Category Archives: Photography

Police Clarify: Photo Is an Actual Human

04 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by in Hoaxes, In the News, Photography, Uncategorized

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Police Clarify: Photo Is an Actual Human

Police departments rarely issue statements regarding photographs that have gone viral. Instead, they usually wait for social media users to state the obvious: It’s fake. However, one police department felt the need to release a statement on a photograph taken on December 29, 2017. After conducting an investigation, the Probolinggo Police Station stated on December 31st that the image seen in the photograph is not a jinn or a vampire but merely a song guide covering his face from surveillance cameras.

There’s a lesson here. Rule out the obvious before claiming the extraordinary.

“Ghosts” Captured on Film at The Stanley Hotel?

07 Saturday Oct 2017

Posted by in Famous Locations, Photography, Uncategorized

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Ghosts

“Ghosts” Captured on Film at The Stanley Hotel?

The Huffington Post reported yesterday of two ghosts appearing in the same photograph taken at the Stanley Hotel. Ben Hansen, former FBI agent and host of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, stated there weren’t any obvious signs of trickery. However, that doesn’t mean the images taken with the digital camera are real. In fact, there are several issues with these “ghosts.”

The first “ghost” is obvious. It’s a little girl wearing a nightgown or dress while standing on the top stair before the landing. Her back is turned away from the photographer. She is partially transparent.

  1. Honestly, I’ve never seen such a clear and crisp photograph of a ghost. That’s not to say there aren’t any out there; however, they don’t seem to pop up often. A light is reflected toward the image.
  2. The light doesn’t pass through the girl. It looks like the light bounces off of her head. Light bounces off of solids not transparent objects. Instead, lights go through transparent things.
  3. The girl appears to be walking up the stairs; however, neither leg is lifted. Her gown hangs without movement. Granted, she may be a residual ghost who remains stationary. I just find the top step an odd place for her to appear. I would have expected her to be on the landing.
  4. There are parts of her that are more solid than transparent. Becoming a solid means taking a physical form. I really think that if she was materializing, then someone would have noticed her, especially the kids sitting across from her.

The second image is a little bit easier to dismiss. On the left staircase, a figure appears to be walking upstairs. The photographer doesn’t remember a person standing there. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t someone there. The article states that there were 11 in his party on the larger tour. This person on the stairs is moving quickly. The camera shutter speed was slow in taking the photograph. We know that by looking at one of the boys sitting on the bench. He, too, is moving faster than the others. He is blurred just like the image on the staircase. Therefore, this image was created, intentionally or unintentionally, with a slow shutter speed.

Additional photographs taken right before and immediately after would help authenticate this picture. These pictures would serve as baseline images to show whether something or someone was in one photo but not the next one in succession. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. We get only one image to discuss.

The blurry person on the staircase is a person who was moving too quickly for the shutter speed on the camera. Honest mistake. The second semi-transparent image is not a ghost either. Is it trickery on the part of the photographer? Who knows. But it made for an interesting discussion.

 

Frida Kahlo’s The Deceased Dimas Rosas at 3 Years Old

02 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by in Artists, Artwork, Catholic Church, Famous People, Memento Mori, Museums, Painting, Photography, Uncategorized

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frida

Frida Kahlo’s The Deceased Dimas Rosas at 3 Years Old

Death bed portraitures were a Mexican tradition. These works of art predisposed postmortem photography. The “Angelitos” were dead children who were free of sin. Paintings of these deceased children, usually between the ages of 1-5, were posed to appear alive. The memorial portrait survived the child; it was the only visual memory remaining. Celebrated Mexican artist Frida Kahlo also painted “Angelitos,” death portraits of children.

Painting death portraits seems fitting for Frida, as she suffered physically and mentally throughout her life. At the age of 6, Frida contracted polio, a horrible disease causing her to walk with a limb. Further, at the age of 19, Frida suffered permanent damage to her torso from a bus collision. This accident precluded her from having children. In addition to these physical maladies, Frida endured an open marriage to famed artist, Diego Rivera; political upheaval; and periodic confinement in her home “Casa Azul.” Frida was well aware of death—possibly her own impending death at the age of 47.

frida2

Memento mori were paintings or photographs depicting dead people as if they were alive. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “memento mori” as literally meaning “remember you must die.” Although these “Angelitos,” or Little Angels, paintings celebrated the life of a child by capturing his or her death, the tradition is not related “Day of the Dead.” It is merely another reminder of how life and death are celebrated in Mexico.

