Ghost Photo: The Boy in the Abandoned School

 

If you spend as much time as I do perusing the internet and social media for paranormal content, you may have seen this photo before. It's been floating around since at least 2014, but has recently popped up in my news feeds a few time. And, since it's been a hot minute since I covered any sort of ghost photo here on the blog, I thought, "eh, why not?"  According to Reddit user Inthelionsmane:

“I grew up in a small, rural town in between mountains. A couple of years ago, they were tearing down an old elementary school. A guy my mom knew went in and took pics with his cell phone. When he uploaded them, this was one of the pics. I don’t believe in stuff like this at all. I just really don’t know how to explain it since it was a cell phone pic and I’m pretty sure that no one in my Podunk hometown knows how to make fake pics.”

More info from the Reddit post stated that the cell phone camera photo is a few years old at the time it was posted to the site, and commenters threw out ideas such as a CPR dummy or even just a piece of furniture that, through the magic of pareidolia (matrixing), resembled an armless child. I think I have a better explanation. I think it's a digitally altered image that used a phone app that was becoming really popular at the time. It was a free program available for I believe both iPhones and Android phones called Ghost Capture, and essentially it was a database of spooky images of 'ghosts' that you could insert into photos you already had on your phone. I had to go back and check, but the first time I blogged about this specific app was back in October of 2013, so it was definitely around when this was posted to Reddit! (See my post, FaceBook's Most Famous Ghost Girl). Also, never buy into the whole "I don't know how to technology!" excuse. Even us hillbillies from podunk towns know how to download free apps and use them, but that might not even be the issue here. As I've discussed in previous posts on these types of apps...sometimes people use them to try to trick others, and well, they fall for it. 

 Anyway, below is a screenshot of the app's home screen menu with some of the spooky selections. I've circled the image I'm convinced was used. Although it looks slightly different due to the poor image quality, you can clearly see the diagonal hairline and lack of arms. But, if you have a different idea, please let me know in the comments below, or find me over on Theresa's Haunted History Facebook! 

The Wild Creek Bigfoot Photo

 

Wild Creek Bigfoot
Photo Property of Cliff Crook

Back in 1995, an off-duty forest ranger allegedly took a series of seven 35mm photos of a Bigfoot-type creature in the Wild Creek area of Washington State, near Mt. Rainier. Not wanting to draw attention to himself or put his career in jeopardy, the ranger was said to have sold the photos to sculptor and (controversial) Bigfoot researcher, Cliff Crook. The photo above is the only one of the set to be widely circulated among the public, appearing in quite a few books about Bigfoot, cryptozoology, and all things strange and unexplained.

In fact, that's how I first became familiar with this photo. I was watching a YouTube video (I really wish I could remember who the creator was so I can credit them) of a guy talking about some of the books he had read as a child. He happened to show this photo, which appeared in one of those books, and noted that it scared the crap out of him at the time. I immediately thought the photo looked familiar, so I assume that I had probably also come across it at some point in my younger days, as I was devouring anything and everything I could find written about anomalous phenomena. 

But unlike this YouTuber, I don't remember ever being scared by the image. Rather, I thought it was pretty hilarious to look at! I'm not sure if it has something to do with  the Uncanny Valley, or if my love of movies like Clash of the Titans (1981) influenced me, but I never thought this thing looked like a living, breathing animal---undiscovered or not. I thought it looked like a claymation/stop-motion model of a monkey man. 

And, as an adult, I'm pretty relieved to find out that most people agree with me! On January 30, 2010 Matt Moneymaker of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) wrote an article in response to Cliff Crook's continued promotion of this image (licensing it to publishers for up to $9000!). In the article, titled 'Hoaxer Cliff Crook Promoting Phony Photo, Again,'  Moneymaker notes that Crook is a sculptor by trade, and thus this image, along with a whole collection of tracks, were merely pieces of art, photographed and passed off as the real thing. Respected researcher Doug Hajicek agreed, noting that the 'model' Bigfoot used was probably no bigger than a foot high. This makes total sense to me, because whenever I see this image, my mind interprets the figure as actually being very tiny. I think its mostly the vegetation in front of him. To me, those look like blades of regular ol' grass, not waist high weeds or anything. There are no big trees in the background for perspective, just a reflection that could have been nothing more than a tiny branch. Trying to be fair, however, I sought out another analysis.

