Photoshop helps!

Boo

I’m a member of the Granite State Skeptics. Skeptic groups are usually like minded logical locals that enjoy getting together to talk about critical thinking. Skeptic groups do a lot more than roll their eyes at psychics, medical frauds and politicians that are illiterate as they obviously haven’t read the First Amendment. Skeptic groups do work that includes supporting consumer safety and health, supporting science education, and being involved politically to keep religion out of the classroom. Though we also enjoy bitching about people like Creationists and Big Foot Hunters that have shows on the History Chanel. Granite State Skeptics has a monthly meeting, usually in a pub. There are many grass roots level “Skeptics in the Pub” meetings around the world.

The Granite State Skeptics like to have a Halloween activity that’s “fun”. Halloween fun to the group is of course something involving ghosts. We’ve hunted for the ghost of “Ocean Born Mary” and Hannah Dustin. My favorite ghost hunt of all was at the Goffstown Historical Society. Local less skeptic ghost hunters had already “investigated” the site. They of course found evidence of ghosts. Our group revisited the “evidence”. We discovered things such as ghostly figures seen at the windows were more than likely mannequins, and mysterious orb photographs were more than likely a combination of dust and camera flash. The Goffstown Historical Society is really interesting, and I highly recommend a visit to the exhibits we found, instead of ghosts we did not.

While investigating the ghost orb photographs Travis Roy, the president of Granite State Skeptics, took a lot of photographs. He was slightly frustrated that I was getting far more orbs with my cheap camera, than he was with his much higher quality camera and flash. Since the most likely orb explanation involves dust motes, I decided to help Travis out. The resulting photograph required a double take from both of us. We were in the attic of the historical society when I noticed an old chenille bedspread. It had a good layer of dust (and mice poop) on it. On a whim I grabbed it and gave it a shake. The photograph was a better ghost photograph than any boring orb filled photograph. Travis had snapped what is considered by some to be the best ghost photograph ever taken in New Hampshire. No snowflakes, no dust motes, no shadowy out of focus figure for Travis. He snapped a ghost even better than the professional ghost hunters.

Judge for yourself if I don’t make a better ghost than a dust mite orb. The best part of all was it was unplanned. If skeptics can accidentally take such a good photograph, imagine what someone trying to take a ghost photograph can do. Taking a photograph of something not proven, though the Granite State Skeptics are open minded, is very difficult. Sometimes it takes a cooperative human or lucky chance to get a photograph that can be touted as “proof”. Some people, before they know that it’s just me, see the photograph as “proof” of a ghost. Skeptics often say “Seeing isn’t believing, but believing is seeing”. As skeptics this is one reason we always want to see the photographs taken just before and just after any supposed “paranormal” photograph. The ghost photograph is good, but the one before tell the true story!

BOO!

"Ready for some orbs Travis?"

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Categories: James Randi Educational Foundatioin - JREF, Skeptic

Tags: Boo, ghost, Ghost photograph, Goffstown, Granite State Skeptics, New Hampshire, paranormal, Skeptics in the Pub, Travis Roy