The Mexican tradition goes back to the 16th century. It blends the Mexican tradition with Catholicism. Wealthy families would hire an artist to paint the dead children sleeping. It was popular; however, it was costly. Once photography became more widespread and cheaper, it replaced portraiture paintings.

dimas

In 1937, 3 year old child Dimas Rosas became ill. His mother, Delfina, was the housekeeper for Diego and occasionally modeled for him. Diego was the child’s godfather. When Dimas’ condition worsened, Diego tried to persuade the mother and father to take him to a doctor. Instead, they took him to a village witch doctor. Unfortunately, he died. Frida posed the boy in clothing to honor St. Joseph. He is surrounded by flowers, especially marigolds which are a popular “Day of the Dead” bloom. A picture of Jesus Christ as “Lord of the Column” lays on the lace white pillow. He holds a gladiola while resting on a palm leaf mat. All of the things mean something—they represent religious and cultural iconography. A lot of thought went into this painting.

Frida completed the 18 ¾ x 12” oil painting on Masonite, a favorite medium of hers. For some unknown reason, the painting was not given to the family. Instead, it was named “Dressed Up for Paradise” and exhibited in the Julien Levy Gallery in 1938. Next it went to the Art Museum of Philadelphia as “Boy King.” Then owner Somerset Maugham found out about the subject matter and gave it back to Frida. The painting was then given to Frida’s main benefactor, Eduardo Morillo Safa. He, in turn, gave it to Dolores Olmedo where it sits in the Dolores Olmedo Museum in Mexico City. Currently, it is on loan to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. It is unknown when the name changed; however, it is based on the inscription Frida left on the painting. While Victorian mourning photography is plentiful online and in private collections, these postmortem paintings are difficult to locate. If given the chance, head to The Dali. It is worth visiting and seeing this incredible piece of art.

Evidence Ghosts Exist

15 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in Famous Locations, Ghost Hunting, Ghost Stories, Media, Odd News, Paranormal, Paranormal History, Photography, Research, The Haunted Librarian, Uncategorized

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Evidence Ghosts Exist

Last week, I tweeted this link, http://whatculture.com/science/10-compelling-pieces-evidence-prove-ghosts-real.php. I previewed the slideshow and was fascinated by what I read. Contributor Tom Baker assembled a lot of compelling evidence. The topics ran the gamut: how haunted real estate affects prices, the Stone Tape Theory, the prevalence of ghosts in popular culture, the vast number of ghost sightings, and a fake photograph with a couple that make you pause. There are 10 slides, each offering a separate reason why ghosts may really, really be real.

I would love to expand on the reasons; however, I would do the article an injustice. You should scroll through them on your own. If I had to pick one reason I would write about how scientists, ones who have advanced college degrees, have studied and are still studying paranormal activity. This is encouraging! More paranormal investigators should participate. Remember: Amateur astronomers have discovered planets. Think of what you can contribute.

 

Related Articles:

This article lists 13 colleges and universities that studied paranormal activity, http://mentalfloss.com/article/54450/13-university-sanctioned-paranormal-research-projects.

Article discussing what happened to parapsychology research, http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/whatever-happened-to-parasychology-130624.htm.

Research continues at the University of Virginia, http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/02/there-is-a-paranormal-activity-lab-at-the-university-of-virginia/283584/.

 

Hampton Court Palace “Ghost” Is Great Trickery

27 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by in Breaking the News, Castles, Ghost Stories, In the News, Photography, Urban Legends

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Hampton Court Ghost

Hampton Court “Ghost”

Hampton Court Palace “Ghost” Is Great Trickery

The Internet was abuzz this week and not just with renegade llamas. Twelve-year-old schoolgirl Holly Hampsheir was touring Hampton Court Palace with her cousin Brook McGee. With her smartphone, Holly snapped a picture of her cousin’s backside and low and behold a ghost appeared. The girls claim that they did not immediately notice the ghost until they reviewed the pictures. News of a possible image of the Dame Sybil Penn, a.k.a. The Grey Lady, quickly spread. Unfortunately, the picture is a fake.

Hampton Court Palace is plagued with sadness. Anne Boleyn resided at the palace before her beheading in 1536. Another wife of King Henry VIII Jane Seymour died weeks after childbirth at the palace in 1537. Another wife Catherine Howard was imprisoned at the palace prior to her beheading in 1542. All three supposedly haunt the palace. Hampton Court has a lot of reasons for activity.

The latest claim involves Dame Sybil Penn. Dame Sybil was a servant to four Tudor monarchs. She lived at Hampton Court. She died in the late 1500s from smallpox. Rumors of her haunting began shortly after her tomb was disturbed around 1829. However, no one has ever taken a picture of Dame Sybil, or any of King Henry VIII’s former wives, until now.

