Tips
Enjoy investigating and please follow these simple tips!
Go to Photography Tips Go to Investigation Tips Go to EVP TipsTips when photographing the paranormal:
1. Ghosts are not just in haunted old buildings. Ghosts are almost everywhere in one form or another. So don't be afraid to take photos at the mall or out on a busy intersection at night, or anywhere else for that matter.
2. When you take photos at night, make sure you have you camera set for night filming. If your camera has this setting, please use it otherwise your photos might come out too dark or fuzzy.
3. Always take photos of something and not just a clearing. Having a background image such as a tombstone, tree, building etc., It adds to the quality of the photo and allows mild light reflection for best possible results.
4. Take lots of pictures! The odds are good that you will capture an anomaly if you take at least 50 pictures on your hunt. Then again, you might just get some great stuff on your first roll, you just never know.
5. When taking your photos, make sure to avoid shinny surfaces. The shine from a glossy tombstone or pane of glass etc. can cause anomalies that can appear to look like ghost mist, fog & orb shapes. Never try taking photos through a glass window. It's just to easy to create shapes that aren't really there. Not worth wondering if it was created from the glass or not. Old glass is the worst.
6. Make sure your camera lens is clean at all times. Again, this can cause anomaly type images to appear. If the lens has a smudge it can easily show up on several pictures and can look like an anomaly, so look for that sign. Try to always keep your lens spotless.
7. Make sure you know where your camera strap & lens cover are at all times. These can appear as a vortex or other ghostly images if left to dangle free from the camera. If your thumb or finger is in the way of the lens it can cause this same effect.
8. Make sure long hair is tied back. Hair can also appear as a ghostly anomaly. Strains of hair can look like orbs in motion as well as ghost energy.
9. Completely avoid taking photos when conditions are windy, foggy, rainy, dusty and where it's snowing or when moisture is in the air. All of these conditions can cause images to appear that look exactly like orbs and ghostly anomalies.
10. In cold weather make sure your breath is not affecting the photo results. Exhaled air in cold weather can appear in front of the lens to create all sorts of strange elusions including mist & orbs shapes.
11. A condition called "Lens Flair" produces strange effects in your photos. To avoid this do not take photos in the direction of the sun. Also, never take a picture in the direction of any direct light source. Preferably have all light sources away from you or even behind you when snapping your photos.
12. Talk to the ghosts. When you enter an area that you want to photograph, such as a cemetery, follow these steps: Walk around the area for about 15 minutes before doing anything else. As you're walking around, clear your mind and think only good thoughts. (Ghosts can sense your feelings and read your thoughts). After 15 minutes, recite the following statement or something similar. "Hi, my name is ______, We have come here to take some pictures of you as ghosts in order to show & document that there is life after death. We have only the best of intentions. We are not here to do any harm and we will only be here long enough to take our photos and then we will leave. Our only request is to take a picture of you, any of you! Thank you so much. End by saying: We are leaving now, just in case I didn't get any pictures of you on film can I take just 5 more pictures of this monument (or whatever) and would one of you mind posing for me in these very last photos? Take five more photos and then say: Thank you so much for putting up with me & my group we enjoyed being here in your company and am grateful for any photos you have allowed us to have of you thanks again, bye.
13. Most ghost energy will appear in the air from two to ten feet above the ground. So focus a portion of your attention at that level but don't limit yourself totally to it. Ghostly phenomena can and will also appear above your head at times so be sure and snap some random shots up above at times. Note: in a buildings they can appear at any level of the structure and at any height.
14. The odds of encountering an evil spirit are slim to none but here is the counsel concerning them. Don't go hunting for evil spirits and DO NOT dare them to come around. If you hear or see a sign of evil spirits you should leave immediately.
15. Avoid mirrors or even taking photos in the general direction of a mirror. The camera flash can create a flash in the mirror that can produce a variety of effects including vapor, mist & fog.
16. Try following your instincts when taking ghost photos. If you have a particular inclination to snap a photo in a particular direction or at a particular object, do it. Trust your feelings an as you do, your abilities to sense ghosts should increase.
17. Ghosts are quite often attracted to people and will follow them around. So include people in the photos you take. Tip: When taking photos of others try to include enough space to one side of the picture and above the heads of those in the photo to capture any anomalies present. Remember the purpose is to catch anomalies and people together in the same photo.
18. The best time of the year for capturing ghost images on film are in the colder months when electrostatic energy is at it's highest. These months being October through February. You can capture any kind of ghost type on film at any time of the year but the above mentioned months just increase your odds is all. Orbs however, don't seem to be affected by seasons and are by far the easiest anomalies to capture on film.
19. Remember your flash limitations. A flash can only be useful for up to a certain distance. Normally within 15 feet. So if you are in a cemetery at night and take a picture of a mausoleum 30 feet away, the image will be hard to view and a bit washed out, as well as any anomalies present. Important note: The flash will help highlight the anomaly if the background image is within the the range (15 feet). Note: A flash attachment will increase your range if you desire to use one.
20. Best places to take pictures: Some places are more haunted than others. Some typically haunted locations are cemeteries, old buildings, including old hotels, houses, hospitals, schoolhouses, and churches. Other good spots are theaters as well as any historic part of a city. Use your imagination and see what works for you.
back to the topTips when investigating the paranormal:
1. Never go alone on a ghost hunt. Take along a partner for safety and peace of mind.
2. Always say a prayer of protection before and after a ghost hunt. We don't want those pesky ghosts following us home!
3. Make sure all of your equipment is fully charged and that you have extra batteries available. Ghosts have the ability to drain fully charged instruments.
4. Don't walk into an area snapping pictures right off the bat. Give those ghosts that are present some time to get used to you.
5. Be aware of the surroundings for safety sake. For best results, always take a day walk through before doing a nighttime investigation, if possible. The other option would be to show up just before dark (dusk) and have a look around before starting.
6. A ghost hunter steps into an investigation/ghost hunt with the best of feelings for those that are with him/her and for the ghosts that might be present. In other words, full respect for the living and the dead.
7. Above all - NO HORSE PLAY! A serious and conscientious ghost hunter gets results.
8. Large groups should split up into smaller groups of four individuals or less per team.
9. If you are scientifically minded, and I hope that you are take along a notebook to record significant occurrences. Begin by logging in the starting time and weather conditions etc. Also make note of surrounding lights so as to not confuse them with anomalies later on in the pictures. Record all meter abnormalities, strange sounds, sightings and feeling or emotions. Each group should take their own notes and compare afterwards.
10. Do not show fear. A gracious ghost will not come around if they sense you are fearful. Yet your fear can have a mischievous ghost feeding on that fear.
11. Always remember, you are the one with the body, and you are the one with the power. Don't give up your power to them through fear.
12. Keep in mind that a lot of the places you will be investigating will be secluded. Because of this you should always bring along some form of protection. I suggest pepper spray. I am of course talking about protecting yourself from bad people, not bad ghosts.
13. If you are going to be taking pictures, please see the tips above.
14. If you feel that some unknown force wants you out of there...then by all means get out! You should never go against these feelings or you could end up having something show up at your home.
15. Never dare an unseen entity to make itself known to you. However, it is okay to ask those present if you can take their picture or record their voice.
16. Make sure you have permission before entering private property. You could be fined or jailed.
17. End a ghost hunt/investigation by evoking the power of God as a protection. "All unseen presences must remain here in the name of God" (or however you would do it according to your own personal religious beliefs). And don't forget to thank these that are unseen for any evidence you may have acquired during the investigation/hunt.
back to the topTips when capturing EVP:
1. Only use new name brand tapes, not department store specials. The better tapes will increase the clarity of the voice you capture and is worth the difference in cost. A tape labeled "normal" from a company such as TDK or Maxell are affordable and fine for use with EVP. Remember, it's not professional to use a previously recorded tape for something as important as this.
2. If possible, use an EXTERNAL microphone. This will drastically cut down on the motor noises and internal sounds from the recording device. Extend the MIC away from the unit when recording.
3. If you have to talk on an investigation, do it in a normal voice. Whispering can sound like a ghost voice when playing back the tape.
4. Always maintain a positive attitude and expect to get results.
5. As you are recording, be sure to make note of any sounds or noises so as to not confuse it with something paranormal during playback.
6. If you're recording unit has a sensitivity level, adjust it to the highest level possible. A ghost voice is usually very faint and anything we can do will help.
7. Consider setting your unit to "voice activated" mode if it has it. But only do this if your unit is extra sensitive or has the ability to adjust the sensitivity to high.
8. Both digital and regular tape recorders seem to work fine. However, some say that reel to reel and full size cassette players work the best. That could very well be true, especially when using an external MIC, but I haven't noticed a distinct difference.
9. At the beginning of your recording session state your location, the time, and the weather conditions. This can be very helpful later on.
10. Ask the spirits to talk loudly and even shout if possible.
11. On playback do not confuse background noise and garble as a ghost voice! If it sounds like it could be background noise, then it most likely is just that.
12. There are several programs that can be used to edit your voice results. You can find some of these on the web at Downloads.com & Tucows.com .
13. Oh, and here's a secret.....when asking questions for a ghostly response, never say "is anyone there?." ALWAYS act like you know they are there. So say something like "what is your name?" or "is there something I can do for you?"
14. During playback it is advised that you use earphones that completely cover your ears as to not allow distractions when you're reviewing for the first time.
15. Always express your gratitude at the end of the recording session. They like it when you say Thank you.
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