Give Me Some Proof - Part 1
Catching them on Film

Ghost Hunting/Investigating, as we know it, is an attempt to
understand and prove the existence of paranormal beings,
powers or intelligence. Understanding it isn't that hard, but
providing evidence can be more than difficult.

Photos that claim to have captured the image of a
supernatural being are among the most scrutinized
evidence out there. (short of maybe UFO pictures or maybe
even photos from the OJ Simpson case) The simple fact is,
ghosts tend to appear as mists, orbs or other vaguely
distinguishable forms which, unfortunately closely mimic
very natural, very earthly circumstances. And so they are
easily debunked.

So, how do you get people to believe you? Take some very
deliberate precautions.

1. The first and foremost rule a ghost hunter should follow
is, "Be Skeptic" Just because you see a shiny orb in the
woods through your night vision video camera, don't think
you've caught a ghost. Try and think of what earthly item it
could be. Ask yourself questions like; "Is it moving or
standing still?" "Does it show up in every photo I take?" "Is
there ANYTHING that might have caused a reflection?". If
you ask these type of questions, you'll catch your own
"hoaxes" before they are debunked by someone else
hence ruining your credibility.

2. "2 or More Witnesses" Even in the legal systems, two or
more witnesses will always outweigh what one person
claims to be the truth. If you can say "There were eight of us
there and no one saw the figure in this image." chances are
people will believe you. Especially when they interview the
other seven people and get the same story.

3. "Never Smoke" on a case that is. If you can say, with
confidence every time, that no one was smoking or had
been smoking, you rule out 98% of skeptics' excuses for
"mist" type pictures. In the case of cold weather cases, let
everyone around you know you are about to take a picture,
then have everyone hold their breath for at least five
seconds (if not ten) before you snap it. If you make a habit
out of this, then you'll know for sure that you didn't catch
anyone's breath on film. (It should be said that it is quite
easy to distinguish cigarette smoke or human breath from
ethereal mists.)

4. "Surprise Them" Take the ghost by surprise. Some ghost
want to be caught on film, some don't care, others don't
want to be caught at all. Because we don't know the ghosts'
feelings about this, there is only one way to pretty much
guarantee that you'll catch it on film. This is by casually
snapping a picture, over your shoulder even, whenever you
get the inkling to. It may sound silly but it works. Trust me.
There's no need to line up a perfect shot, as long as there
is a ghost in it, no one cares if it's not "framed" right.

5. "Trust your Feelings" Learning to trust your feelings can
yield astounding results. If you get even the slightest urge
to snap a picture somewhere, Do IT! Don't hesitate. Most
often pictures taken like this will be the only ones that show
results.

6. "Get a Digital Camera" Ok, so this isn't a "rule" but a
personal suggestion. Number one, you don't need to worry
about film. Number two, you get instant gratification. There's
nothing quite like knowing exactly where these things were
just a few seconds earlier. Number three, you can instantly
email them to TAPS so everyone can see what you've found!

Hopefully, these tips will help increase the amount of
specters you catch on film, and therefore increase your
desire to continue looking for and learning about the
paranormal.

- Grant