New ghost photo?

**Skeptical** · Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject: New ghost photo?

I don't know if The Sun is the British equivalent of the National Enquirer or not, but they've got an interesting story about a teenager who recently snapped a picture of what would appear to be a ghostly apparition at a Scottish castle.

Here's the link to the original story:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1216051.ece

This is another situation where a digital camera was used and the photographer saw nothing at the time the pic was taken. So, to me, that begs the question, why did the kid take this picture in the first place? It's a picture of a stairway -- why, exactly would you take a picture of a stairway? It requires a bit of additional explaining, methinks.

S
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"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." -- Thomas Jefferson

**dr wu23** · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 2254 Location: Indiana

I assume the 'ghost' is that white blurry area on the left?
IMO it's probably light dispersion or some other natural phenom related to taking pictures. Why is it that everytime we get an anomalous image like this people automatically call it a 'ghost' and assume it's some manner of dead person's spirit?
Rolling Eyes

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"Some say the valley has always been haunted ever since River ran.
The rippling waters fast as the colors conceal the Green Man."
Roy Harpur from The Green Man

**Skeptical** · Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 9:07 pm Post subject:

I'm tempted to think the picture is not a direct picture of the stairway but perhaps taken in a mirror - and the ghostly image is just a reflection. The thing they seem to be making a big deal about is the "hand" that appears to be holding the banister. Guess it's safety first - even when you're dead. Confused

S
_________________
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." -- Thomas Jefferson

**dr wu23** · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 2254 Location: Indiana

roadghost · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 148

If she used the hand rail during her life she'd be using it in her phantom one too. Ghosts are creatures of habit. Wink

To be honest it doesn't look like much to write home about other than an indistinct shape you can make of what you will (I saw a cleavage). The Sun, while not exactly at National Enquirer level, wouldn't win any awards for Journalistic integrity.

craig york · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 3

Skeptical- I can remember photographing stairways fairly regularly when I was younger and artisticly inclined. Its a
simple route to a fairly dramatic composistion, and here the vibrant colors make just the more so. That doesn't make
this a photo of a ghost, of course, but there's the rub. How will anyone ever really know if its a ghost in the snap or not?
They steadfastly refuse to give interviews.... Wink

**Skeptical** · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:54 am Post subject:

I'll accept the idea that a staircase does present an interesting subject for an aspiring young photographer. The thing that still leads me to believe the ghostly image is a reflection of some type lies on the right side of the photo. There are light and dark areas there that appear to be of the same general type as the "ghost" - and yet they appear reflections of stairs. Again, I wonder if this picture wasn't taken looking into a mirror or something?

That's the downside to these stories - there is rarely an investigative follow-up. Confused

S
_________________
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." -- Thomas Jefferson

HopoUK · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:30 pm Post subject:

It's at Tulloch Castle, and guess what? On their website, they have ghost tours. Well, well, well. What a surprise! Ker-ching!! Rolling Eyes