Debunking Ghost Photographs: How To Photograph Properly

Genuine unexplained (above) *more later on this - 

We want to capture the paranormal on cameras, but honestly it is so unbelievably rare that it can be disheartening. Before you get too excited about some of your oddities on your photographs, let's talk a wee bit about the explainable and how to discern it.

Before the advent of the digital camera, orbs were not a photographic issue, or if they were, it was only with certain cameras. Now, they are very common. In fact, on a dusty hayride at night in an autumn country fair, I took a shot of the orchard and when the flash went off, it lit all the particles in the air and it looked like sparkling confetti. The people on the ride cooed at how pretty. This was the process of orbs being made - dust, pollen, and moisture in front of the lens is lit by the flash and shows up.  

Translucent looking orbs are actually very close to the lens and so you are able to see through them and ones that are back a bit from the lens reflect the light from the flash and look quite bright. They may seem to have depth of field in the shot, but they are actually near the lens and the culprit is digital camera design that puts the flash right near the lens. 

I always suggest people use their own camera to take some shots like the ones below to see how their particular camera picks up these things so you have examples to compare field pics with. 

Camera strap (above)

Cold breath (above)

wind storm (above)

Dust blown off a surface (above)

finger wagging in front of camera lens (above)

hair (above) 

stopping after walking outdoors and moth (above)

moving camera slightly photographing lights (above)

spider (above)

Camera lens reflected in window (above)

What to consider when photographing

WALKING:  When you walk, stop and allow several minutes for the air to settle before you photograph. Too many people focus on - I walk here, take pictures - and they don't stop to realize that they just stirred up the environment with a sort of vortex of air around them. 


Reflective surfaces: This is the greatest danger, especially in nighttime photo taking. It can be a nightmare in museums, tourist buildings, historic sites, where there are lots of mirrors and glass framed photos and maps, chandeliers, tables, and more.

Straps and hair: It goes without saying that camera straps can be real culprits and they often show up on the right hand side of the pic because of where they are attached on cameras. They show up often with a spiral or corrugated look. I remove the strap from cameras as soon as they are bought or if the strap comes separately, I never attach it. This is one less explanation on photos. I also tie my hair back. One time, I ran my hands through my hair and one caught on my ring. It dangled in front of the pic. I realized it was a hair because it looked reddish and had the hair look to it - looks like a hose with circles inside of it.

Weather: Storms, winds, cold, rain, fog, snow, sprinklers, heavy moisture can all be interpreted by the camera as all manner of specters. Just be sure you take note of your weather conditions. 


Lens:  You put your camera in and out of your pocket 


Consecutive shots: Taking consecutive shots helps to clarify if something was in the environment or not. Viewers might ask, "was there anyone else in the room?" 

Don't be offended that people dispute photographic findings. The truth is, finding something truly unexplained is hard to do, and you want to eliminate all the explainables ahead of time by taking caution when photographing. 

* While taking photos of my son with a 35 mm camera (no strap) at the cemetery, looking for his grandmother's grave, we were asked to leave as it was getting dark. In my mind, I said to my mother-in-law (deceased) to please show where she was, her grandson was there. I took the picture. While it was getting developed, my father-in-law (at the time) said that she was buried about 300 feet back from the praying hands statue. My son had just asked to be photographed at that statue, after passing tons of awesome ones. It showed up on the negative, as well. With no camera strap, I am at a loss, but we went back and sure enough, her grave was 300 feet back from my son's left shoulder. 

Missing in Alaska Review and Tonight's Show

Last week was the premiere of The History Channel's "Missing in Alaska" show. 

I wasn't sure what to expect, but The History Channel consistently puts on truly amazing shows. This show's editing and presentation reminded me a lot of my old favorite, "UFO Hunters." It mixes information, science, three investigators, and the vast expanse of Alaska and it's odd missing incidents that are off the charts statistically compared to other places. 

In last week's episode, they studied the vortex concept. The investigators went into the field, by helicopter, talked to witnesses and experts. It was good watching. I know it's good watching because it's hard to keep me riveted to a show the entire hour and this one sucked me right in.

I love that they even covered UFOs and parallel universes. I am always pleased when a show has the balls to take in all possibilities and looking for correlations. 

I suggest you give this show a look-see and I suspect you are going to be hooked. All us para geeks tend to ask questions about odd things going on and we want to explore all the possible explanations. This show does it and with a healthy dose of skepticism and intelligence. 

