Seeing Things: Ghostly photographs come back
Submitted by Javier Ortega on October 2, 2008 – 7:54 AM4 Comments | 1,067 views
Coming back for the second time, the “Seeing things” exhibit is being featured at the Drkrm Gallery.
You might remember the post GhostTheory did awhile back about this excellent exhibit. Click here to read it.
You might also remember the interview we did with John Matkowsky, owner of the home where the polaroids were taken.
The Drkrm gallery will display the original polaroids taken during the initial haunting as well as sell replicas of them. They are also documented in a perfectly assembled book, which you may purchase Here
seeing things: ghost polaroids
perfect bound / softcover book 5.5”x 8.5”
74 pgs full color
limited edition $50
If you are looking for an enlightening experience this Halloween, check out “Seeing Things” this month, we will definitely be there.
Written by Javier Ortega - javier@ghosttheory.com
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Well I was fascinated to see this on Biography Channel : My Ghost Story, but now I clearly see the hoax….
Watch carefully…when the new cartridge of film is taken out, the photographer awkwardly holds it against his lower stomach just before he tries to open the package in the normal way one would open the package. He tries to make it seem like one smooth normal move, but you can see that it is not.
Then he asks for a series of questions, stopping at a question he thinks his pre-chosen answer will apply to. The Latin answers are good too because they have to be translated and translation makes it easier to alter the meaning slightly to fit other questions.
And just to top off the idea that something under his shirt between his stomach and chest is over exposing the film he is asked to hold it against his chest (though he chooses closer to the area below his chest (where he pressed the film originally).
I feel the male camera operator may be in on it, as he gave the question and asked him to hold the pic to his chest. Not necessary to accomplish the trick though.
Magician Michael Weber re-created this effect under controlled conditions as well. I’d like to see that video, but I have not.
Ministersin,
I see what you are referring to.
Although to me, his actions (opening package) do seem normal.
Check out my other post on this subject; where I talk about this a bit more:
“…Michael Weber, one of the best close-up magicians in the world, claimed that he could duplicate the ghost-writing phenomenon. In a closed studio in the presence of Sightings host Tim White and a camera crew, Weber was able to produce a photo with the words “We are here” printed across the front. However, Weber was quick to point out that his ability to duplicate the ghost writing did not disprove that it could have been caused by supernatural forces. It only proved that the same phenomenon could be reproduced under similar conditions. Weber reviewed the videotapes shot inside the house and said he did not notice any of the trademark movements — called “tells” — that would have indicated that either Matkowsky or Huckert was a professional magician. ”
http://www.ghosttheory.com/true-hauntings/california/polaroids-of-the-dead-los-angeles-ca/
This is indeed a strange case. I wish more would be done to investigate this. Unfortunately, the owners of the home feel that when they reached out to contact the FOX show “Sightings” back in the early 90s, they ended up feeling used since FOX didn’t actually help them figure this out.
So now, they are reluctant on letting any investigation team in their house.
Javier;
Thank you so much for your response. I had actually read the other article in my initial investigation after seeing the TV show and that is where I got the Michael Weber information.
Does anyone know what episode of Sightings (episode number) in which this appears. I would be VERY interested to see more.
Coming from a magic background the writing just seems too clear cut to be real to me. It seems to me it would be more ethereal like the lights.
And coming from a photography background I assume the owner of the home could be resourceful enough to stumble upon a way to over-expose the Polaroid film. I’m not sure how this would be done (heat? magnetics?). I just do not have the knowledge to speculate on that.
I understand Weber’s statement. It is accurate that being able to do it is no proof that it was done by others in that way. But it does prove there is a way if someone wanted to do it, which I think throws a lot of doubt in.
In the other two videos in your blog it looks like the top one (the one seen above) was taken at one time, where I speculate the shirt held the gimmick.
The two bottom videos appear to be from the same event (and would be even more suspect if they are from different days). My feeling is the gimmick is in the base of the lamp. The photos are balanced on the edge of the lamp as they begin to expose. Or at least held against or near it for a little while before they expose.
It is clear that a Polaroid is not going to show anything at all until at least 20 or 30 seconds in, but even when it is all still gray, he insists on holding it under the light and close to the base.
A four sided base would also allow for up to four separate messages to be built into the hollow of the lamp base. This is my feeling as to why it works sometimes and why it does not others. If you don’t hold against the method of exposure long enough, it would not take.
Once again, that’s just my feeling because perhaps it just seems too real to me. I am a believer in many/most things supernatural. I believe we all have experiences we cannot understand or comprehend. I mostly believe that our eyes are too small to see what is really going on and our scientific nature of trying to explain what we have seen or experienced goes the way of religion, ghosts, aliens. All the things that seem foreign or beyond us.
I don’t believe these things are beyond our world, they are a part of our world. And my guess is that they are probably just as confused about our existence as we are of theirs.
I’m not sure we will ever be able to understand the true substance of the experience we call life. But when things like this are so clear cut it seems to me that both sides are communicating a little too easily for my understanding and experience with the supernatural.
Thanks again so much for taking the time to respond. I am fascinated by the entire affair. I would LOVE to see the exhibit, and I thank you so much for bringing additional information on this incredible story to my attention.
Ministersin,
Thanks for your comments. I think you might be onto something. This whole thing is hard to believe even though many have claimed to see it first hand. You make pretty good assumptions and I would love to be able to investigate this on a more personal level.
From what I remember, the home owners told me that the writing progressed from film to the digital camera. They told me that guests in the house would have the words show up on their digital pictures.
I did not see any of those pictures in the exhibit.
Thanks for your comments.