Orbs are called orbs because we have no evidence to prove they are flat since most photographs show them as near to round as possible with only slight distortion. If they are flat, to get perfect round shapes 99.9% of the time would be not only improbable but impossible.

If our orbs are flat, then getting ellipse shapes and straight lines or cigar shapes would be wide spread and common. One could possibly argue that sunflowers always face the sun so why couldn’t our ‘flat’ discs, hypothetically be attracted to the flash on our camera, or the infrared light, and turn to look at the source of light?

This is of course possible, but as yet we do not possess the necessary equipment to determine other than what we see. That being, until proven otherwise, the evidence indicates that they should be called spherical or Orbs. A more respectable title than Blobs

Such is the dilemma in the ‘Orb’ community. Much is claimed about what they are but without sane and substantial proof these claims are worthless

I can wax lyrical, and many do, about what they could be but no one can, at present, say what they are.

All we can do is describe and publish what we see; and see we do, these beautiful white, blue, pink green and violet concentric circles of light. The colour variance is also something we know nothing about.

The distance away from the camera and the size of the orb, is also difficult to determine and in the three years that we have been photographing them we have only ever shot one with a shadow across its surface from the flash bouncing off the branch of a Clematus Montanna 16 feet away from the camera lens.

This proved to us that the ‘Orb’ was behind the plant not in front of it. This photograph also proved that it could not possibly be dust showing up 16 feet away.

People such as John Hanson and Dawn Holloway see orbs without the need for a camera. Indeed Many people see orbs with the naked eye and point to them for others, as well as themselves, to photograph.

A series of photographs were taken in December 04 in the Kirkstone Inn by Paul France and Ellis Taylor. Ellis is an experiencer and psychic and runs oxfordtalks.com. Both he and one of the staff could see them with the naked eye.

Paul has photographed Dawn pointing to an orb above John’s head in Rendlesham Forest. An amazing achievement when you realise that it was at night with no street lights.

We have already conducted experiments in an attempt to determine for ourselves what these things are and we have photographed the following in an attempt to replicate the elusive ‘Orb’:

-Talcum powder,

- Water spray from a hose

-Dust caught in the shaft of light from a gap in the curtains on a sunny day.

None of these experiments have shown us multiple orbs or single ones for that matter.

I was asked the other day how I was doing with my Orb photography and they were surprised with my reply. I explained that I can always take a photograph of an orb or two outside. So for me, there is no skill factor and it is constantly repeatable. The novelty has worn off and I cannot see the point of taking more of the same with different backgrounds. It is frustrating when, in spite of considerable effort, I am no closer to knowing what they are

What does intrigue me are those that Brenda Butler and John Hanson are taking in Rendlesham of orbs with tales, looking like tadpoles. I have never taken a photograph of this kind but there is other phenomena in the forest which is worth investigating. Time phenomena and on a few occasions Brenda has photographed people who are behind her when she was pointing the camera forwards? Very strange stuff!

Unfortunately, with work commitments, we have been unable to get back to the Forest to see if this is something we can reproduce for ourselves. We certainly have not taken any photographs of this nature.

Of course there are people who say it’s a fault with digital cameras. If this were the case why is it that some people with the same camera do not, inspite of tenacious efforts, capture even one?

They have also been captured on film on a number of occasions proving that it is not just digital cameras. However, the main drawback with a film camera is that it does not give you the immediate opportunity to view what you have captured, thereby encouraging more photographs of the same.

I remember having film developed and finding three holidays worth of snaps on a 36 exposure film. Such was the speed of seeing what you had taken. No wonder orbs on film were and still remain rare.

The other drawback with film is the imperfections in the emulsion coating, which could be described as a fault. We do not have this problem with digital and it is not as common as the sceptics would have us believe of film either.

No matter what the proof or how much I show people proof there will always be some who claim it is trickery or technological faults or dust or something other than a genuine phenomenon.

I do not doubt that they can be produced artificially. It’s just that I have not yet been able to do this myself deliberately. In spite of considerable effort and strange looks from the neighbours as I throw talcum powder out of the window and take photographs at night seemingly of nothing more than the side of the house.

Remember there are people like James Randy and other magicians who take great delight in showing us their beliefs as being the only explanation for any phenomenon, and they are paid large sums to do this.

I spoke to a friend who had witnessed Uri Geller bend a metal spoon, which my friend provided, from the works canteen. He never let it go, had hold of it all the time and Uri only used one finger to touch the spoon. He was convinced that what he saw and felt was genuine.

He even tried to bend the spoon himself using both hands and could not get it to budge. However, these magicians would have us believe that it is mere trickery and nothing more.

I believe you can fraudulently reproduce the phenomena to look like the genuine article but in industry this is called counterfeiting not entertainment. I also feel that people who prefer to use character assassination in order to feel comfortable with the unknown are dishonourable individuals who spread nothing better than gossip born out of fear.