The History Channel - thank you, once again, for another intelligent show like "Ancient Aliens," "Hangar 1," "The Curse of Oak Island" and please bring back "Search for the Lost Giants" and I will forever be your devoted fan!

Tonight's episode is the Hairy Man! 

One of the stars of the show, Ken Gerhard, has some great books you need to check out.

Encounters With Flying Humanoids 
Ken Gerhard's books on Amazon 

Beautiful and Haunting Abandoned Place Videos

I came across this filmmaker's work and had to subscribe to the channel HushHush Video

Enjoy!

New Proof of Ancient Giants in Grand Canyon?

(one of my paintings, find more in my shop)

The stories of ancient giants being found mummified with their treasures inside a cave in the Grand Canyon in the early 1900s has been under debate for a century. But, might this be explained by events in a certain period of our pasts? 

Radiocarbon testing showed that man was here in North America 50,000 years ago! Yes, 50,000 years! 

Plants that were combined with artifacts in South Carolina ended up dating back 50,000 years ago. Why is this significant, other than it pushes man's time on the continent way the hell back from the old estimates around 11,000 years ago? 

Native legends.

How accurate were Native legends? Well, the Hopi speak of the ant people who were hiding underground, who helped their people when they arrived here, during a great catastrophe. 

Source: "The first people of the first world were safely sheltered underground as fire rained upon the earth, the waters and air itself were elemental fire...it took a long time for the first world could cool off so the second world could begin."

We also have a legend of ancient giants being found in a cave in the Grand Canyon, hiding from a catastrophe with an inventory of all their seeds and animals and treasures by a man named Kinkaid in the early 1900s. 

"Over a hundred feet from the entrance is the cross-hall, several hundred feet long, in which are found the idol, or image, of the people's god, sitting cross-legged, with a lotus flower or lily in each hand. The cast of the face is oriental, and the carving this cavern. The idol almost resembles Buddha, though the scientists are not certain as to what religious worship it represents. Taking into consideration everything found thus far, it is possible that this worship most resembles the ancient people of Tibet." (Kinkaid's report to the newspaper 1909)

This archaeological find supports the legend of the Hopi, but is also further supported by the knowledge of a catastrophe that occurred about 50,000 years ago -

About 50,000 year ago, Northern Arizona was hit by a meteor - Meteor Crater. The effects would have been devastating and researchers did not concern themselves with what happened to man in the area because, old school thinking said man wouldn't even arrive until after the last ice age around 11,000 years ago.

If my hypothesis is correct, there was another branch of man that was out spread around the world when man left Africa 60,000 years ago. This advanced man who had more knowledge by virtue of their own evolution and spread, mastering mining, astronomy, canal systems, and megalithic structures, left their influence everywhere which is why the explorer in the Grand Canyon said he thought the cave was filled with giant mummies of an Egyptian race because of the lotus symbol and what looked like a Buddha statue - giving an uneducated estimation that it was Chinese or Egyptian. 

But, if this master earlier race actually spread their style around the world, they influenced man's early languages, religions, styles and more. So, not that Egyptians or Chinese were hiding out in the Grand Canyon, but the earlier race of man that had mastered the globe long before we did.


Once again, it appears that Native legends support real factual occurrences in the past and we do need to listen to them carefully. These second migrants of the three migrations (Europeans as third) to this country were archiving their encounters with this other type of man, the first migrants. 

It is my belief that it's entirely possible these first migrants were Denisovan hybrids. They headed from Asia into Europe and down into the South Pacific, Easter Island, Peru, and up to North America last. They were here 50,000 years ago when the Amer-indians or second migrants arrived. Denisovan DNA is found into the South Pacific and the coastal "Natives" of America showed origins in common with Australia's aborigines. This explains where they trekked and what their influences were. 

We think Deniosvans died off when Neanderthal did, but they were around long enough to mate with Homo sapiens and leave their DNA. In fact, it was found that the Denisovans in their DNA showed a heritage of an as-of-yet unknown other hominin. That unknown homimin seems the likely ancestor of the "giants." In fact, they were likely here much later than most think, as some stories of the giants have them still here as late as the 1400s when Europeans were first exploring here. 

