There has been a lot of new “ghost” photographs coming out this year. And I think it’s only going to get worse.

I don’t know if it’s because some people really are desperate to land the next big paranormal reality show, or that maybe ghosts aren’t camera shy anymore. Now, with this new “ghost picture” that is being passed around the internet as the ‘Ghost of Gwrych Castle’, I’m going to be the bearer of bad news, the “wet blanket” or the “rain on someone’s parade” if you will.

Let’s look at the photographs first.

Here we have the original image that shows the “ghostly” young woman peering out the castle’s window.

Now with a zoomed in image we can appreciate the picture in detail. It’s obviously not some light trick or pereidolia effect. This picture is very clear in showing this so-called “ghost” girl. Now this could easily be a misunderstanding. The photographer could have unwillingly photographed the window while a tourist or a staff member was peeking out. That seems like the most logical explanation for this. I doubt that someone might have done this as a hoax. No one would want to trick a “reputable” newspaper just to have their “ghost photograph” printed. That is unless they had an ulterior motive.

From The Sun:

A PALE young woman appears at the window of a ruined castle – in a photo said to show a GHOST.

The spooky snap was taken at a building hailed as one of Britain’s most haunted.
And the shadowy girl appears to be on the first floor, in what used to be a magnificent banquet hall.

The floor in that room crumbled away years ago, meaning there is nothing for a person to stand on.

Company boss Kevin Horkin took the photo at Gwrych Castle in Abergele, North Wales, but only saw the ghostly figure when he downloaded his pictures later.

Kevin, 48, said: “I did feel a presence there. It was a cold day when I visited, but it seemed warm near the building.

“There seems to be a sense of tragedy there.”

Kevin Horkin

Kevin, believes the figure is someone who once lived at the castle. He plans to investigate further with a ghost-hunting team.

The North Wales Paranormal Research Group says many sightings have already been recorded at Gwrych.

The castle, built in 1819, has been derelict since 1985.

Who is “Company boss Kevin Horkin” ?

A quick Google search brings up Kevin Horkin’s website. I don’t really know if this is the same Kevin Horkin, but he looks a lot like the one on The Sun’s picture and lives near the area. Apparently Mr. Horkin is a successful business owner from the UK. He owns a and manages an eyeglass company called ‘Spex Opticians’. When asked in an interview about his talents, Mr. Horkin answered:

I’ve been an actor, a reporter, a newspaper columnist. I’ve created and hosted TV shows, worked as an advisor on numerous films, created a national charity and published two books. I’ve used my interest in animals to source any number of strange creatures for TV and the film industry

hmmm……”I’ve created and hosted TV shows“…..

Could it be that maybe this “ghost photograph” capture by Mr. Horkin in one of ‘Britain’s most haunted building’ could be just a hoax created to land a paranormal reality show? Naw…I doubt it. But wait…let’s read Horkin’s other quote from his website:

I set out to make a fortune in cut-price spectacles,
but along the way I discovered something far more exciting….
…the allure of TV, film and the media was irresistable

Could it be a mistake? sure. Maybe Mr. Horkin was visiting the castle and taking pictures of the outside facade. Unknowingly he photographed some unsuspecting young woman looking out the window and without giving it much thought, he assumed it was a ghost and submitted it to the ghost photo hungry newspaper, The Sun. That’s what I really think happened.

Could it be a hoax? sure. It’s also a possibility that Mr. Horkin, with a knack for producing and hosting television shows, could have staged this photo in order to land a deal with a big network for another ghost hunting type of show.

My guess would be that this was all just an honest mistake and that it was blown out of proportion by The Sun like many other ghost photos they’ve received. The photograph to me is one of two things:

1. An unsuspecting woman seen as a ghost
2. A ghost

Given that over the centuries no one has really captured a clear image of a ghost, or at least proven it to be real, I will go with guess number one.

What do you guys think of this?