When thinking of ghost pictures, we may think of the classics we have known since most of us were kids, like Lord Combermere’s Ghost or The Newby Church Monk.
However, there have also been some interesting pictures taken in the twentieth and twenty-first century as well, like the Brown Lady, the Amityville Ghost Boy or the ghost captured on film at Boot Hill Cemetery in Arizona.
One of the more remarkable examples of ghost photography from more modern times has been the case of the photograph taken by one Denise Russell.
Denise innocently took a photo of her grandmother at a picnic and eventually discovered that the picture also showed a figure that looked like her grandmother’s husband, who had passed away almost exactly twelve years ago from the day the photo at the picnic was taken.
Here Denise recounts the day the photo was taken:
“[My grandmother] lived on her own until age 94, when her mind started to weaken and had to be moved to an assisted living home for her own safety. At the end of the first week, there was a picnic for the residents and their families. My mother and sister attended. My sister took two pictures that day, and this is one of them.”
The photo has become one of the world’s best known ghost photographs, especially when compared to shots of the Denise’s grandfather while he was still alive. The resemblance between the two men is quite uncanny.
Many ghost photographs are taken by people who intend to capture a ghost or other paranormal phenomenon on film and the photos are discovered when the evidence of the investigation or ghost hunt is reviewed.
In the case of the ghostly grandfather, the photo was not noticed for about three and a half years after it was taken. Even Denise’s grandmother owned a copy of the photo.
The family finally noticed it’s paranormal connection on Christmas Day of 2000, the very same year Denise’s grandmother had passed away.
When Denise arrived at her sister’s house for holiday festivities, she was presented with the picture, as quoted on About.com:
“When I arrived at my parents’ house that Christmas day, my sister handed me the picture and said, “Who do you think this man behind Granny looks like?” It took a few seconds (it seemed longer) for it to sink in. I was absolutely speechless.”
Also of interest is Mrs. Russell pointing out that if indeed the figure behind her grandmother is real, it must be at least eight feet tall. She also noted the figure’s lack of a left leg in the photograph.
Denise also provided the two black and white photos of her grandfather while he was still living, leading to some assuming that this photo is one of the best evidence that ghost exist ever.
Or is it?
To this point, I can only find the same information about this photo repeated over and over again, which sadly is true for a few of the best known ghost photos.
If the story is real, it might make sense that there is so little information. The photo was released right at the dawn of the internet age, and the family may have wanted to keep their privacy. This is echoed possibly by the fat that besides the name of Denise and her husband Jim Russell, no other names, even first names are mentioned in connection with anyone else in this case.
The tallness of the figure could be caused by the angle the shot was taken from and the left leg could just be hidden behind grandma’s head. The sun also seems to be shining right above the apparently bald figure, making the image seem to ‘white out.’
Equally, this could also point to the story being a bit less reliable as well, but ultimately this is up for speculation till new information arises for either case.
As far as the story goes, I love the fact that it was taken as a quick portrait shot with no intention of capturing the paranormal but the public setting also means lots of people milling about including people who might look like someone else.
The timing is equally debatable, the fact that the ‘grandfather’ in the picture was not noticed until the Christmas after the grandmother’s death.
Add this to the fact that the picture was apparently taken almost twelve years to the day of the grandfather’s death, on the same day of the week, is another point that either adds to it’s reputation or diminishes it’s believability.
Is this an amazing Christmas ghost story of love extending beyond death or a hoax that found it’s way onto the non stop wild wild West that is the internet?
Another spooky image was found in the picture by friends and realatives of Denise. As you see below, Denise was feaked out by this further paranormal discovery in her family photo collection.
This leads to the conclusion that Denise at least has imagination as I would imagine this paranormal image is just an example of matrixing:
“A cousin who had heard about the picture, asked me to email it to his office so he and his co-workers could look at it. As they were looking at it, they called me and said, “Did you see the face in the bushes?” I said, “No.” They said, “Look above the red van. There is a face with kind of a shroud around it, looking at the man.” Then I saw it, threw the snapshot down on the table and hurried away from it, ’cause now I was really freaked.”
Before anyone thinks I am knocking Denise, her family or her story I am not, I am just looking at all possible angles. If anyone reading here has more information please leave a message in the comments below.
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