Queen Mary Ghost

[PPI Karl]

I followed Miller's link from Johnson's "Jackson/Fawcette" thread (http://www.pacificparanormal.com/forums/index.php/topic,2377.0.html) and came across this bit o' paranormal whimsy.  I'm curious to know what people think of this?  Put on your evidence analysis caps and tell us your thoughts about this picture as well as its caption; there are just as many clues to be gleaned from how people "set up" the importance of their photos.  Enjoy.
 

http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/ghostphotos/GHOSTS/QueenMaryGhost.htm
Ghost Photo by Joe LaRocca : Queen Mary Ghost
While aboard the Queen Mary a few years back my Uncle George took this picture of what he thought was an ordinary vestibule. When he got home he printed out his pictures but wasn?t expecting to find what looks like a ghost walking down the hall. My Uncle is 78 and does not believe in ghosts, but this freaked him out. He doesn?t even like to talk about the incident. I was just watching a special on the 10 most haunted places and when the Queen Mary was listed I felt compelled to send in the picture.

Many emails have poured in since the original poating [sic] of the photo. All stating that they belive [sic] this to be the best Ghost Photo ever taken on the Queen Mary to date. Many have also voted this to be the best Ghost Photo of the year for 2008.

[PPI Brian]

I believe it is the best ghost photo ever taken at the QM. I also believe it's not paranormal at all. 

Judging by the colors in the image, the heavy light saturation and the reflections on the bulkheads, I believe it's just a long exposure with a fill flash, possibly unintentional, caused by the camera making automatic exposure decisions in a low light situation. The things that make me suspicious include the missing XIF information, the height of the photo (which is below the hand rail, so it's obviously on a tripod) and the over exposed lights in the corridor. The "ghost" in the image appears to be a person walking away, but it could have been staged. Not knowing the exact circumstances behind the capture of this image, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

But in my opinion it is not paranormal.

[SCP Ellie]

Wow you hit that one right on the head. I kinda giggled when I saw this picture.

[PPI Karl]

I missed the fact that the photo was taken at waist level on a tripod.  Nice one, Brian.  I agree with you about the reflections on the bulkhead, and I have my own theory about that.  But, what else do y'all think is going on?  What makes you suspicious?

[PPI Tracy]

can't see da photo....   

[PPI Karl]

Try this link; it's where I got the picture from:
http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/ghostphotos/GHOSTS/Queen_Mary_Ghost_photo.jpg

[PPI Brian]

The link is down. But I downloaded the picture to my desktop.

[PPI Jason]

The first question that comes to my mind is, "Why is he taking a picture of a hallway"? And not a very good picture at that.

Also, the comment "many have also voted this to be the best ghost photo of the year for 2008" sets off bells for me. He really is talking up this photo, especially for someone who was aware of it two years ago but did nothing about it at the time.

[PPI Karl]

Yes!  Exactly!  Why take a picture of an empty hallway (which, by the way, is NOT a vestibule) using, as Miller pointed out, a tripod at waist level?  And why would the uncle refuse to talk about the "incident" behind this photo when there wasn't an incident at all, anyway; he merely discovered this anomaly in the photo after the pictures were printed at home (allegedly).

What about the picture's composition?  Does anyone see anything fishy about it?

[PPI Jason]

Well, I don't know if I would call this fishy, but another thing I noticed is that it is crooked. Why would someone take a crooked photo (especially if using a tripod)? Or was it cropped or edited crooked?

It also seems rather convenient that it occurred in a location where the word "Queen" can also been seen on the wall. It could just be coincidence. But if I were going to stage a ghost photo, and I wanted to add more credibility to it, then I would make sure the photo included some element that would associate it with a location commonly accepted as paranormal by the public at large.

[bellalaghoste]

I love the Queen Mary.  I am a bridge away.   I have been there so many times and I never seen anything but felt somethings. How about you guys.  I think you guys have investigated there right?   My sister got married there.  While I was in the bridal room getting my sister lip gloss I thought I felt some thing tug at my gown. Also I could not find my grandmother silver brush which I know for a fact that I put it away in my make up case and when I got home it was not in my bag.  I asked my sisters and there friends no one had it.  I even went back the next day to see if the staff may have found it but it was never found.   Maybe a beautiful female ghost is enjoying it.  I only used that brush for special events in my life and my family lives.   Crazy!  I love that place.