Denisovans were discovered by a youth's finger bone and a molars from adults in a cave in Siberia. Interestingly, the molars were unusually large. If the giant race was advanced and established in cities during this time when the Deniovan and Neanderthal remains were found in the cave, then it is likely that, although the giants might have contributed DNA to Denisovans, the Denisovans were still of the rather primitive age as Neanderthal and Homo sapiens, and this is why they were living in a cave and not the civilized cities of the giant people. It is likely the this is how the Deniosvan DNA showed a heritage of an "other" man. 

Whoever this race of giants were, they were obviously ahead of the nomadic man that was spreading out from Africa and their influences could be seen in technology and architecture, as well as symbols that are found around the world and make people question ancient alien visitation (an extraordinary explanation) or that Homo sapiens somehow were traveling by ship and circumnavigating the globe when they were still running around with primitive tools. 

It is interesting to note how the time line in America fully accommodates both a race of people here 50,000 years ago when the meteor hit and a legend by Native People that there was an earlier race that went underground because of the fiery cataclysm. 

Face-Off New Season Tonight on Syfy!

Season 9 begins with a cosmic bang as sixteen new talented artists work in teams of two to construct original alien animals that incorporate two models into one massive creation. This difficult task of fashioning the largest creatures ever seen on Face Offproves to be eye opening and taxing for multiple contestants, and a surprise announcement from the judges keeps everyone on edge.

And on Tuesday, August 11 at 9PM, Face Off will celebrate its 100th episode in style, as the artists turn real-life engaged couples into whimsically undead duos. Following the challenge, host McKenzie Westmore, recently an ordained minister, will marry the couples as they say their vows in front of friends and family.

CONTESTANTS

Ben Ploughman Age: 34 Hometown: Austin, TX Residence: North Hollywood, CA Twitter: @benplowguy	Brittany Leslie Age: 25 Hometown: Mt. Sinai, NY Residence: West Hollywood, CA Twitter: @brittanykleslie	Evan Hedges Age: 29 Hometown: Boulder, CO Residence: Denver, CO Twitter: @HedgesEvan	Jasmine Ringo Age: 31 Hometown: Atlanta, GA Residence: Las Vegas, NV Twitter: @MonsterNotWar
Jason Henricks Age: 36 Hometown: Crane, OR Residence: Los Angeles, CA Twitter: @ZombieDog_LA	Jordan Patton Age: 25 Hometown: Parkersburg, WV Residence: Pittsburgh, PA Twitter: @jpattonFX	Kevon Ward Age: 27 Hometown: Rock Spring, WY Residence: Denver, CO Twitter: @kevonwardkkw	Libby Rose Goldberg Age: 28 Hometown: Ojai, CA Residence: New York, NY Twitter: @libbyrosemakeup
Megan Wilbur Age: 24 Hometown: Hightstown, NJ Residence: Ewing, NJ Twitter: @cupcake_meg	Melissa ‘Missy Munster’ Stell Age: 20 Hometown: Palmdale, CA Residence: Palmdale, CA Twitter: @MissyMunsterfx	Nora Hewitt Age: 25 Hometown: Barkhamsted, CT Residence: Pittsburgh, PA Twitter: @Nora_Hewitt	Omar Sfreddo Age: 40 Hometown: Miami, FL Residence: Hollywood, FL Twitter: @Omar_SFX
Ricky Vitus Age: 22 Hometown: Schenectady, NY Residence: Bellport, NY Twitter: @RickyVitus	Scott Fensterer Age: 43 Hometown: Orlando, FL Residence: Orlando, FL Twitter: @scottstoybox	Sidney Cumbie Age: 31 Hometown: Pace, FL Residence: Burbank, CA Twitter: @sidneycumbie	Stevie Calabrese Age: 26 Hometown: Grayslake, IL Residence: Chicago, IL Twitter: @AsSeenOnStevie

The Urban Sasquatch Journal: Research Considerations

This is the reporting by a Bigfoot researcher of an ongoing study in the Southern part of the United States in a very large park area near homes and urban setting.

Prior installments

#1 What is Urban Sasquatch?

#2 "The Original Experiment"

#3 "The Urban Study Begins"

#4 "Signatures and Signs" 

#5  "Mixing It Up"

#6  "Neglected and Discouraged" 

#7  "Adding Complexities"

#8  "Stunning Interactions"

#9  "Showing My Intent"

#10  "I'm Being Directed"

#11  "New Team Member"

#12  "Working It Vigorously"

#13 "Curious Interactions"

#14  "New Season Begins" 

#15 "Answering My Thoughts?"