Posted on the ThinkerThunker Facebook page on October 3, 2021 is an analysis video titled 'Shadowlands Bigfoot...Could it Be Real?' In the analysis, ThinkerThunker kind of tears Matt Moneymaker's article apart, pointing out the old adage, 'just because you CAN, doesn't mean you DO.' In other words, although Crook was a sculptor and could have created a model, that doesn't mean he actually did. Okay--I can see that. When I want to know for sure if something has been hoaxed or not, I like to see indisputable proof that fraud has been committed, not just a mention of that it could have happened, so it did. ThinkerThunker then delves into analyzing some facial and body proportions. The results were inconclusive, but seemed to lean to the idea that it was at least possible for this to be a real creature. He also takes at look at the fur, which is of an irregular length and hangs in wet clumps in a way that he feels would not be possible with fake fur. At this point, I'm seriously starting to believe that this guy is going to come to the conclusion that this is a photo of a real Bigfoot. 

On the right is the 2nd photo, used in
Thinker Thunker's analysis.
Screen-shot from video.

And then a second photo emerged. 

The original photo that we've all seen floating around for 25 years was supposedly taken from a bridge, with the forest ranger aiming the camera at a downward angle. This second shot appears to be taken at a totally different angle, from the side and much closer to the creature. Yet, in the time that it would have taken the ranger to access the other vantage point, the creature does not move at all. It doesn't even turn it's head (well, actually, from its lack of neck, it'd probably have to turn its whole body) to look at him, or throw up it's arms. I don't know where ThinkerThunker obtained the second photo (I can't find a copy online) or if it is 100% true that it's the same creature, but this was the smoking gun for him. That was the proof needed to declare the photo a hoax. 

I think it's safe to say that the majority of the Bigfoot research community has filed this photo away as being fraudulent, but without the rest of the photos in the set of 7 available for analysis or the true photographer coming forward, there will always be doubters. Unless Crook confesses or the actual model that was used is found, there will be someone out there who legitimately believes this goofy, neckless creature represents the Holy Grail of Bigfoot evidence. 

What do you think? Could there be any chance that this photo is the real deal? Is there a piece of the puzzle I'm missing or overlooking? Or, do you agree that it's nothing more than a hoax? Let me know down in the comments below, or join me over at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook for more discussion on this and lots of other paranormal topics!

Ghost Photo Analysis: Staircase Apparition

This photo was recently posted to a Facebook paranormal interest group to which I belong. The original poster did not post any accompanying information on the photo, and as of 16 hours after the original posting, had not returned to answer any questions or pose any type of clarification.

When I'm perusing Facebook groups, I tend not to focus too much on the ghost pictures submitted by others. Most often, its just not worth it, lol. That sounds harsh, but its true. Either there is just not enough information or photo clarity to give a good, accurate analysis....or the photo is a natural glitch. Sometimes, the photo is outright fraudulent. These I hate the most because I'm one of those who believe that people are inherently good. I don't think the majority of people posting ghost app photos and other fraudulent photos and/or information are doing so maliciously. Rather, I think people have a tendency to find something cool on the internet and want to share. Unfortunately, some are the victims of pranks by friends who realize their gullibility.

I tend to think this photo is just one of those, 'Hey, cool! Look what I found!' photos. When I first scrolled by and paused, what caught my attention was that I knew I had seen this image somewhere before. Further, while looking at the photo, it certainly didn't look like an image taken with a camera---it had that look of 'film,' like it was a still shot from a movie.  A simple reverse-image search later, and I had my answer.

