Ghostly photos spark debate

One of two photos taken during a Westport Volunteer Fire Brigade exercise in 2006. They appear to show ghostly heads in the burning house.

Another photo from the Westport fire.

This photo of two students was taken at Linwood College in Christchurch and appears to show a ghost in between the two.

This picture of the head in the basket was taken in early 1996 in Halswell, and has an earthly explanation - it is a picture of actor Jack Nicholson, star of horror film The Shining, from a Skywatch magazine that had been dropped in the basket.

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Are these some of New Zealand's spookiest pictures?

For the past few weeks, The Press has been calling for New Zealand's best spectral images in the wake of a British competition that judged ghost pictures from around the world.

The photograph chosen as the best by British judges was that of a ghostly figure, in Tudor dress, staring out of a ruined Scottish castle. The picture, taken in May last year, puzzled experts.

The Press has received dozens of ghost shots from readers throughout New Zealand.

Most were photos of  "orbs"  (largely explained by dust on the camera lens),  strange patterns in smoke or odd reflections, but others were more difficult to fathom.  Our  judges picked four scenes.

The first comprised two photos taken during a Westport Volunteer Fire Brigade exercise in 2006. They appear to show ghostly heads in the burning house.

The second image is from a  North Island pub and  shows an indistinct feline-type face in the lower part of a window.

The third picture was taken at Linwood College in Christchurch. Who is that ghostly visage squeezed between the two students?

The final scene was  in Halswell, Christchurch, and the photo appears to show a grinning head discarded in a washing basket.

New Zealand Paranormal Investigation Society director Brad Scott said most paranormal shots were easily explained.

"There are 90 per cent logical explanations for everything that occurs, but it's that 10 per cent that we look for,'' he said.

Scott said he would probably get 200 photos sent to him every year.   Many images could be explained by the tendency of people to find order in random patterns. 

"If you see a face in the window, it could just be a reflection of light. There are very few paranormal pictures out there,'' he said.

Of the dozens of orb shots The Press received, Scott said: "I hate orbs with a passion because I know they're dust. There's nothing paranormal about a little flick of dust.

"If someone is saying a photo is paranormal it has to be taken with a grain of salt."

"If you make these claims in public, you have to be able to back it up.'' Scott said the first photo from the Westport fire exercise was  "a pretty cool photo but it could be matrixing as well''.

"The flames could just be flames, even though I see a face,'' he said.

Scott filmed the pub image.

"There's a face in the window at the pub. I didn't notice it  until I was skipping through the DVD, so you just don't know,'' he said.

James Gilberd, a paranormal investigator in Wellington, said of the Linwood College photo:  "We can't altogether write it off.'' Vicki Hyde, of the New Zealand Skeptics Society,  said the photos could be  easily explained.

"Shots involving fire, smoke and fog are notorious for producing ghost images,'' she said. 

"These indistinct environments produce the kind of patterns we try to resolve as meaningful, and the most meaningful pattern we know is the human form.

Put two blobs above another one and we will automatically try to resolve it into a face.''

She said the pub shot "looks to be a reflection of objects inside the room''.

"The human brain is highly prone to see faces in any patterns - the strongest thing a human will react to from the moment of their birth,'' she said. 

"So vague markings, whether reflections on windows or burn marks on taco shells, will be interpreted as faces rather than random markings.''

She believed the Linwood College shot  could easily have been someone behind the pair trying to get in shot.

"Have you ever seen teenagers mugging for the camera? It's hard to tell, with the tight cropping and over-exposure blanking out the surrounds.''

The  picture of the head in the basket was taken in early 1996 in  Halswell, and has an earthly explanation.

Carol McDonald took a photo of her 10-month-old grandson, but in a  basket in the  background there seemed to be a head.

The family was terrified until it was emerged the head was  a picture of actor Jack Nicholson, star of horror film The Shining, from  a Skywatch magazine that had been dropped in the basket.

Do you have a ghost photo? Email editorial@stuff.co.nz

Do you have ghost stories? Share them below:

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jason nhyte   #128   08:39 am Aug 06 2009

Excellent story, especially about the fire!

azza dude   #127   11:18 pm May 19 2009

rolfmao i think the firsts one is good but the last two are abit bad and just freaky dont you think?

Drewza   #126   05:50 pm May 09 2009

I do side with Brad Scott about his comment about paranormal photos. There are true, genuine unexplained pics out there. Not mamy, but they are around.

open mind   #125   11:25 am May 07 2009

I am sure spirits have better things to do with their time other than posing for us to make nice interesting pictures.

Besides, how can you capture ENERGY on film or photograph?

Just as you cannot prove an afterlife and spirits exists, you cannot prove they don't.

Perhaps an open mind and logic should come into play here, after all we will not really know what happens until we die.

Its pretty funny how much controversy this topic sparks. Makes entertaining reading.

enjoy your day ;-)

Colin   #124   10:53 am May 07 2009

>> #122 Lots of people have had convos with ghosts and/or have seen full apparitions.

Really? Do you have a single shred of evidence for this? Oh you don't because

>> most of us aren't holding a video camera when it happens

Fair enough. I'll accept that the majority of people don't have a video camera with them. In fact, let's say that 0.01% of people have a video camera. So that leaves 6.5 million people with video cameras. Yet no-one has ever produced a single verifiable piece of evidence (including all the so-called "ghost-hunters" out there).

It's quite simple. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If I told you I went for coffee this morning, you'd have no reason to doubt me. If I told you I could fly or shoot laser beams from my eyes, you'd probably want me to show you.

evosero   #123   01:44 am May 07 2009

The human brain is all about relative perception and lies to us all the time. For example, how many paranormal experiences were likely just sleep paralysis? Not to mention all the mental conditions that are spectrum disorders, such that in a way, we're all a little bit "crazy."

It's always a more likely explanation that your brain is just messing with you than you being witness to paranormal phenomenon. Afterall, most of the "normal" things we all experience is already our brain messing with us in order for us to function.

meat.org   #122   06:24 pm May 06 2009

#108 . just because YOU have never had a paranormal experience does not mean the rest of the world has not. Lots of people have had convos with ghosts and/or have seen full apparitions. You just don't know about it because most of us aren't holding a video camera when it happens sorry to say, but who knows maybe you walk around with one 24/7.

Rach   #121   05:33 pm May 06 2009

Hey David 101 can you get that photo onto the stuff website? sounds awesome. is it that island where they let you off on one side and you sit on the other side and you can snorkle and there are a few stalls and chairs set up right on the beach? i'm going to check my photos from there tonight!

CJ   #120   04:58 pm May 06 2009

>"There are very few paranormal pictures out there", he said. This is in fact incorrect. There are of course NO paranormal pictures "out there".

cam   #119   04:50 pm May 06 2009

i would just like to state that i am from linwood college and i know the people in the photo very well the girl is my best friend and her and her friend were ALONE in linwood park there was not any one behind them. The face between them is half a 5 year old girl on the top half and the bottom half the face is a 21 year old man. The picture could have many explanations to how the face got there but it is not another person in the backround.

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