Friday, September 5, 2008

Orbs . . . ?

Boxing Day 2007

Did you see the wonderful sunset yesterday evening? The sunset that followed all the rain - rather like a rainbow!

What makes this photo so interesting is not the sunset, it's the faint, white circles that you can see etched out against the sky.

Can you see them? They're known as 'orbs', and I've recently come across a book on this fascinating subject. Apparently they’re appearing on any number of digital photos. This is the first time I've recorded one - even more remarkable to think that it happened on Christmas Day. Orbs are nothing to do with the camera, and everything to do with . . . but, no, that can wait until my next letter!

Ten days later

This isn’t urgent, so please put it to one side until you have the time. It's something I'd appreciate you reading slowly and thoughtfully as I'd like to know your feelings.

Let's start with the photo of the orb on the crib. I must have taken at least thirty photos since that one of the sunset on Christmas Day, and there hasn't been the slightest hint of an orb on any of them. Photos of friends, photos of my cousins, more sunsets, pictures of Rupert . . . and not a single orb. Until this morning . . .

As you know, I was going with a friend to Farm Street for the Epiphany service. I love going to Farm Street. It is such a beautiful church. I love the singing, the incense, the challenge of following the Latin text, the lighting of a candle afterwards and remembering those who are dear to me. I love it all. All right, perhaps I'm not wholly in agreement with the Creed or some of the testaments of belief, but the sense of worship is tangible . . . you can almost reach out and touch the angels at Farm Street.

So when I left home this morning I popped my camera in my handbag. The thought did cross my mind that if the orbs had needed a sunset on Christmas Day to put in an appearance, then surely Epiphany at Farm Street would get them going? I took six photos. When I examined them on the computer I found that three had orbs, three had not. And the orbs weren't on a sequence of photos, they were dotted randomly. You've seen the one by the crib, in another an orb was hovering over the altar, in the third there were three orbs dancing over the choir balcony. On the others - better compositions, photographically speaking, than the ones with the orbs - there isn't an orb in sight.

Yes, I know. I don't understand it either. All I do know is that the photographs I've taken of orbs have been on occasions when you could feel the angels in the air. More than that is pure speculation.

Please let me know what you think of my very surprising Epiphany at Farm Street.

(To see London's Orbs click here)