This image IS a still shot, and it was probably taken directly from the documentary, The Best Ghost Cases Ever Caught on Tape, which aired as a Fox TV special in the early 2000s. This show specializes in taking film footage of alleged ghosts, and explaining or debunking them. While I highly recommend watching the whole thing, I want to bring your attention to the clip at hand. If you fast forward to 26:16, you'll see the clip in question....and the confession that it is the product of a student filmmaker! Oh, and what looks like a robot ghost is actually the mist pausing in front of the refrigerator, lol.

The Best Ghost Cases Ever Caught on Tape Documentary

The Wednesday Meme: Photoshopping Evidence

I usually do a Monday Meme, but I thought this was too good an image to wait, lol. And, it asks a very valid question in the paranormal community: "Why do some people fake evidence?"

There's no real right or wrong answer. People are weird and they do weird things, sometimes for no explanation at all. However, I've personally found that there are a few more prominent reasons why people tend to fake paranormal evidence.

1. Some do it for attention and prestige. They want people to ooh and aah over their great captures, and luckily for them, there are PLENTY of gullible folks out there in social media land that blindly accept any and all potential paranormal evidence as the Holy Grail. Just check in at any Facebook paranormal group and you'll see hundreds of "Great capture!" and "I see it, too!" comments on well-known ghost app photos. Other people may have an even more invested reason to fake evidence---those that run haunted tours or public investigations may believe that more people will be willing to spend their hard-earned cash at a location that is more likely to result in the capture of paranormal evidence. I won't name any names, but many of us can probably name at least one example where this has happened in recent years...

2. Sadly, some do it to mock us in the paranormal field. People like to feed off that gullibility that I mentioned in reason number one, and then get their kicks by proving everyone wrong. So, they manufacture 'evidence,' pass it off as real, and after an appropriate amount of oohing and aahing, drop the hammer and let everyone know they faked it. Unfortunately, these types of people often succeed in blemishing the paranormal community's reputation. I've seen countless articles about photos and videos being examined by paranormal 'experts,' only to be proven fraudulent later on. While we know that there really is no such thing as a paranormal 'expert,' it gives the impression that all of us in this field lack the scientific aptitude to come to logical conclusions.

Thankfully, there aren't too many people out there actively faking evidence. More often, you'll see people submitting fraudulent 'evidence,' mainly ghost app photos, simply out of ignorance. They may have found the image online and are looking for opinions, or they have been the victim of an innocent prank by a family member or friend. And, the majority of bad 'evidence' being submitted is still just ol' fashioned misidentification of natural phenomenon!

Oh, and a quick pet peeve:  'Photoshop' is a brand name. Not every image that is digitally altered is 'Photoshopped, ' especially those that are the result of smart phone apps. Therefore, I prefer to just use the term 'digitally altered' (despite the name of this post) IF in fact it was digitally altered. Well before digital photography was a thing, there were ways, such as the burn and dodge technique, of altering film images. 

Ghost Boy in Tree

Another "faux-tograph" has been making its rounds on social media this week and last.  The picture in question was published last week in the UK's DailyMail online edition and was allegedly taken sometime this past August by Michelle Mason.  On a family walk near Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, Mason's children, Lee and Sophia took time out to climb a tree, and Mason snapped a photo.  It wasn't until later that the family realized that a third child had made its presence known in the photo.  What is interesting about the photo is that the ghostly Victorian-era child's most notable feature is the dark, black eyes.  For several months now, the area of Cannock Chase has been in the news multiple times concerning sightings of Black Eyed Kids, a type of paranormal being that has only been noted in the past 15 years or so. Mason claims the photo was taken with a normal camera and that she did not alter it in any way.