Therefore the Orb debate is still out there. I do not know what they are. I only know that those who are scared of the unknown take comfort in their belief that it is trickery and by so doing discredit those of us who genuinely attempt to get to the truth. Being a critic without the benefit of research is easy, anyone can do it.

My experience in Rendlesham Forest is varied.

On one side you have what once was a technological hive of activity in stark contrast with the silent mysterious forest on the other. Nature verses Technology.

Now though, 25 years later on, the base is mothballed and eerily quiet. No noisy jet engines screaming on take-off or landing. No whine of the big truck transmissions as they came and went about their business between RAF Bentwaters and Woodbridge airfields. No sound of voices shouted on the parade ground or the sound of heavily clad army issue boots marching under orders. But if you strain your senses you can almost hear the sounds of the past and get lost in this world for a moment until the present crowds in and the airstrip lights grow dim and dark. The silence is punctuated by the odd owl hooting and the sound of foxes looking for romance in its dark depths.

The airfield has a different feel when night closes its curtains on the place. A crisp cold night reveals a star studded inky black and all your senses are on red alert. I could feel my awareness expanding with curiosity and contracting in fear and then shutting down in order to recover from the sensation overload. Whilst walking you cross energy lines which are close together. So confusing is this constant assault, within four of five feet of each other, that you feel sick and nauseous with a spinning sensation. Imagine you are on a lift rapidly descending, that’s the horrible disorientation you experience whilst stationary. When moving it gets worse until you are forced to stop, shut down your sensing mode and recover.

It took me half an hour the first time to return to normal and an hour the next.

I have never found so many ley lines so close together before. Normally you only find one at a time unless they cross but this gives you time to recover as you find it easy to determine the width and the direction of flow. In Rendlesham you do not get the opportunity. There is always a residual effect which slowly dims after you have crossed a line but this does not happen in Rendlesham, Each time you cross one the sensation builds towards the middle and diminishes towards the far side until you are on clear ground. It takes a few moments to return to normal but in some areas in Rendlesham you do not get the chance to clear your senses. The only other way to describe the sensation is to liken it to leaving a noisy night club and stepping out into the silence, your hearing takes a while to adjust.

Some areas of the forest feel more comfortable to be in than others. This is because I felt as though I was being watched. However, with people taking flash photography every couple of minutes you get blinded by the light and it takes a couple of minutes for your vision to return to normal.

So staying close enough to the others to feel safe but far enough away to avoid the constant flashing from the digital orb hunters, was a difficult balancing act.

In total darkness you want to avoid being blinded by strong light repeatedly catching you out as you see nothing but bright blobs, as after images on your retina, and I was desperately trying to spot orbs with my own eyes but failed miserably

It is difficult to avoid this problem due to the darkness. Even with a torch, so you can pick out other people, you often zap a few with your flash because you just cannot see them or they you.

There are also strange mists that you can see with your own eyes but looking strait at it causes it to disappear almost in your blind spot as happens when you look directly at feint stars. It helps to know that others saw this at the same time as I did but it was quite away up the track.

Paul, Dawn, Brenda and others heard growling near by but I didn’t hear a thing even though I was only about 12 feet away. This happened twice but I heard nothing. My assumption here is that we all came away with different experiences.

The forest is definitely not the place to go alone at night. Taking photographs and seeing what you take immediately afterwards really spooks you out. One minute there is nothing in front of you and the next there is towering mist and you sense it as cold and icy. We have one photograph of John Hanson with a shadow made up of mist standing behind him with what looks like a hand on the back of his shoulder. It looks just like the shadow of a person.

Other people experienced their batteries going flat within feet of others who had no problem at all. This indicates that where you stand makes a difference. Your mobile phone goes flat along with torch and camera battery.

(Do not go into the forest alone). Being stranded in a pitch black forest without a phone or torch is dangerous and unnerving for obvious reasons.

Brenda has experienced what seems like time distortions involving Mason her white Alsatian. He can be both beside her and running towards her at the same time. I would love to know what it is that he senses.

Brenda told us of a (Big foot) type creature that had been observed in the forest on other occasions and that this presence is often accompanied by an awful smell. She described it as being like a real bad case BO she had ever smelt in her life.

It lingers in the woods for as long as the sightings continue. When the smell goes so do the sightings.

The forest is full of surprises and it seems that whenever you go down there it is different from your last visit according to the people you meet.

Sometimes you get nothing at all.

Either way it is an interesting place which has a pattern about it and is similar to other places in the world.

‘Could there be information hidden within the Orb?’

If you have photographed Orbs have a good look at them, they may have secrets within their circles of light.

Take up the discussion on our Forums site: http://www.ufo-uk-forums.co.uk/

Dennette France is married to Professional Photographer Paul France. Paul believes the phenomena is real.

Orbs slide show on www.paulfrance.co.uk

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