This from the person that sent it in:
I enclose this photograph that i took with a canon digital camera in Rue des templers ,grimaud, France. You will notice that i took this picture in black and white, i have not altered the image whatsoever. There is a picture of my wife in the foreground and people coming up some steps in this narrow street in the background. In between them there is the shadow of what i describe as something similar to a WW2 soldier, in that it appears almost a sillohette of one. Upon noticing this image i returned to the street and again took a picture of the same location and generally hoping i could otherwise establish what i had taken. However upon returning there was nothing never that was untoward and to this day still have not unravelled the mystery!
Update: Clip about this photo here.
What do you think? Comment and vote now!
Ghostly photographs from Hauntings 
March 11, 2009 at 1:36 am |
This one is creepy. But it looks like the older woman walking up the hill is looking at him.
June 25, 2010 at 12:04 pm |
is a kid with hat on backwards in the shade of building
March 11, 2009 at 4:49 am |
I don’t think the older woman walking up the hill is looking at the “ghost”. It’s clearly seen she is looking somewhere in front of the area of the “ghost”. The play of shadow and light should be taken into consideration. The girl in the front of the picture is in light, the people in the background are as well, so may the character called “ghost” be there in shadе? I noticed the singboard to the left of it. And the very signboard is approximately on the same line as the “ghost” and is also in shade, so the “ghost” may be simply the character in an odd dress, coat or so, and the top may appear just the woman’s hat of 50s or so.
March 11, 2009 at 7:42 am |
I agree, it looks like the woman is looking at it, whatever it is.
My guess would be that it is the reverse side of a novelty blackboard, used by cafe’s and other shops to advertise specials or events, you get loads of these sorts of advertisind boards dotted around european villages/towns. what we are seeing in the picture is the reverse side of the board, therefore it looks like a silhouette. I would also say it looks more like a serving maids type hat than an army helmet.
I could be wrong of course but that would be my explanation.
April 1, 2009 at 12:33 pm |
um, I visit this village every summer and am pretty certain it is the reverse side of a novelty blackboard as there was a butchers around that part of the village and they often had a “butcher” shaped blackboard with deals of the day on it. There is also a restaurant on that corner which often has a blackboard out side.
Sorry for raining on the ghost parade!
March 11, 2009 at 9:16 am |
I think the “ghost” just came out of that doorway on the right and simply wasn’t noticed when the photo was taken.
March 11, 2009 at 12:14 pm |
It’s hard to say really. I agree with those who commented that the older lady in the background appears to be looking directly at the sillouette. One thing that caught my attention is that the mysterious shadow is more centrally located in the shot than the photographers wife, who he claims was the intended subject, although I guess if he was photographing in b/w, he was probably going for an arty effect or something. I just felt it was a point worth mentioning. Has the photographer attempted to lighten the photograph to see if there is any more detail in the black form?
March 11, 2009 at 12:54 pm |
I agree with the ‘old style hat’ theory, lots of women are rewearing all the old style hats, fashion eh? its like a blast from the past… kindve like a ghost!
March 11, 2009 at 1:04 pm |
Personally it looks to me like the back of a menu board! the woman walking up the alley is looking at it because she cant decide what to eat for lunch.. 🙂
March 11, 2009 at 1:07 pm |
This looks like a poor photoshop job. Notice the grain of the picture (probabily had a high ISO and deleted the color information for the shot. Canon Digital shoots color images, there is no way to make it shoot just B+W, so he did that as an effect later. If this was real he’d provide the color, i’m willing to bet that in B+W it looks more “convincing”.
Look at the blacks in the photo. The whole thing is kind of muddled and even the darkest parts are still kind of gray. Now the “ghost” is pure black, and there is no grain on the shadow. If you look at “genuine” ghost photos the “ghost” doesn’t change the physical makeup for the film or CCD sensor (for digital cameras), they just appear.
Maybe there was a person or cardboard cutout in the frame and the photographer darkened it or simply superimposed it.If you look at the top of the shadow you can see some of the wall through the shadow. I bet that was the artists attempt to make it a bit translucent.
(Disclosure, I have a degree in photography and have spent countless hours assembling images both through chemical photography and in Photoshop)
March 11, 2009 at 10:16 pm |
Then you should be ahsamed of yourself mate. The grain and tonal qualities of the “figure” match that of other darker tones, (ie; the foreground wall to the right), the image shares the photographic grain AND isn’t indicative of any messy Photoshop super imposition, either clone or cut out. As for Canon digital cameras, here again, you should go back to University mate!