Unfortunately, there's overwhelming evidence that SOMEONE digitally altered the image, adding in the little boy.  The photo below was found on the Facebook page, Ghost App Ghosts, which archives a variety of smart phone ghost app images. You can clearly see that the little boy on the right hand side of the photo, with his dark eyes and hoop in hand, is an identical match to the young fella seen here in this app's extended preview section.  He's on the bottom row, middle column:

If that isn't enough to convince you of this photo's fraudulent nature, here's a side by side of the images:

Well, I'm convinced...but there are still plenty of people out there who are posting the original, looking for opinions on its authenticity.  As Halloween draws closer, we has paranormal investigators, researchers, and enthusiasts have to stay vigilant because this is the time of year that is ripe for these types of fake images  This is also a time to practice a little tact and community service.  If you come across someone posting this photo, or another obvious fake, don't be afraid to tell them that its not real--just do so in a beneficial way.  Many people who are posting fakes aren't actually making the fakes themselves.  Rather, they are being fooled by family and friends who are altering their images or, they're just simply re-posting from the other sources pictures that they find interesting.

And don't simply yell, "FAKE!" without backing up your argument.  I try to keep postings of some of the more widespread ghost app images on my blog, just so I have a handy link with all the information I need to which I can refer people to.  There are also some excellent Facebook sites solely dedicated to collecting and archiving as many Ghost App images as they can find, as well as other popular sources for digital alterations.  I've already mentioned Ghost App Ghosts, but There's a Ghost App for That is another great resource.  Let's work together and use these horribly frustrating photos as an opportunity to share knowledge and resources and hopefully keep the field of paranormal study moving in the right direction!

The Cleveland, TX Ghost Photo

Original

I just wanted to preface today's blog by saying I definitely learned something...I had no idea there was a Cleveland, Texas.  Anyway, I have another post dedicated to a fraudulent ghost photo.  Unfortunately, the boom in popularity for Facebook groups and pages ran and frequented by people with very little experience in the paranormal research field has led to a boom in fraudulent and fictional stories and photos to flood the web. Just recently this one popped its head back up.

Zoomed In

The photo in question was taken in by Marcella Davis on April 15, 2013.  Marcella took the photo around 4pm at Cleveland High School in Cleveland, TX.  According to her, she attempting to photograph her nephew.  She took one photo, but since her nephew turned, and didn't want his picture taken, she gave up.


Marcella was using a smartphone to take the photo, but admitted that she knew very little about how it worked.  Her teenage daughter was showing her how to zoom in on the photo and noticed the ghostly image of a man in a white suit with bell-bottoms.

Does this guy look familiar?  Yep, its a ghost app! I'm guessing that Marcella's daughter, before showing her mom how to zoom in on a photo, doctored it up a lil' to play a prank.

From the Facebook page, Ghost App Ghosts

Creepy Family Photo

 

This looks like a nice, family photo!  Until...you look a little closer.  Eagle eyed viewers have spotted a disembodied hand clutching the arm of the child on the left.  Do you see it?  Creepy, right?

This photo has been on the internet a LONG time, and has recently enjoyed another round of being passed off as a ghost photo.  To some, the image is nothing more than a 'photoshopped' forgery.  I'm in the latter camp...sorta.

I don't think this photo is paranormal in anyway, but I don't think it was an intentional hoax, either.  What I believe happened is just some simple photo editing.  Obviously, this is a staged family photo; all members are dressed similarly and are posed nicely in a scenic area.

  But, this family has two very young little girls.  They also have a baby and a dog.  Can you imagine how hard it would be for even a professional photographer to get all the kids smiling, looking at the camera and NOT blinking?  Can you imagine how hard it must have been to get the dog to stay still long enough and to keep the baby calm and not crying?

I believe that the photographer took several shots of the family in this similar pose, and then combined two or more shots together to get the best possible result overall.  Obviously, in one shot, the older sister had her arm around her younger sibling and the photographer missed it.  If you look closely, the hand does appear to belong to a small child.

This kind of thing actually happens more than you'd think, especially in print advertising.   Check out the phantom hand on this catalog model:

52 Worst Photoshop Mistakes in Magazines