Strange Objects in photos

Hello there, i would like to present these 2 pictures from a wedding i was at around 2 yr's ago. I'm not the superstitious type but i have to say this is a little weird...





The first picture has an 'orb' on the upper right hand side. I can see a definitive 'face' in that one. Now i am open to the fact that it may be a dust particle as this sort of thing happens a lot from time to time, although In the next picture with different dancers on the floor you can see that the 'orb' has remained in the same location although a bit further away.

Anybody know what this could be?

While I am a firm believer in the paranormal and orbs specifically I recently have had the same thing happen to a couple of pictures and in one case it was a speck of water and another time it was dust judging that there was alot of movement in the room and also due to the lighting I would bet its dust.

It isn't on the lens as it moved toward and up the wall in the second pic. Must be dust moving but its seems large and far away to appear as it does. I think we are not suppose to put too much into orbs but this is a bit interesting.

Hi, LwSiX. My understanding and personal experience is that a lot of these orbs that show up in pictures DO have facial expressions (or many times, "smiley faces"). In this instance, it could possibly be a relative who's passed away.

I'm a professional photographer and graphic designer. I know a lot about images. This is nothing more than a dust particle.

If you see a face in an orb it is just your brain seeing patterns.
Orbs are the biggest sham in "ghost hunting"

As far as the face goes Pareidolia is a fairly logical explanation. It's very easy to see a face in anything. Is it possible the spot is the lens picking up some light source out of frame? I agree with a previous poster that the spot does not appear to be on the lens itself, and it would seem a dust particle wouldn't linger in one spot for what had to be at least a few seconds ( considering the other woman with the camera managed to get out of frame ). I don't personally think it seems paranormal at all, but you never know.

reply to post by LwSiX



You are in luck, I am a very advanced amateur photographer. I can tell you that is a light reflecting off the lamp in front of you, plus the flash you are using, and the quality of the lens you have it on. If you shoot in a bad lighting condition, with a poor quality lens, you can get strange artifacts in the shots.

OK mmcandiez (and other professional photographers)...I took this pic a couple years ago. I take it this is a dust particle and not an actual "orb"? Thanks for your professional opinion.

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
I'm a professional photographer and graphic designer. I know a lot about images. This is nothing more than a dust particle.

If you see a face in an orb it is just your brain seeing patterns.
Orbs are the biggest sham in "ghost hunting"

Dust? I don't think the orb is anything ghostly. Dust? Dust on the sensor would appear dark or black. They are small too and you won't see it until you are shooting at F8, stopping down more. Dust on the lens? You can crack the lens front element and the crack would still not show up in the shot, let alone a dust particle in the front element.

Originally posted by ghr54321
OK mmcandiez (and other professional photographers)...I took this pic a couple years ago. I take it this is a dust particle and not an actual "orb"? Thanks for your professional opinion.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/70ef3a2d5398.jpg[/atsimg]

Is obviously lens glare from the street lamp. Dust on the lens would never show up in the shot. If you shoot with a DSLR, you would get dust on the senor but they would only appear like a little black dot when you are shooting at F8 or slower. They don't glow.

Just dust in my opinion..Nothing to see here...but thanks for posting.

reply to post by ghr54321


Obviously glare, the shape of the 'orb' matches perfectly to the light source. If not a joke, this is why the orb thing is ridiculed so often.

It's lens flare (internal reflections of light within the camera) caused by the aperture of the camera being fully open (because the room is dark) with a strong light source (the ceiling light) off centre. and probably a cheapish lens where the anti reflective coating isn't quite up to standard
The position of lens flare on the picture depends on your camera lenses angle to the light source so thats why it moves.

Thanks for your comments everybody, i knew there was a good explanation for it. Lens flare makes the most sense to me being that its so close the to light source. It also makes sense that if its a cheap camera this is more likely to happen, i haven't seen this phenomena on any of the professionally done pictures.

Originally posted by LwSiX
Thanks for your comments everybody, i knew there was a good explanation for it. Lens flare makes the most sense to me being that its so close the to light source. It also makes sense that if its a cheap camera this is more likely to happen, i haven't seen this phenomena on any of the professionally done pictures.

Professional shots.......you know, the photographer would just clone out the "orb." No pros would shoot directly at the light source. Same as no pros would shoot with the sun facing him or her unless he or she is trying to create some special effect.

I have to agree that it's just dust caught in the flash .. which is a very common phenomena, it is also the kind of image that is most commonly mistaken for a paranormal photo which gives investigators a headache.

Most investigators will ignore orb photography or video .. sometimes there's an exception, but usually not.. in the case of video, if the "orb" maneuvers in a strange way it may be given a second look .. but in those cases I've seen it usually shrugged off as probably an insect.

I performed a 3 year long intensive scientific study on orbs, am a former paranormal investigator and psychic. In my opinion this is spiritual energy in the form of orbs. Maybe a relative who came to enjoy the party and see relations. Very nice captures.

Upon magnifacation both pictures are obviously dust. Nothing strange here at all.

Yes. Dust and nothing else.

Photo's are sub par at capturing any form of paranormal material of a non physical nature.

But orbs sure are pretty