If you’re looking to capture eerie images with ghostly figures, then ghost photography is for you!  Photographers and hobbyists have been creating spirit photos since the mid-1800s, with their popularity increasing after the civil war. 

Many people believed that these photos captured the spirits of their dead relatives. Americans grieving the loss of a loved one paid a high price for the chance to be photographed and see if their dearly departed would show themselves in the photo. Flash forward a couple hundred years and ghost photography is still an in-demand and fun artform to master.

We’ll show you step-by-step how to capture photos that appear other-worldly without expensive equipment. But first, what exactly is ghost photography?

What is ghost photography?

Ghost photography, also known as spirit photography, is capturing photos with images of ghosts or spirits which can appear as human forms, orbs of light, auras (like kirlian photography), and using camera settings like low shutter speeds, wide aperture, and low ISO to create fun and spooky effects in-camera.

This genre of photography has been around for hundreds of years and that gives it a rich history. The most well-known spirit photographer and the man credited with the genre’s origin is William Mumler .His photos earned him fame across the country as he “captured” the ghost of Abraham Lincoln which was so believable that even his widow Mary Todd Lincoln came to William to be photographed.

The resulting image of Mary Todd with President Lincoln standing behind her is one of the most famous spirit photographs ever taken. So how did he do it? While his exact method has never been proven, the most likely method is a double exposure. 

Other famous ghost photographs include an 1800’s image that appears to have Henry VIII’s fifth wife Catherine Howard in it, The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall from 1936, the Spirit of the Terrier from 1939 showing a large dog’s faithful terrier friend that died hovering over it, and the Tulip Staircase Ghost from 1966.

With the popularity of horror movies and TV shows, people flock to filming locations and historic landmarks to recreate scenes and try to capture spirits. And why not? It’s a fun way to practice your photography skills while learning local and national history. So let's learn how to do ghost photography. 

How to create ghosts in photos.

You cannot guarantee a spirit will show up for a photoshoot, but you can create ghost photos with a bit of creativity and planning.  First is the right camera gear.  To do ghost photography you’ll need a:

• Camera capable of shooting in manual mode
• Lens that can also operate in manual mode
• Flash
• Sturdy tripod

Once you have your equipment ready, it’s time to have some fun! 

There are three main types of ghost photographs:

• Orbs and specks.
• Haunted buildings and landscapes.
• Ghostly apparitions of humans and animals.

Here’s how to capture each one, step by step.

Orbs and specks.

Lots of times the ghosts in photos appear as bright balls of light known as orbs or backscatters. These are mainly particles of dust that aren’t seen by the naked eye but reflect the light of the camera flash.

Here’s how you can create these fun ghostly images:.

1. Position your tripod where you want it and lock focus on the subject. Set up your exposure based on the conditions that you’re shooting in. Here are some basic settings to help you get started.
   1. Shutter speeds of 8 to 10 seconds
   2. ISO around 400
   3. Dim lighting works great, or shooting just past Golden Hour or Blue Hour if you’re outside
2. Take a few test shots to make sure that your photo is exposed and composed the way you want.
3. Just before shooting, walk around within the frame and try to kick up a little bit of dust, and bring your own if you will be somewhere without. Just make sure to clean it up after.  Let it settle for a few seconds in the air, then go to your tripod and take a shot with the flash on.
4. The flash should reflect on some of the particles still hanging in the air creating a photo similar to the one below.

Haunted buildings and architecture.

Historic buildings are prime places to stage spooky shoots, and there are LOTS of ways to dial up the ghostly vibes.

Start with the same settings as above, but consider adding your own elements to the scene, like out-of-place paintings or objects. Invite a friend to wander through the frame during exposure to capture their ghostly image. You can even bring additional light sources to add strange visual phenomena to your shot.

Another method is to use dry ice or anything that emits vapor to create a ghostly mist in your photo, like the one below. Position the dry ice by a window, on the roof, or somewhere where the wind can blow it across the area you’re photographing.

How to make ghostly apparitions.

For photos that appear to have a full-body apparition, you’ll use the same equipment as above minus the flash, and you’ll be shooting with long exposures.

1. Position your tripod where you want it and lock focus on the subject. 
2. Set up your exposure based on the conditions that you’re shooting in and take a few test shots to make sure that your photo is exposed and composed the way you want.
   1. Keep notes of how long you’re exposing the shots so you can recreate and know how to adjust settings if you need to return and reshoot.
3. Position your model and have them hold still at first.
4. Next have the model move out of the frame after a few seconds. some text
   1. A good rule of thumb is to have the model stay in the frame for ⅓ to ½ of the amount of time of the exposure. For example, if you’re exposing the shot for 10 seconds, the model would move after 3 to 5 seconds. The longer they’re in the frame, the more pronounced the figure will be.
5. Try repeating the same shot but have them move a second earlier or a couple seconds later.
6. Review each photo and decide which is creating the best effect, and what you can make work during processing.

Experiment with different exposure times and see what other effects you can create.

That’s it! Now you know how to create your own ghostly images and master the art of ghost photography. So if you’ve been stuck in a rut or just want to try something new, give ghost photography a shot.