The image is a fake. Although a “photography expert” was consulted and claimed not to find tampering, the image has several tale-tell signs. First, the image is too colorful. The “ghost” appears in the center of the image. Noticeably, the spirit looks elongated. Further, the figure is either hovering or incredibly tall. Finally, there is simply too much hair. Never has a piece of evidence been so clear. Nor has there been any evidence of this type found at Hampton Court. This is just too good to be true.

See for yourself  and feel free to comment.

Update: Seems another true expert on photography Mick West debunked this image as a panorama glitch in the iPhone. Please read his incredibly interesting article Debunked: Hampton Court Ghost Photo [iPhone Panorama Glitch]. Huge thanks to Mick for clarifying!

1976 Historic Image Captures “Ghost” and Goes Viral

14 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by in Breaking the News, Famous People, Ghost Hunting, In the News, Photography, Real Estate

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Cedarhurst "Ghost"

Cedarhurst “Ghost”

1976 Historic Image Captures “Ghost” and Goes Viral

In 1976, Charles W. Nelson took a photograph from the rear of “Cedarhurst” for the Minnesota Historical Society. Thirty-eight years later, the image went viral on the Internet.

Originally a farmhouse, the home was converted into a summer retreat in 1886. Mary Frances Harriman inherited the property from her grandfather, Charles Oramel Fanning (1800-1888). Celebrated architect Cass Gilbert expanded the retreat designing the mansion for Cordenio Arnold and Mary Frances Harriman Severance. He called the house “Cedarhurst.” Construction covered the years 1911-1917. In the end, the home totaled 12,000 square feet. The 26-room mansion was built in the Neoclassical Revival style and included twin classical columned porticoes, formal ball room, and rose garden.

Cordenio A. Severance

Cordenio A. Severance

Severance was a corporate litigator who served as the 44th President of the American Bar Association. Severance and his wife hosted 4 presidents at “Cedarhurst.” This mansion was opulent. He and his wife lived in the home until 1925, when they died with no surviving heir. The mansion stood abandoned for many, many years. The house changed hands and fell into disarray. Located at 6940 Keats Avenue South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, “Cedarhurst” was added to the National Registry of Historic Places on June 3, 1976.

In 2001, the Thao family purchased the property for $900,000. Investing another $250,000, the family restored the massive home and now runs it as an entertainment venue. But the story continues.

According to Examiner.Com writer John Albrecht, Jr. a member on Reddit posted this image this past Saturday, November 8th, claiming that a ghost is standing on the back patio (http://www.examiner.com/article/ghostly-figure-found-on-national-register-of-historic-places-photo). “Midwester” discovered the image while going through historic images (http://www.reddit.com/r/Ghosts/comments/2lmyvw/i_was_looking_through_photos_on_the_national/). Posters were polite and offered various explanations. Most felt it was a statue. However, one felt that it looked out-of-place. One was confused because the yard was overgrown and asked if the home was inhabited. Although this is a great image of an aging mansion, the “figure” is not a ghost.

The image is too solid and too consistent to be an apparition. Few have captured a full-length figure of an apparition. These are rare. Moreover, apparitions do not present whole or complete like the one here. This figure is too solid looking. Finally, the figure seems to be draped in a cloth.

Let me provide some historical context. This home was an opulent mansion. It was built in a style that incorporated statues, draperies, and lots of ornate items. Presidents visited. This mansion oozed high society. Large statues may have stood beside the classical columned porticos. Since it is winter, the statues may have been relocated inside for preservation.

By the time the photograph was taken, the home changed hands several times. It was deteriorating. The interior contents may have been packaged up.

Finally, I cannot locate any stories proclaiming “Cedarhurst” as haunted. The Internet is quiet on this. Even “Midwester” conceded that this was the only image with the anomaly. Unfortunately, this image does not contain a ghost.

Highly Anticipated Dead Still Delivers October 6th

05 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by in In the News, Memento Mori, Movies, Paranormal, Photography, SyFy Channel

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Dead Still

Dead Still

Highly Anticipated Dead Still Delivers October 6th

The Booth Brothers’ new movie Dead Still focuses on the Victorian practice of taking mourning portraits. Main character Brandon Davis, played by Ben Browder, inherits the antique camera previously owned by his great-grandfather who took photographs of recently deceased people. Popular in America and Europe, postmortem photography were a form of memento mori.

Translated as “remember thy death,” memento mori is artwork capturing death, either literally or figuratively. Drawing, carvings, paintings, and eventually photography depicted dead people or the personification of death through symbols. Death is unavoidable. By remembering we ultimately die, we live.

