Orbs?

[Nikki 2]

I was wondering what people generally believed orbs to be. I have included a photo of a place near to where I live. It has a peaceful, spiritual atmosphere. The orbs in the photo are not always present in every picture.

[Dendrias]

Have You taken that picture, Nikki 2?

[AndyN]

The general theory is that they are dust and/or water droplets reflecting the flash on a digital camera. The other theory is that they are something to do with natural energies. I'd go with the first.

[Nikki 2]

Hi Dendrias
Yes I did take the picture. Not a great quality pic but It's quite awesome isn't. The strangest thing is that in consecutive photos, taken within seconds of each other, and with identical camera settings etc there will be anything from zero to hundreds. The atmosphere of the place can change dramatically too. It is a truly beautiful place to be.

[postmodgirl]

yeah, it's water or dust in the air that your flash catches. It's a problem that is more specific to digital cameras. A way to fix it is to close your aperture in your camera if you know how (lets in a little less light & reduces the possibility of catching orbs).

[Nikki 2]

Ok thanks PostModGirl. I will try it.
- and I loved your digital art entries in the Eisteddfod.

[Spirit Bear]

I have some pictures with orb-like things on it too and they are made without a flash. I noticed that I get them only when there's a lot of shadow/sunny parts in the picture f.e. sun shining bright through leaves in a forrest. And only with my small digital camera. When I take a picture with it and my husband takes at the same moment from the same place a picture with his canon 30D he never get those spots.
Has this also something to do with the aperture? Or can it be a kind of reflection from a dust particle on the lens?

[Golden Eagle]

Just tiny specks of dust/water floating about in the air. Whether they're picked up depends on the light and angle at that exact moment...many things such as these change subtly enough for them to be only shown sometimes, even if taken in the same place with the same (apparent) settings.

If your camera is on 'automatic' setting, of course it is changing its settings by itself, or if using a larger camera people can choose a range of different settings even for the same photo - therefore the 'same' photo can come out totally differently. Using the same settings on different makes of cameras also produces subtly different results.

Sorry guys, there ain't no mystery there.

[Nikki 2]

Thanks guys. This post seems to have attracted a lot of interest! Lol.
I had seen/read about all the obvious explanations re "orbs" in digital photographs . . . . . dust, water droplets, flash reflection, aperture settings etc . . . . but I had also seen the growing number of books on the shelves at Waterstones (book shop) which clearly suggested something "other". Whilst the second suggestion is far more appealing (and sells books) - I suspected the first was probably true and had just wondered what you all thought - especially the photgraphers out there. Thank you all for clearling that one up.
P.S. - would a polaroid filter stop it do you think?

[postmodgirl]

Ok thanks PostModGirl. I will try it.
- and I loved your digital art entries in the Eisteddfod.

Thanks Nikki

[Golden Eagle]

Yup, unfortunately the more exciting theories sell more books/newspapers, even if the content is utter rubbish...

Polarised filter might work, since it reduces reflected light.

Also it's not just digital cameras, the same happens with film too
(below: very cheap waterproof film camera, pic taken in the sea so loads of spray about, like your waterfall pic)

[Lady Stella]

I found a lovely spiritual book at the library a few months back, absolutely filled with images of orbs, supposedly pictures of energy of Archangles and Assended Masters. There were some beautiful rainbow orbs and loads with different colours. I think one of the authors names was Dianne Cooper. Dust , energy, something from another dimention, who knows!


BB

[DJ Droood]

funny thing..they had a little piece on "ghost orbs" in the latest Sceptics magazine, in the kid's section...myth busting....it is dust, or water drops, illuminated by a flash and the effect is quite easily reproduced....the same article also debunked newspaper horoscopes, dowsing, moon landing skeptics, homeopathy, The Loch Ness Monster, The 10% Brain Myth, The Bermuda Triangle, The Crystal Skull of Doom and the Roswell UFO Crash...nasty skeptics..always ruining the fun for the kids....for the record, I am *still* dubious about the moon landing.

[Lady Stella]

Yeah! I saw a brilliant doco on how the moon landings were staged in movie making building in america and europe somewhere. Heaps of evidence, like shadows and waving flags and stuff. Perhaps they just went out in space but didn't make it to the moon at all! Who knows eh?

BB

[DJ Droood]

Yeah! I saw a brilliant doco on how the moon landings were staged in movie making building in america and europe somewhere. Heaps of evidence, like shadows and waving flags and stuff. Perhaps they just went out in space but didn't make it to the moon at all! Who knows eh?

BB

The evidence "for" a moon landing seems pretty overwhelming, but I just find it hard to believe they did it before the invention of the pocket calculator and nobody has done it since...you would think the Chinese or someone would be anxious to plant thier flag there...I think it was Stanley Kubrick myself....have you ever seen "Capricorn One"? (staring, of all people, OJ Simpson) Brilliant movie about a faked Mars trip.

[Nikki 2]

Heh Drood -
yeah, good film.
. . . . . . . perhaps moon landings are a bit passe for the Chinese.