“The Canon A640 offers various modes including, auto, shutter and aperture priority AE, manual, portrait, landscape and night together with special scene modes where selections have been preset to suit the situation. These include snow and beach, fireworks, kids and pets, indoor, foliage and underwater. Manual mode allows plenty of scope for your own creativity. My Colors offers photo effect choices such as vivid, neutral, sepia, black and white, skin tones and custom. “
March 11, 2009 at 10:17 pm
I too agree that it’s either a menu cut out display, or an old woman wearing a hat.
March 31, 2009 at 5:29 am |
Canon Digital shoots color images, there is no way to make it “shoot just B+W, so he did that as an effect later.”
—> What? I’m no great shakes at photography. But even I know that you can get plenty of effects like just b&w, sepia, etc. as what Spillage pointed out. Interesting what other people’s supposed credentials are but the info they give is just plain wrong.
March 11, 2009 at 1:44 pm |
I don’t think it’s been altered deliberately or even tried to be a fake. I think it’s a complete accident, I am certain that it is a very close relation to one of these…
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2851230385_290258aff3.jpg?v=0
when they’ve gone back to check, obviously the cafe has been closed so the board has not been outside, convincing the photographer that he has captured more than he bargained for on film.
It’s as much a ghost as any of the other pics on this site.
I’m no sceptic either.
March 11, 2009 at 3:06 pm |
obivously its just a 1″ thick cut out…an advertising board…probably has a menu on the other side….
March 11, 2009 at 5:54 pm |
That was exactly my thought before I read these comments. Perhaps they now advertise something different which is why the cutout isn’t there any more.
March 11, 2009 at 3:26 pm |
Or it is a blatant fake or something like Andres described.
March 11, 2009 at 4:01 pm |
Edited with photoshop or any other program…
March 11, 2009 at 4:04 pm |
I fail to see anything even remotely paranormal about this one. If its a photo forgery its not a very good one as it does not create anything ghostly about the image that has been placed in the picture.
The figure is there in the street, there is a slight ammount of grain at the top of the back, and as for a hat, once blown up it appears to be hair.
Personally I wouldn’t have looked at it twice.
March 11, 2009 at 6:41 pm |
March 12, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I fail to see the relevence of this youtube link? It throws no new light onto it whatsover.
March 14, 2009 at 8:22 am
That YT video shows that it’s a woman in a dark gray or black coat.
March 11, 2009 at 4:20 pm |
I would say this is totally fake (and I think it is totally fake) had I not seen completely blacked out crap like that in my house ever so often – blacker then black – and so I know this – whatever it is BLACKNESS it does exists – This however looks fake because its day time and the black is to sharp around the edges. But I have seen something similar to this many times in real life – honestly I don’t car if its paranormal, its just weird.
March 11, 2009 at 4:39 pm |
so you think its fake then?
March 11, 2009 at 4:55 pm |
I’ve had a good look at this and one thing does stand out.
Everything in this picture has soft tetures and appears very grainy with the shadows grey instead of black. However, when you look at the dark figure it has a very sharp edge and solid black, not in harmony with everything else. In most pictures of “ghosts” they usually appear transluscent with the background showing through the image but this one is solid.
On the item of the “hat”. If you look at the shop, behind and to the right of the dark figure, look to the end of the wall, before the sign for “Cafe Paissier…” and there is a curved pipe or some such object sticking out and slightly curved. The same kind of “pipe” is just behind our friends head to its left, giving the impression of a hat.
Looking at the shoulders they look very Vertical giving rise to the question is this an advertising board, in the shape of a person and the vertical shoulders is the notice board that the person would be holding with the “menu” written on it?
Sorry, not convinced that this is a ghost but at first glance one to make you think 🙂
March 11, 2009 at 5:46 pm |
Thanks so much for your replies! I wish i could say that this was a fake photo. I cant though and have tried to be as honest to the eye as i can. I did put a posting of this on you tube and highlighted the shadow figure using different shades of brightness to show how transparrent it is.
This was taken originally as a black and white photo. I took this on a canon ixus 430 camera which contrary to Photoboys comments does have functionality to take black and white as well as sepia etc.
I hope you can believe me when i say i have not imposed this etc, like you i have been through all these motions your describing now. I was with family at the time this photo was taken, they are my only witnesses as to its authenticity.
I am a regular visitor to France in particular have visited that street mant times since. My wife even went into the shop where the figure was and asked in broken french whether there were ghosts in the street!
I take on board that it could be a menu board but i fail to see how this is so dark when everything foreground and background is light.
thanks!
March 11, 2009 at 10:21 pm |
Photoboy’s photography degree is more fake! HAHA! I go with an advertisement board, or an old woman in a hat.
March 11, 2009 at 6:37 pm |
Not sure if it is fake or not, but your wife is smokin hot
March 11, 2009 at 6:40 pm |
THANKS! Yeah she’s fake, i photshopped her with the lady going up the steps! LOL!!