Around 1840, wealthy families were able to hire photographers to capture the deaths of loved ones. Popular from 1840-1860, daguerreotypes provided developed images on thin sheets of silver-plated copper. Within the next two decades, advances in photographic development made personal photography affordable. By the 1860s, tintypes replaced daguerreotypes. Middle-class families were able to summon photographers to their homes to take mourning photographs. These pictures were often the only tangible reminders of their family members. These pictures were meant to be private and viewed only by the family.

Photographers portrayed the dead person as if still alive. These “postures of life” incorporated symbols of death. Roses held downward, flowers with stems broken, morning glories, pocket watches, and children’s toys were some of the items staged with the dead person. The photographer took photos close-up or full-length capturing either the profile or full-face of the dead person. Often the eyes were closed; however, some photographers painted “eyes” on top of the eyelids. The viewer was directly confronted with the dead person. Later, large floral arrangements were used to lessen the impact. Children and infants comprised the bulk of the work because of high mortality rates. Most of the surviving postmortem photographs are of infants and children.

The popularity of postmortem photography declined as morticians and funeral homes undertook more of the burial duties. However, small ethnic communities still partake in this practice.

The Booth Brothers purchased an antique camera and decided to make it the focal point of their next film. The camera is a gorgeous prop—and still operational. The camera sits atop a beautifully crafted stand. In the movie, the camera is passed down through a family and eventually being used for wedding portraits. However, members of bridal parties start dying soon after their photography was taken. Ultimately, Brandon’s son becomes trapped inside the camera taken to an alternate dimension. This area is home to “The Negative” and “The Hidden Mother.” Set your DVR and TiVo to record Dead Still, Monday, October 6th at 9 pm EST. Then tune in to Archer Paranormal Radio as the API Gals discuss the movie and their favorite Booth Brothers’ productions.

Dead Still Creatures

Dead Still Creatures

Booth Brother Domination

01 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Movies, Photography, Radio Show, Reviews, SyFy Channel

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Dead Still

Dead Still

Booth Brother Domination

Statistically documentary films outperform other genres. Documentaries are low-budget, require few actors, and utilize a lot of public domain materials. Filmmakers can produce a quality documentary for little expense. Comparing all genre films, horror movies come in a distant second. Consider the horror documentary. Gold mine potential! The Booth Brothers write, produce, and direct some of the best horror documentaries out there.

The Booth Brothers have found their niche. Start with a popular haunted locale or famous possession case. Conduct extensive research. Combine newspaper articles, interviews, investigative footage, and re-enactments. Finalize by laying a music score. The end product is an educational and entertaining documentary. I especially enjoy the music. Haunting and unique to each production, the music score weaves the various pieces together. Perfection.

The Booth Brothers now seek to tackle mainstream moviemaking. Dead Still, an original SyFy movie, premieres on October 6th at 9 pm EST. I can’t wait to see their transition from non-fiction material to fiction. The story revolves around an antique Victorian camera previously used to take mourning portraits, or memento mori. Before cameras became affordable, photographers came to houses to photograph the recently deceased. The purpose was to provide the grieving family one image of their loved one. This practice has stopped, but the camera was passed down through a family.

Antique Victorian Camera

Antique Victorian Camera

The camera’s new owner takes wedding portraits. He decides to use the old camera. Bad idea! Tune in to the SyFy Channel on October 6th at 9 pm EST to see how bad it gets. In the meantime, listen to Archer Paranormal Radio on Thursday, October 2nd as Christopher Saint Booth discusses the movie.

Booth Brothers

Booth Brothers

Sneak Peak: Christopher Saint Booth October 2nd

23 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Demonic Possession, Famous People, Ghost Hunting, Live Paranormal, Media, Photography, Radio Show, SyFy Channel

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Booth Brothers

Booth Brothers

The Archer Paranormal Investigation (API) Gals will be chatting with Christopher Saint Booth on Archer Paranormal Radio on October 2nd at 7 pm EST. Tune in and find out about the new Booth Brothers’ film Dead Still, an original SyFy movie premiering on October 6th at 9 pm EST.

Can you sense my excitement?? Oh YEAH!

Dead Still

Dead Still

Don’t Blame Slender Man

07 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by in Crimes, In the News, Photography, Urban Legends

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Slenderman

Slender Man

Don’t Blame Slender Man

On May 31, 2014, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12-years-old, attempted to kill a classmate. The girls lured the other girl to a slumber party with the pretext of celebrating a birthday. The next day during a game of hide-and-seek, one of the girls held the classmate down while the other stabbed her nineteen (19) times. One reportedly yelling: Go ballistic; go crazy!