#16  Trail Cam Sham 

#17 Training for Cameras

#18  Weather, Birds and Unexplained Sights
#19   More Preparation For Filming
#20  Revealing the Research Site 

July 5, 2015

Visit #12

Temp: 94, hot, humid, sunny with gathering afternoon rain clouds

Hiked over to the trail bridge arriving just after 5 p.m. After picking up another rock from the old fire pit, I went straight to site 1B. 

This year the mosquitoes have been bad in this area. I found my mosquito head net and it made a great difference in keeping the mosquitoes from being so annoying. I typically wear old jeans, a heavy duty, long sleeve, mossy oak shirt. Also heavy duty hiking socks and hiking boots and a camo cap. No bright colors. The only exposed skin has been my hands and face. I do use gloves and now my head net. I do use repellent also. Again, the head net makes a huge difference in helping me to stay longer in the woods. I stayed this evening till 6:45 p.m. 

Here are the changes noted at site 1B for this visit:

• Both buckets were emptied of all food items left previously.
• Most wrappers were found at both buckets on the ground not far from the trees. Some wrappers were not found and a few were found over 50 feet from a bucket.
• A long limb (66 inches in length) that is perpendicular is now in front on the row of rocks in front of the plastic water jug with ground arrow pointer. ???
• The sprouted deer corn in the site has been flattened.
• The deer corn pile outside of the site perimeter has all been taken.
• A snickers bar wrapper is approximately 50 feet from bucket #2 towards the outside deer corn spot.
• The ground arrow direction pointer limbs has been moved again.

Here are my following new changes:

• I added another rock in front of the new limb near the arrow pointer.
• I had stood up a long log at a tree last visit. I added another long log vertically.
• I laid a broken limb over the rocks and the new limb.
• I removed all the balls from the back packs and piled them under the tree with the horizontal limb. I laid out a number of limbs again to make a new balls corral.
• I put the blue tire and one of the yellow tires vertically at the base of the bucket trees.
• the other tires were relocated near the new balls corral.
• I moved the gifting bag, the dream catcher, flute and 6"galvanized nail to the limb above the balls corral.
• I reset the moved limb pieces at the arrow pointer.
• another sham camera was added near bucket tree #1.
• I hung the belt buckle and comb off cords, over bucket #2. I also added the hammer in bucket #2 to see if it would be taken with the food items.
• At bucket #1 I put in the tennis ball and also hung the nail tent peg and a 6" galvanized nail from cords over the bucket.
• Added the 15lbs kettle bell to the end of the ground arrow.

Here are today's photos (32):

#1. I'm at the trail bridge looking south. The ditch water is a normal depth. Both east and west grassy areas are seen with both tree lines. Sites 1A and 1B are at the far end on the left side.

#2. thru #4. Shows the different wrappers on the ground around bucket tree #1.

#5. In site sprouted deer corn flattened.

#6. This limb added perpendicular at the end of my rocks row.

#7. My ground arrow direction limbs have been scattered slightly.

#8. thru #13. Food wrappers scattered around bucket tree #2.

#14. Deer corn spot outside of site 1B perimeter. The pile is no longer there.

#15. Empty peanuts bag at bucket #1.

#16. Food items for both buckets.

#17. I added an old, broken, short  branch on the new ground limb and rocks. Also the new rock is added.

#18.  I reset the limbs arrow ground pointer.

#19 thru #20. Food added to both tree buckets.

#21. thru #23. Sham camera added near bucket #1. 

#24. Two long limb/log poles I stood vertically at a tree.

#25. Bucket #1 with tent peg and nail additions.

#26. Kettle bell added to ground setup.

#27. Bucket #2 with comb, buckle and hammer additions.

#28. Yellow tire stood vertically at bucket tree #1.

#29. Three tires at the balls corral.

#30. Balls corral.

#31. Blue tire stood vertically at bucket tree #2.

#32. Limb above balls corral with hanging items.

*The Urban Sasquatch researcher has done a great job of giving plenty of stimulation, puzzles, curiosities, attempted communications, and rewards. As he has had this predictable back and forth, keeping things nonthreatening, he has built a trust and a curiosity. Now that an established pattern has developed, it is time for him to plot out the implication of live cameras. 