March 11, 2009 at 8:19 pm |
now this is what i call a fake picture.
March 11, 2009 at 8:22 pm |
I´m sorry, but I can´t even see what he is talking about!!!
March 11, 2009 at 8:56 pm |
It looks like the phantom flan flinger from Tiswas
March 11, 2009 at 11:11 pm |
Gotta go with Mark on this one defo a menu or sign board
March 12, 2009 at 5:17 am |
This chap sounds genuine so I don’t think it is any kind of fake. And a man with such a gorgeous wife should have better things to do that p!ss around with Photoshop making up ghost stores Alf has hit on something I think – look at the ‘brim’ of the hat. The RH side is a mark on the wall, and the LH side appears to be the end of a pipe or light fitting fixed to the wall: note a second fitting on the corner.
Posting another picture of the scene would confirm or deny this.
Once you think about that and stare at the image, you perceive just a guy’s head: the ‘hat’ disappears. A classic illusion. There is an outline of epaulettes on the figure’s shoulders, so I’m with the menu board school of thought.
The light appears to come from the right of the photo, so that side is in greater shadow. Assuming blackboard paint on both sides, the extreme underexposure of the figure is explained. As Mark said, the woman ascending the steps may be deciding what to have for lunch!
Note the castle sign hanging on the opposite wall. This shows a similar optical effect, although, being on the sunny side of the street, is less underexposed. But a ghostly castle shape hanging in the air does not attract comment.
This picture will make the street famous. The first thing I would do were I the owner of the café and signboard is to get rid of that sign pronto then deny it ever existed. Coffee anyone?
March 12, 2009 at 10:14 am |
this one is creepy
March 12, 2009 at 12:20 pm |
DEBUNKED!
You mentioned on your video the street is Rue des Templiers.
A quick image search and you’ll find some tourist photographs of the same street.
Look at this one, taken a bit futher back. If you zoom, you can still see the top of a black shape – http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/3935014.jpg
Now, take a look at this next image. Look at the large version.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21448818@N06/3076253781/sizes/l/
You can clearly see a detailed sign in the same shape. Perhaps the establishment turned it the other way around, which is why its not black.
Not a ghost.
March 15, 2009 at 4:14 pm |
Dear Mute
Thank you for taking the time to look into this matter for me. It is so pleasing that this photo has caused so much interest! Whilst i acknowledge what you say, i still am sceptic as whilst the board that you refer to in question does disprove this black image i am still not so convinced as to the shape matching that of mine.
Your first image showns no such image o f ablack shape as i have zoomed into photoshop. Are you getting confused with that of a door entrance?
The second image yes shows the menu board, BUT look at it its not even the same shape!
Moving on however i had to look up the phrase of the word you have so kindly used in captials “DE BUNKED”. Can you catagorically say that this menu board is this? unless you have concrete evidence to debunk this, Like Photoboy you merely bring derogotary opinion into the equation, which i hasten to add he appears dissillusioned by the mere fact that i cant take a black and white digital photo on a camera because it doesnt have the appropriate settings! doh.
This is an opportunity to show interesting images of photgraphs that Prof Wiseman has asked for and to this end i will copy an extract of DEBUNKED for others who arent in the know:
Debunking
Here is the definition of the word -“Debunk”:
de•bunk
–verb (used with object) to expose or excoriate (a claim, assertion, sentiment, etc.) as being pretentious, false, or exaggerated: to debunk advertising slogans.
It goes on as an extract from my research “GHOST-PA doesn’t “debunk” claims of paranormal activity. To debunk someone’s experience means you are ridiculing them. Why would we want to ridicule someone who has asked for our help? We do try to find rational, logical explanations for reported experiences. We just don’t say we “debunk” them, because honestly, that’s not very polite or professional.
So why do so many paranormal investigators say they “debunk” claims of activity? Again, it’s simply people repeating what they hear or see without knowing what the word really means. They hear someone say it on TV, so they repeat it. My advise to other investigation groups – before you jump on the bandwagon, know what song is playing.
March 15, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Calm down mate.
I’d be mad too if I’d proudly shown my friends and family a photograph of a ghost which is actually a shop sign board!
On the first image you can see the tip of a black object just above the brow of the hill.
Even if the signboard is the wrong shape, which I must say cannot be proven from such a distance in that particular photograph, it still proves that a signboard stands there. Perhaps the photo I have found is more recent than the one you took and the signboard has been replaced.
Are you telling me that it’s a coincidence that a signboard stands there in that photograph?
As far as ‘concrete evidence’ goes, this is enough for me and it seems many others on here agree.
Your very longwinded attempt at explaining my use of the word ‘debunked’ is your only defence against my very strong critique of your photograph.
