Investigating the Alleged Ghost Photo

[russ_watters]

is not edited...

The photo has no exif data. At the very least, it was edited to remove that data.

What can you tell us about the camera?

 

[russ_watters]

I have analyzed the photo and have found what I feel is essentially conclusive evidence that the ghost part of the image is a digital artifact, not something within the body of the picture...

You're a little late for that train, Dave - the last few posts are examining a new photo posted today and that conclusion about that photo was reached pages ago...

 

[DaveC426913]

You're a little late for that train, Dave - the last few posts are examining a new photo posted today and that conclusion about that photo was reached pages ago...

I know. I think my evidence is more compelling - virtually conclusive. I think it overtrumps 'plausibility'-like arguments and closes the book on doubt.

 

[russ_watters]

Ok...it's just...while you presented it nicer by highlighting them, we discussed those lines already.

 

[russ_watters]

Well it looks like a perfect example of double exposure. But then we're told it's digital and so the only way this can occur is by being edited.

Incorrect. Most digital cameras today have a "night portrait" mode specifically designed to take a double-exposure to highlight a foreground and a background in a night-time photo.

In addition, if you hold still while your digital camera is taking a surprisingly long exposure with no flash, you can get a relatively clear double exposure type look with some additional streaking in it. I have a number of "ghost photos" of myself and my friends due to this effect.

 

[JaredJames]

Incorrect. Most digital cameras today have a "night portrait" mode specifically designed to take a double-exposure to highlight a foreground and a background in a night-time photo.

In addition, if you hold still while your digital camera is taking a surprisingly long exposure with no flash, you can get a relatively clear double exposure type look with some additional streaking in it. I have a number of "ghost photos" of myself and my friends due to this effect.

Bugger, I did realize this and posted a link to the double exposure with digital above but forgot to label what it is.

 

[DaveC426913]

Ok...it's just...while you presented it nicer by highlighting them, we discussed those lines already.

I know. I mentioned that.

But unless I missed some posts, no one took it as far as I did and quantified it. It's the difference between plausibility (which gives ghost-proponents some wiggle room) and virtually iron-clad (which reverses the onus of proof, putting ghost-proponents in the position of having to refute the analysis).

 

[nismaratwork]

I know. I mentioned that.

But unless I missed some posts, no one took it as far as I did and quantified it. It's the difference between plausibility (which gives ghost-proponents some wiggle room) and virtually iron-clad (which reverses the onus of proof, putting ghost-proponents in the position of having to refute the analysis).

I agree... this leaves very little room for any explanation except some kind of fraud, intentional... or incidental.

 

[Gabe21]

ive read something on this before. an image can be ghosted onto any internal digital camera lense if their is a flaw in the assembly. the first time the camera is used it erases the ghosted image. if you don't know what ghosting is its used to refer to the image left on an CRT monitor after when you turn it off after it has been sitting a while with the same image on the screen. excally how an image of that creepy looking girl got on there i don't know.

 

[DaveC426913]

ive read something on this before. an image can be ghosted onto any internal digital camera lense if their is a flaw in the assembly. the first time the camera is used it erases the ghosted image. if you don't know what ghosting is its used to refer to the image left on an CRT monitor after when you turn it off after it has been sitting a while with the same image on the screen. excally how an image of that creepy looking girl got on there i don't know.

Well, that doesn't really explain the cropped edges of the ghost image. If it were a residual image, it should fill the screen from edge to edge, like any other picture. Instead, the ghost image is most definitely a small rectangle.

 

[JaredJames]

Well, that doesn't really explain the cropped edges of the ghost image. If it were a residual image, it should fill the screen from edge to edge, like any other picture. Instead, the ghost image is most definitely a small rectangle.

Are you talking about the latest photo or the original one?

 

[Darken-Sol]

there was a commercial about an app you could get, it puts ghosts in the background. never seen the actual app but they claimed it would "freak your friends out".

 

[DaveC426913]

Are you talking about the latest photo or the original one?

The original - er - the one with the ships' wheel.

 

[stglyde]

You guys are really topnotch. See the following comparisons between the "ghost" photo Ivan shared and that of my friends yesterday who were and scared convinced it was a real ghost picture. I showed them the following images with the almost exact ghost image down to the hair style. I think it's a cellfone virus. We should be hearing more about it elsewhere... has anyone else got the same ghost appearing in other pictures? I wonder what the cell virus and how to identify it so as to be included in the anti-virus database.

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/6914/internetghostpics.jpg


from original image:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5265/ghostgirlq.jpg

 

[stglyde]

Referring to the above identical comparison pictures. I'm certain it's some kind of cellfone virus because just like Ivan friend... they didn't photoshop it.. this is because there were 15 people in the place and they viewed it right after the picture was taken. So it's very likely a software virus. Now to make that kind of virus. How big should be the program and would it able to hijack into the image processing area of the camera during saving? Also since there were no massive reports of the "ghost" images in the internet. It's most likely the program used some kind of very select or random activation like the number of character and initial of the cellfone owner's name so as to produce a few occurance maximizing the scare motive. Give me some idea before I officially submit it to the cellfone antivirus software company to handle it because it can really scare people. After my friends saw it. They bought candles and prayed together not knowing they were duped!

 

[stglyde]

What I learn now is that those with those "ghost" overlap in their cellfone picture don't want to share the picture in the internet or their facebook because they want to "respect the dead". So this cell virus is prevented from being addressed by anti-virus company and is effectively being used to scare people. What happen in our case is that rivals of real estate lessors in other buildings want to scare the tenants of a new building into thinking the building is inhabited with ghosts so the tenants would leave and transfer to their own so they planted the virus in one of the tenant cellfone.

Can anyone point me to any people packed anti-virus forum or newsgroup so I can spread the news about the new "ghost" cell virus being spread and used as tactics to scare and influence people over the long term? Our debunking it must reach into those people of positions (anti-virus software group) to address the virus problem.

 

[Evo]

There appears to be a "Ghost" app for iphone.

http://www.google.com/search?source...=1T4GGLL_enUS339US339&q=iphone+ghost+hoax+app

 

[micromass]

There appears to be a "Ghost" app for iphone.

http://www.google.com/search?source...=1T4GGLL_enUS339US339&q=iphone+ghost+hoax+app

Oh my god, those things are silly. So basically it "contacts ghosts and the iphone tells you something about the ghost". So it actually spews out random words like "railroad", "Louis", "accident".

The true believers are already claiming that it actually works: "It said accident and arm, and indeed a few years ago my arm was broken."

Sigh

 

[stglyde]

There appears to be a "Ghost" app for iphone.

http://www.google.com/search?source...=1T4GGLL_enUS339US339&q=iphone+ghost+hoax+app

The "ghost girl" virus app we have been analyzing are more sophisticated.. because it added the "ghost" picture to the image right there when any picture is taken and before saving to cam memory. It works on the fly and this can deceive even the owner of the camera phone. The iphone app is just a courser app compare to it. If anyone has encountered this trojan horse kind of virus app, please share it so we can put it to the attention of the public and avoid unnecessary alarm and shock or even heart attack for some who encounter the picture in their phone..

 

[DaveC426913]

The "ghost girl" virus app we have been hypothesizing... would be more sophisticated

I have fixed your statement, in case there is any confusion.

There is no evidence of any virus at all. This is a hypothesis, created right here, as a possible explanation.