Dyatlov Pass Incident: Ural Mountains

In 1959, 10 hikers headed up into the Ural Mountains in the USSR and nine were found dead. One member had to return early in the voyage due to illness. The Soviets said it was a powerful force of nature. It would have normally been called a tragedy in cold weather, their conditions raised questions. They were no signs of struggle, yet two victims has fractured skulls, two had broken ribs, and one was missing her tongue.

Diaries and cameras found there helped to get an understanding of what was happening before. They discovered the group had hiked up and perhaps got disoriented and had to hunker down and make camp against the elements.

When rescuers arrived to find out why they had not returned, they found a tent that was half collapsed and inside were their belongings and shoes. The tent had been cut open from inside. The tracks showed the people escaped barefoot or with one shoe or socks only.

It gets even weirder. They came across a fire that had burned out and two bodies there in underwear and shoeless. Branches were broken on a tree indicating someone had climbed up for perspective of where the camp was.

Three bodies were found headed back in the direction of camp, dying separately along the way.

It took more than 2 months to find the other 4. They were in a ravine under many feet of snow. It appeared they lasted long enough for survivors to pilfer clothing from the dead members.

The bodies could have died of hypothermia, but the ones in the ravine showed signs of serious internal trauma, but no external trauma, with fractures of the skulls, broken ribs, and a missing tongue in one of them.

Theories then started unfolding. The most prominent theory is avalanche that broke up their camp and they gathered what they could and exited, to perhaps succumb to more avalanche activity in the ravine. This theory has been shot down by the fact that their footprints can be seeing leaving the area and were not covered in snow.

Some theorized the native Mansi people might have attacked them, but there were no signs of any soft tissue damage from blows that would have caused the internal breaks and the tent was cut open from within.

Journalists produced this information; 6 died of hypothermia, 3 died of injuries. Forensics showed high radiation contamination on the clothing of a few victims.

Even questions arose when someone who attended five of the campers' funerals, said they had deep brown tans. Another group of hikers in that region at the same time said they saw orange orbs in the sky in approximately the area the victims were camping. Later, these lights were reported to be testing of intercontinental missiles.

I have tried on just about every explanation including avalanche, but I can't seem to make anything fit. It's entirely possible that the folks found under feet of snow in the ravine and broken bones, but no soft tissue damage might have been tossed about by an avalanche, yet they showed no soft tissue damage.

What nags at me the most is that they cut the tent open to escape and two campers were found in underwear, no shoes, but near a campfire away from the camp. They escaped in such a rush, they tore through their tent and raced away barefoot and undressed and yet were able to build a fire in the night? Who carried matches in their boxers?

They had found the tree limbs torn away from a tree near the two huddled at the fire and the broken branches showed the pulp of their flesh having been torn away as they tried to climb the tree. Yet, there were only their tracks there, and no animal tracks.

Even though the bodies of the clothed ones found in the ravine under 12 feet of snow had crushed chests and fractured skulls, there was no bruising or signs of tissue damage, yet the physician said they had been hit by the force of a car accident.

In one of the more eerie aspects, one of those buried campers was found with her head pitched back, mouth wide open and tongue torn out at the root!

Funeral attendants reported the skin was a strange orangish color, hair had dropped out and what was left was a dull grayish color.

With none of them being bitten or eaten and their supplies remaining intact at camp, it seems unlikely it was the Mansi Tribe or some kind of bear or predator.

What is interesting is that the Soviets even allowed all the details to be public. If they had a hand in the death of these hikers by military means (and this being the hottest point in the Cold War), they never would have allowed the info out that was shared.

So, what do I ultimately think of it? I think the most likely explanation is that they heard a sound, thought it was a coming avalanche, and got the hell out fast, died of hypothermia and injuries from falling into a ravine in the dark.

I think there would have been a massive coverup of the incident all together if it were something military wise. The only thing left is something of a supernatural nature. The reason I hang onto this one is the woman whose head was wrenched backwards and her tongue pulled out at the root. The only other possible explanation is that in hypothermic insanity - they went crazy and turned on one another. Still, I have about 30% of me riding on something extraordinary to explain that unbelievable night.

Want more info? 

BOOKS
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story Of Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar.
Mountain Of the Dead: The Dyatlov Pass Incident by Keith McCloskey.
Dyatlov Pass by Alan Baker

MOVIES
"Devil's Pass"
"Dyatlov Pass Incident"