[PPI Tracy]

I know exactly where that is on the ship.  By the way, I took tons of photos of long hallways while on the ship, hoping to catch something. 

What I thought was interesting is if you look on the wall, right side, opposite the figure's legs, there appears to be a reflection of.......LEGS!  The person screwed with the shutter speed.  Those lights are amber and not bright white. The reason they look so white?....Shutter speed was slowed down for longer exposure. 

[PPI Karl]

I concur.  I think the only reason to take pictures down an empty hallway like this (especially at waist level) is that you're hoping to catch something--which adds to the suspicion that this pic has been staged. 

The whole reflective quality of the right wall is, in my opinion, cause for further suspicion.  I agree with the analysis of the exposure, and I think that, given how much time this person had to stage this photo, there was some thought given to the reflections on the right.  It's too coincidental that the darker entrance to the spa on the right would just happen to be exactly where the reflection of this person would show up if that alcove were not there. 

In the images below, "A" is the original photo; "B" is an extrapolation of what the area would look like if the spa alcove and bannisters were not there, adjusting for the same skewed proportions that are in the original; "C" is a further extrapolation adjust for the blur of a shiny, non-mirror surface, also based on these properties in the original:

[bellalaghoste]

well this pic looks like it may be fake.   Also there to many lights that it makes it hard to tell.

[PPI Karl]

well this pic looks like it may be fake.   Also there to many lights that it makes it hard to tell.

Right!  There's a peculiar logical loophole that people seem to love in this field:  If you can't prove it's not a ghost, then you must assume it is a ghost.  (Yes, it's ridiculous sophistry, but try to tell that to people sometimes. ::|)  And, how does one guarantee that something can't be proven?  You make it just ambiguous enough to prevent certainty.  The more blur or light exposure or graininess in a photo, the less one can say for sure what the anomaly is exactly.  (In audio evidence, it's the really poor quality digital audio that's the equivalent of graininess and blur, and we're finding out more and more that digital voice recorder mics create a whole range of interesting effects mistaken for paranormal phenomena!)  Holding onto atmosphere of possibility and mystery under the pretense that one is seeking the clear skies of logic and certainty is, in my opinion, dishonest.

This photo seems dishonest because 1) I think it's been faked; and 2) it skirts ambiguity with all its overexpure, its blurriness, and its convenient location where there are too many lights and too many coincidental obstuctions.  I'll add one more, too:  3) having a ghost turn up with its back to the camera dead-center in the photo (no pun intended) is way too convenient.  It's like trying to fool your parents by changing the "F" on your report card to an "A" when a "B" would have been less ambitious.  Because the composition of this photo too perfect, it just seems contrived and unreleastic.

[Gary]

I'd first like to defend the location of the photo.... I  take random photos all the time, not tring to catch anything wierd, but for the artsy side.  I myself would probably be taking random hallway shots.  I personally like the lighting and reflections in that hall.... other than that, the photo isn't very convincing.  I love taking pictures, but I am in no way a professional.

Here is a photo I took at Disney Land.  Keep in mind, those people were all there, and this is not a claim to have caught a ghost  .  JUST fun photography, and it's easy to get that effect.  The boat was moving with a long exposure going on.


Gary

[PPI Tracy]

Bingo!  We have a winner!  Mystery solved. 

[PPI Karl]

Great response--and a fair one; I respect your defense of the artsy pic scenario--and a cool photo, to boot.  Exposure issues are a common culprit in the paranormal misinterpretation of many photos.  Add "Nightshot", and there's an entire host of artifacts and anomalies that are more technical matters than anything, leaving us with special effects, not ghosts caught on film.

[PPI Brian]

Here's a link to a YouTube video that American Paranormal Research Association allegedly captured aboard the Queen Mary a couple of years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3bY_PTHE6Y&feature=player_embedded

[Damian]

That's pretty cool evidence, but the frustrating thing about it is that there is no proof that it simply wasn't someone planted there.  Belief in that evidence is dependent upon your belief in the integrity and practices of the APRA.  And unfortunately skeptics won't simply take the word of an investigative group.  It's really unfortunate because a reputable group or individual could catch some VERY compelling evidence but still not be able to prove that it wasn't faked sufficiently enough to be considered proof positive of the paranormal.  Frustrating.

[Gary]

Wow, that is crazy!