If you didn’t want your photo scrutinised, you shouldn’t have posted it in the first place. Your post completely reeks of sour grapes.
March 12, 2009 at 1:09 pm |
As the evidence proves…
March 15, 2009 at 4:15 pm |
see above….what evidence!
March 12, 2009 at 4:08 pm |
Sam is coming through to me now very strong…..he says….come on sam say it louder…..aaaah…..i see, i see….Sam says if theres soup of the day on that menu he will have that.
March 12, 2009 at 4:26 pm |
Well done Mute, great work! I looked for a picture but couldn’t find anything.
March 13, 2009 at 1:34 pm |
Thank you Mute, I also searched (very badly obviously!) for pictures like the ones you have found, brilliant work.
now, is it really his wife!?
(only kidding)
March 13, 2009 at 3:28 pm |
Good catch Mute.
March 15, 2009 at 4:15 pm |
DISAGREE. See above
March 14, 2009 at 5:56 pm |
Just a little old lady in the shade but his wife is welcome to ask me anything in broken french.
March 15, 2009 at 4:15 pm |
Yeah that ones getting a bit tired now..
March 16, 2009 at 1:56 am |
pwn
March 19, 2009 at 11:26 am |
I see ‘sharp’ pixels…which shows an attempt to make the picture lighter.
The angle of the old lady, who they say is looking at the form does not match. she is looking higher and further back from the spirit. almost at that window/sign.
Its hard to say as the target is so dence…and I never debunk unless its 1000% obvious
I know about shadow spirits but this one is almost like a void space…. disturbing.
March 20, 2009 at 2:05 pm |
Com certeza é um fantasma ,, é impossivel ,,uma pessoa toda de preto e sem nenhum clima de ser um ser humano ,,,thank you
March 20, 2009 at 2:07 pm |
Congratulations ,,,site administration,,very good ,,
March 20, 2009 at 5:17 pm |
Looks like a cut-paste job… maybe someone took a picture of darth vader and put into it
March 20, 2009 at 8:07 pm |
??????????
March 27, 2009 at 5:50 pm |
it’s gust a person in balk
March 28, 2009 at 5:53 pm |
The only mystery here is why u submitted this photo!
March 28, 2009 at 10:49 pm |
Umm…honestly, where’s the ghost? lol. XD
I mean, I might be missing something here, but why is there even a discussion about this picture?
I don’t mean to offend anyone, but I just don’t see it.
As far as I can tell, you all mean the person dressed in black, on the right hand side of the picture, right? Well, to me that’s just what it is.
How does this look like a ghost to anyone? There is nothing out of the ordinary about this picure, just a lady/man walking down the street.
March 29, 2009 at 2:37 pm |
Just a menu board.
March 30, 2009 at 9:05 pm |
Unless WWII soldiers were issued with floppy-brimmed hats…
April 1, 2009 at 12:49 pm |
I’ve replied specifically to the first person I saw who said it was a blackboard menu but thought I’d leave a general response also.
I visit this village every summer. On the left of that corner there used to be a butchers and there is a restaurant on the other side. The shop that you can see partially used to be a bakers but now sells more ice cream and drinks and sweets type of thing. I imagin the couple were walking up toward the Castle at this point.
I am pretty certain that this is a blackboard menu in the shape a a chef belonging to a restaurant. The sign on the left higher up is outside a restaurant so I think it is probably just a menu.
April 1, 2009 at 1:01 pm |
Or it could also be the butchers, there was a large “butcher” shaped board outside most days (not sunday because they close then). Along that road there is an art gallery I believe so it might be something to do with them. At the end of that road (behind the photographer) you can go one way to a church and war memorial. Or the other towards the Castle.
The area has a strong link to WW2 being in occupied France and the war memorial is a focal point by the church. With the medieval origins of the village and this WW2 link it is likely that the idea of ghosts was floating around and made the photographer focus on the unexplained figure.
Hope it helps!
April 1, 2009 at 2:03 pm |
That looks nothing like a WW2 soldier… Sorry to say you most likely got the back silhouette of a living, breathing person.
May 25, 2009 at 4:11 am |
It’s just a shop’s advertising sign.
September 18, 2009 at 1:42 pm |
The woman in the background coming up the steps seems to be looking straight at the figure
October 16, 2010 at 8:43 pm |
i think it’s some kind og a pizza sign, we se the backside of the sign
September 27, 2011 at 3:01 am |
colposcopy biopsy…
[…]Street Ghost « Ghostly photographs from Hauntings[…]…
December 4, 2011 at 12:39 pm |
are you serious? it’s just a person -.-
May 15, 2012 at 1:31 pm |
The women at the front of the photo would get it.
January 18, 2013 at 12:04 pm |
Man, your wife is HOT !!!