be self illuminating?

Many years ago I shot a documentary on this subject, I didn't capture anything on the actual film. However, when location scouting I took a photograph of the outside of one of the 'haunted' buildings we shot in, when I developed the photograph there was a clear humanoid shape in the window, but one which was completely featureless. It was even published in the local rag with an accompanying story! If I had a scanner I'd put it up here.

Some people think it was a reflection of the cloud in the window, but it certainly looked pretty creepy!
Click to expand...

Can you take a photo of it, if you cant scan it :thumbs:
 
HMansfield said:
Unless a ghost is going to stand (float?) perfectly still, then a long exposure won't be much good. You'd need shutter speeds similar to those used on living people.

If you want to capture "orbs", then you will need flash.
Click to expand...
:lol: Would a dslr camera not be frowned upon if you are in a group and maybe a high end point and shoot for discretion may serve you better
 
My suggestion - buy the cheapest UV filter you can find. This will add interesting artifacts onto the image, claiming to be ghosts.

From what I gather, the enjoyment of ghost hunting is the critical analysis of the images.
 
Jjm said:
:lol: Would a dslr camera not be frowned upon if you are in a group and maybe a high end point and shoot for discretion may serve you better
Click to expand...

Quite a few people in groups use dslrs. Personally, i would use a point and shoot due to the amount of dust in most locations.
 
I have recentley began shooting "paranormal" pieces fora friend who runsa research group in coventry, i shoot as wide as poss iso 800, and as quick a shutter speed i can get in order to freeze any apparent activity, just take note though as 95% of what you will get will be down to easily explained things, the most common being an orb, caused from dust reflecting off the flash, oh that reminds me use a flashgun, the inbuilt flash on the 400 is not powerful enough alone
 
Just Dave said:
Can you take a photo of it, if you cant scan it :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Good idea! I just have to find it now!
 
I wouldn't know where to start photographing a ghost.
I am quite scientific by nature, but I would swear on my grans grave that I have seen one once in my life. About 20 years ago I saw a woman standing in my friends kitchen, well the top half, the lower half was in the kitchen units under the worktop. Scared the **** outa me. A few years later there was an article in the local paper about reported sightings in the area and apparently there have been several in his street of Roman soldiers walking thru peoples houses several feet lower than the current ground level. (Eaton Bray / Northall village- Bedfordshire)

This said, it was in my younger days when I used to dabble with mother natures stranger organic compounds..... But I would still swear I saw it, never seen things that weren't there even on the strongest acid I ever took.. :)
 
Last edited:
Hi Vicki and welcome to the group.

You asked what lens to use! possibly the question is which camera should I use? I am not into ghost hunting however I would have thought seeing paranormal TV programs they seem to prefer video cameras with infrared lenses to "see " in the dark.
Now I don't know if your camera can be adapted to do infrared photography, if not maybe it would be worth investing in an adapted camera with this facility.

As a matter of fact where I live sightings by several people have seen the "image" of a cowled figure around the place. Not suprising as it used to be owned by the church under the Lichfield diocese. The previous owners daughter was heard talking to someone in the bathroom- my wife once raced out the back door thinking we had an intruder and nobody was there. That was ontop of varies claims she made of seeing an "image pass the windows.
Also my youngest son saw a young girl sitting on our now gone/replaced front gate, strangely enough this was exactly the same he saw as in an old photo when it used to be a farmhouse with people sitting outside. So the story goes a young girl got killed by accident in the milking parlour and the girl seen by my son was that girl.

Going way way back I did also have a really scary episode, I have to stop here for a moment to say after this incident it has left me with a very open mind about the paranormal, some may well scoff at the very thought which I can well understand, but for me it was real enough to remember it 50 years later as if it happened yesterday.
I was driving across the goss moors in the west country very late at night in my minivan, those days one didn't need a centre rear view mirror just wing mirrors. This particular stretch of road was a "roman road" about 7/10 miles dead straight. I saw in the wing mirrors headlights in the distance which rapidly came up behind me. They actually blinded me so I stopped got out of the van and there was absolutely nothing there. Make of it what you will, but for me it scared the pants off me which is why as I said I have a very open mind on the subject. Yes it may well have been tiredness and the brain playing tricks and I well understand that is what might be going through peoples minds, it has mine as well.

Yes I know many don't believe and I thought what a load of old rubbish as well, infact I thought also they had something loose up top, to be honest.

I have suprised many who don't believe by giving this example. You are driving down a road and approaching a bend, how often do you know there is a car comming the other way without seeing it so keep well over to the left. Is it premonition -experience or what, makes you stop and think doesn't it?

To end up saying I have never indulged in any form of paranoral investigation- joined any groups -or gone to a seance or taken drugs. I just don't believe in them and have absolutely no interest in the subject, (apart from watching TV programs) however when something actually happens it is very hard to try to get people to understand and unless something happens to them personally I can accept their disbelief.

Realspeed
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top