Amazingly, and probably by the grace of God, the classmate survived the brutal attack, crawling toward safety and the assistance of a passing bicyclist. The victim identified her assailants. She is expected to recover. Police quickly picked up Geyser and Weier, along with the large knife used in the violent attack. Seems the girls were quite chatty and told officers that they performed this deed to curry favor with “Slender Man.” Once they killed the classmate, they intended to run off into the forest to Slendy’s mansion and live happily ever after.

According to the criminal complaint, the girls started planning the murder last December—over six (6) months ago. On June 2, 2014, both girls were charged as adults with 1st degree attempted homicide. They face 60-65 years in prison. Bond is set at $500,000 each.

Who Is Slender Man?

In 2009, Photoshop hosted a “Create a Paranormal” image contest. Eric Knudsen submitted several photo-enhanced images depicting a tall, slender faceless man dressed in a black suit hovering near children. His arms were long and octopus-like. Knudsen included a brief narrative and the fictional “Slender Man” character was born. In his relatively short, five (5) year life, the nicknamed Slendy has appeared in lots—and I mean lots—of horror stories and YouTube videos. He is the latest urban legend to sweep the Internet. And he is pure fiction. Made up. As in Not.A.Real.Person!

Geyser and Weier

The news story struck a chord with Americans. Amongst the daily headline news gun-related killings sweeping the nation, two tweens committed a violent act with a kitchen knife. Early reports called the victim as their “friend.” I dismiss this classification because she was clearly no friend to them. She was the intended prey. She was the VICTIM. And they are the ACCUSED. The crime they are charged with is serious. If completed, it would have been MURDER.

Some have quickly dismissed the behavior of Geyser and Weier as juvenile antics. A growing number state that these two girls should not be charged as adults. A few have claimed that the girls may suffer from a psychosis whereby they created a parasocial relationship with a fictional character thus believing that the fictional character (Slender Man) is real. One professional likened the relationship to the fictional television character of Doctor Marcus Welby, where people mailed him letters seeking medical advice. These people cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. Therein lies a problem. How does one confuse a fictional paranormal entity as real? Nowhere on the Internet does it state that Slender Man is real. Nowhere on the Internet is he purported to be real. I don’t buy it in this case.

Geyser and Weier’s defense attorneys will run with this theory. Hopefully, they will not run far.

Delinquent versus Guilty

Comments from a Huffington Post article run the gamut of people who are outraged that these girls are being charged as adults to those wondering where their parents were. I, too, wonder where the parental guidance was, but I strongly believe that these girls should be tried as adults. The Juvenile Justice System was created to rehabilitate, to treat, and to protect juvenile delinquents. The system is geared for community protection while the child matures. A child is not afforded the same “rights” as an adult when charged with a crime. The juvenile is remanded to the care of the Juvenile Justice System, and the system takes over the care of the child. For better or for worse, the system “knows” what to do. There have been lots of published reports of the system warehousing the children in institutions and not actually rehabilitating them. A current story claims that a juvenile judge took bribes and remanded juveniles to an institution, which did nothing to care or to rehabilitate the children. A juvenile is not guaranteed due process as most of us know it within the juvenile justice system. A juvenile in this system is found “delinquent.”

In the adult system, the girls have “rights.” They have the right to an attorney if they cannot afford one. They are afforded the opportunity to make bail. They can even have a jury trial. Whereas all juvenile proceedings are closed, criminal proceedings are scrutinized and open. There is more due process. An adult is found guilty or not guilty. Most importantly, the criminal sanctions are proportional to the offense committed. The final outcome of the criminal system is deterrence. To stop these girls from committing this violent act again. Geyser and Weier are not juvenile delinquents. They are criminals. They are guilty of attempting to kill a juvenile. They didn’t merely skip class and go shopping.

Most states allow for juveniles to be tried as adults. In Wisconsin, where this occurred, there is no minimum age requirement. Therefore, these 12-year-olds may be tried as adults. And they should. They willingly knew what they were doing. They plotted. They carried out the violent act. Now they should suffer the consequences.

The Horror Genre

Horror authors and aficionados worry that this story will create a backlash on the genre. And they are correct. The quick American knee-jerk reaction has already started while the defense attorneys maneuver to transfer the case to Juvenile Court. People are calling for copy-and-paste sites such as creepypasta.com to censor content. But remember: Slender Man did not commit this heinous crime. Two intelligent girls did. Don’t blame Slendy. Place the blame where it belongs: on Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier.