flare? or a ghost?

Didn't know where else to post this. There doesn't seem to be a forum for just

images with questions. Anyway, I have gotten this before when taking a very

similar shot at this location. The sun was behind my back to my left and I think

it was an overcast day. I am assuming this is flare. If not, I should alert my

friends in town that there is a ghost among us.<div></div>

Looks more like an out of focus something close to the lens.

That you can see clearly through the white mass rules out to me that it's an object out of focus. (Unless there was some material there you saw in front of you that you could see through.)

 

Where are the other pics you mentioned?

Was this the only occurence on that roll of film? Does it appear on the negative? The camera was evidently pointed upwards. Can you duplicate the angle and see if sunlight could have hit the lens? Maybe your camera needs an exorcist.

Info on gear used (digital/film, body, lens, etc.) might be useful and also shot details like aperture/speed. But my initial guess would also be unfocused foreground object EXCEPT for your mention of similar shots and conditions of the shot. So, yeah, it probably is some sort of occult activity.

Here are the images I snapped just before and just after. The after, has the same issue. Ah, I wonder if it could be an OOF branch?<div></div>

Didn't think of that (the fact that one can see through the possible blurred branch, kind of rules out that it's a branch. These were shot on digital, but I think when it happened before it was film and no, the whole roll wasn't effected then. I'd have to dig through archives to find the image where it happened before. it was over a year ago. but now I'm real curious.

 

It was shot with Nikon D70, 1/250, f5.6, ISO 200, 70-300 lens at 210mm, with flash (could the flash have done it?

There are some branches in the foreground and your focal length was about 210mm and your flash on the D70 fired. I'm thinking you flashed some twigs or something that were close enough to be out of focus.

steam coming off the dog? and blowing in the wind?

<i> the fact that one can see through the possible blurred branch, kind of rules out that it's a branch.</i><P>

No, it doesn't. If the width of your aperture opening is greater than the width of the object, you can "see through it."

Ok, then, Michael and Mike, sounds like you've solved the great ghost mystery. Though, a ghost would have been more fun :(

You don't think seeing through solid objects is big FUN?

lol, yeah it is kindof cool, but sounds like I can re-construct it, so not AS fun as a ghost in a part of town called, "Federal City" which is now all wooded, but used to be home to a village in the 1700's and whose inhabitants ALL died off of smallpox.

As has already been discussed, this does indeed look to be an object close to the lens. Not likely to be an image of an anomalous phenomena - sorry!

 

I am a member of ASSAP and I have been presented with many images that hold strange results like this. The majority seem to be 'orbs' that are most normally the result of the flash bouncing back of minature pieces of dust floating about really close to the lens. This could therefore be the result of something actually quite small that bounced a lot of flash back to the CCD real close up.

 

Strangely enough, digital camera's are generally more prone to orbs and usually it's the smaller ones that get the effect more often. Digital SLR's and 35mm SLR's don't usually get them.

 

ASSAP have a great section on their site about 'haunted' photos, goto:

 

http://www.assap.org/newsite/htmlfiles/Photos.html

 

The views I have expressed are my own and are not representative of ASSAP in any way.

 

Regards,

 

Craig.

I think you have the makings of a tale to tell here- myself, I would have some fun with some people!

Could also be a finger, a ribbon hanging from your hat, ... A trig just falling down at the exact same moment ...

The upside-down star that is painted on the rock beneath the dog appears to be a satanic pentagram. A very bad symbol marking a very bad place. The white stuff in your picture is a sign... never go back to that place! Remember, the devil lives among us. STAY AWAY!

Definitely a haunting, dunk your camera in Holy water ASAP

Any chance your camera has a white wrist strap?

Wow, Carig, I checked out that site. Is it for real? You are thinking it could be dust particles which were lit up by the sun and or flash? (like when your living room is filled with outdoor sunlight and you can actually see dust particles floating around?

 

David, I think you're right, I may play with some friends in town and maybe send it to the local paper for fun!

 

Frank, doesn't look like a finger. No strings from hat and the twig would more likely be fixed since its in the same place in both shots.

 

Brian, didn't know that. We call it pot rock because it has or used to have a big pot leaf painted on it. I believe it is a teenage hang out spot. Didn't know the teens in town were satanic!

 

Forrest, no white wrist strap.

 

Jack, I'll hold off on that until I'm sure. Maybe a priest can just bless it instead of performing a baptism?

 

I guess my steam theory doesn't work as the pattern of the blur is exactly the same in both images and wouldn't steam be coming off his whole body? Here are the two shots side by side.

Well, I'm surely going to find that older film picture now and will also go back tomorrow (despite the satanic star) and take some more shots.<div></div>

Found those film shots. Not what I thought they were unless there are others - but a whole different weird thing.

 

These were taken on medium format at same location in April 06. The weird curve at the top looks like something from the lens, but what are the white spots? two of which look like little hand prints? Again, the sun was behind me and of course brighter on this day. This shows up in both the print and on these scans which were done by the lab (not sure if they use film or print to scan - can't ind the film right now to inspect it)<div></div>

The image taken just after the above (I know in this one there is a plane in the background)<div></div>

Last image - a close up of the white marks on image<div></div>

I think I found the offending branch today. This was taken earlier in the day than the ones from last week. These settings were 1/400 5.6 105mm.

 

I think if I tried it again and used the original settings and focal length and stepped a bit to my right and maybe uphill, I could rediscover the "Ghost of Federal City"

 

Thanks for playing! I still think it's pretty neat that one can "see through" the branch<div></div>

crop<div></div>