As discussed in yesterday’s post, infrared filters for ghost photography are ideal in helping the paranormal at heart discover spectral energy. Granted, you won’t always turn up a spirit, but at the very least, you’ll get some interesting edited images out of it.
So what should you look for when you apply infrared filters to your images? Anything out of the ordinary. That might be an orb or an odd shadow or a bit of light where there shouldn’t be. The possibilities are endless, but the most important component is something that can’t be easily explained.
So as promised in Part One, today is a photo essay of my infrared results. First up is Sleepy Hollow. Not a true town unto itself–it’s part of the larger city of Tarrytown–this storied area is the purported home of countless spirits. None of them felt inclined to make an appearance during our last trip there, but a lot of tourists were on the grounds that day, so perhaps the ghosts were feeling shy. For outdoor images, you might need to turn down the halo effect in Corel unless you want a completely bleached photo.
The Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, which is the final resting place for Washington Irving, hosts a number of bridges, but this old-time wooden one pictured below is my favorite. However, the most activity we captured was a skittish squirrel, but he looks like he might be fleeing something unearthly. Again, probably a tourist (like me or my husband), but he could be running from a ghost!
The Old Dutch Church is name-checked in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and word on the street is that it’s haunted. Maybe we should go back at night because the spirits were apparently sleeping during the day. Back to technical specifics, this image was rendered in Photoshop Elements. There’s less halo, but the infrared details have a nice clarity to them.
So no luck in Irving’s home. How about we try Hawthorne’s former stomping grounds instead? Salem, Massachusetts is a supposed hotbed of ghosts as well. Let’s begin at the Salem Maritime Museum. The former bunks of sailors seem like a perfect place to snoop around for ghosts.
No pirate ghosts, but I tried again with our images from the Old Witch House, the only remaining structure with a direct tie to the witch trials. Again, nothing, but the photo is a bit creepy anyhow, so that’s something. By keeping the grain at a low setting (around 15 to 20) in Corel, the “noise” is reduced to a minimum, thereby preserving the integrity of the still life photographed.
Things looked momentarily promising when I noticed that weird spot at the top of the Salem graveyard image below. But on closer examination of the original photo, it turns out it’s just part of a sign in the distance. Looks like it might be a neon pirate of some sort. I knew I’d find a weird pirate yet in Salem! It’s worth noting that I disliked the original version of this image because it was taken in the dark prior to our purchase of a low-light lens and thus appeared a bit fuzzy. However, after applying the infrared filter, the details were enhanced somewhat. If I were to edit this image further, I would apply a noise reducer and increase the contrast. That still would be unlikely to net me a ghost, but the photo would look nicer.
Onto Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the locale many call the most haunted place in America. This area of Devil’s Den reminds me of the outcropping featured prominently in a 1970s Australian film called “Picnic at Hanging Rock”. Either way, no ghosts, but the shot does have an eerie glow, so kudos to Corel for that addition.
The Jennie Wade House is a must-see for visitors to Gettysburg. Plenty of people see ghosts there. Sadly, we were not among them.
And let’s take a final jaunt into the home of a macabre literary genius: the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. I’ve used this image in a previous post–minus the infrared, of course. I thought it would be very cool to uncover energy hiding right there in the open. No such luck.
And lastly, this image–taken in the Black Cat basement–is my favorite picture of the bunch. I like to think that ethereal glow at least suggests that spirits might be hanging out down there. Again, however, it’s probably only Corel Paint Shop Pro’s awesome halo effect tricking me into false ghost hopes.
So that was my experience in using infrared filters for ghost photography. No ghosts were harmed in the making of this article since no ghosts wanted to make an appearance in the first place. However, hopefully, I’ve inspired some of you readers at home to try your hand at infrared filters. Maybe one of you will be able to uncover a ghost instead!
Have you ever spotted a spirit in a photograph? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy haunting!