Why Good Photography Is Important In Paranormal

This is an article that I’ve wanted to write for a while. I have a lot of respect for the paranormal groups that go out and use the technology they do to educate the masses. I was thinking about this as I was writing; videotaping for hours, an equal amount of recording, followed by at the very least an equal amount of time going through the data to extract any the evidence. A lot of time and effort goes into an investigation to be sure.

In my humble opinion, the technology of today’s DSLR [Digital Single Lens Reflex] camera has not been utilized enough to aid in the gathering of paranormal evidence. The pattern I do see among paranormal groups is that they’ll invest in everything but a good camera. Folks, that’s like going to McDonalds and ordering two quarter pounders, a large fry, an apple pie, and a diet coke. Lol. It just doesn’t fit does it?



A good digital camera with a decent flash [set off camera] will provide some great photos; and if a spirit wants to be cooperative, you may just have yourself a great paranormal shot that you wouldn’t have had if you would have used the usual point and shoot camera that most are using. If you opt not to use flash, an understanding of the functions of the camera will help greatly in getting a proper exposure of the scene, aided in part with the use of a tripod and cable release.

Why a good camera and off cam flash? Today’s p & s [point and shoot] cameras have limited flash range; not to mention the fact that they produce horrible noise if you’re not using flash in a darker scene. Here’s where a decent camera comes in. With an average DSLR and flash combined, you will have greater range with your flash. What the higher output flash does is “paint with light”. You want the light to essentially fill in the pixels, thus negating the problem with digital noise. This can be likened to high speed film back in the day which was grainy. Digital grain will limit the image’s ability to enlarge successfully.



Let’s suppose that you don’t want to use flash. No problem. Put your camera on a sturdy tripod and you’ll set the camera accordingly for the proper exposure. If the scene is darker, you would need to have the shutter of the camera opened longer to allow more light in. If the image is exposed correctly and enough light has been introduced, there won’t be an issue with noise in this method either.



As time permits, I will try to explain in greater detail in future articles the methods of taking successful photos for the paranormal. I will also be learning along the way here folks because ultimately, it’s the spirits who will drive the success of the final image.

Crystal Cross and I have also talked about producing some tutorials on this very subject as well. For now, I hope you like our introduction to the importance of good photography in the paranormal.

Matrix