In this article we discuss some basic steps you should follow to increase your chances of catching ghostly phenomena on camera. Although there are a lot of principles to spirit photography, by following just the few simple steps below you will be catching ghosts on film in no time.
When starting out you need to remember that even if there are ghostly phenomena happening in your immediate surroundings, it is no guarantee that you will catch a ghost on camera. To increase your chances, you should start taking photos in areas known to be haunted and take photos at night as it will be easier to catch the phenomena on camera.
Here are some simple tips to get you on your way:
Tip 1
When taking photographs at night make sure your camera is set to night mode (if it has this function). Also use a tripod when taking your photos, if you are using a disposable or a camera without a tripod try and place your camera on a sturdy platform like a pillar, table, or hand rail to minimise the amount of camera shake from pressing the shutter button.
Tip 2
Ensure your camera lens is clean; you can purchase specialty cleaning brushes from most camera stores for a small price. Dust or smudges on the lens can produce ghost-like images. This will most likely appear on a series of photos, so if you get the same artifact on each of your photos in the same location you can most likely assume it was this problem.
Tip 3
Avoid lens flare by taking photos away from direct sources of light, if you can position the light source beside or behind you this should eliminate this problem completely.
Tip 4
Do not take photos of reflective surfaces; this is more important when using the flash, as reflections can cause false positives.
Tip 5
When taking photos always try and include something in them such as a tree, building, furniture, as this will give you a point of depth reference.
Tip 6
Take as many photos as you can on your ghost hunt. Take random shots as well as your setup shots, you may be pleasantly surprised, a shot taken in a random direction at whim may be the one that gets you a result.
Tip 7
Follow your instincts, if you feel energy from a specific location then focus your efforts on that area. With more practice you may become quite proficient at detecting paranormal activity.
Tip 8
Ghosts are commonly attracted to people, there are many photos out there showing ghostly phenomena around people, if you have other people in your group try taking some photos of them, allowing enough room beside and above them as this is the most common place for ghosts to be when hanging around people. Try taking a photo over your shoulder in case the ghosts are following you.
Tip 9
Talk to the spirits; thank them for participating in your photo shoot. When you arrive at your location start by just walking around and getting a good feel for your surroundings, then tell the spirits of your intentions and let them know you mean them no harm. It may seem a little stupid at first but some people believe they get better results when they talk to the spirits first.
Tip 10
Lastly, although you will most likely never come across an evil spirit, if you feel threatened or if you see a sign of an evil spirit then you should leave immediately. You should also never dare or goad a spirit into performing for you, this is disrespectful and may illicit an unfavourable reaction.
That’s about it for the basics. Once you are comfortable with these steps you can progress your skills and techniques. Make sure before you start ghost hunting that you are prepared for what you may encounter, seeing your first ghost can be a profound experience, exciting and frightening, however once you capture your first photo you will be hooked.