Spirit Orbs

What Are Orbs?

Orbs are awe-inspiring, translucent balls of light that appear in a variety of sizes and colors. They usually look like three-dimensional spheres (or like circles in the two-dimensional form of a photograph), but they can appear in other shapes as well. On rare occasions, you can see them with the naked eye, but more commonly, they show up in photographs of the night sky.

Photographers have captured images of them outdoors and indoors, and in churches, schools, businesses, homes, construction sites, burial grounds, and other sites. Sometimes they are floating, sometimes moving slowly, and sometimes traveling at a high rate of speed. Videos of orbs are also common, which show anomalies in the light moving across the frame.

What Is the Purpose or Meaning of the Orbs?

Some people believe that orbs are celestial beings, divine spirits, ghosts, or guardian angels. Some people believe that we are orbs before take a human form, and that we return to orb form when we leave our physical bodies. Others believe that orbs are simple energetic manifestations of beings from other place in the time-space continuum, or “communication from the beyond.” For a more in-depth exploration of these and other possibilities, read the articles “Orbs 101–What Do Orbs in Your Pictures Mean?” and “Is this the proof that spirits DO exist?”

Some people believe the spirit orbs are dust, pollen, moisture, or even spots on the camera lens! Professor Klaus Heinemann, PhD, has done extensive research on the phenomenon that proves otherwise. You can read more about it in the books he co-authored with Miceal Ledwith, PhD: The Orb Project and Orbs: Their Mission and Messages of Hope. Mya Gleny is another author who has published her photos in book form in Orbs—The Gift of Light, along with a more personal and less clinical scientific account of how she began seeing the orbs.

People are fascinated by the shapes and colors and possible meanings. Seeing the orbs and the images of the orbs helps them begin to contemplate a different concept of what it means to “be.” Perhaps they’ve had an internal understanding that there are other types of energy in the universe, but no one has ever shown them what it looks like.

Many people are searching for meaning in their lives and looking for a shift in consciousness. I’m not pushing any particular dogma or religion; I’m simply showing folks something different by sharing the orb images with my spirit photography. Seeing the orbs—the energetic manifestations of celestial beings—just seems to make people feel better about their lives. It gives people a sense of peace and a feeling of not being alone.

What Do the Orb Colors Represent?

In terms of the colors of the orbs, there are many different interpretations. For example, some people feel that the dark red orbs represent anger, pain, and ego, while others believe that red spirit energy is a sign of protector or guardian energy. Because we don’t know exactly what the orbs are—or what they’re trying to tell us—it’s difficult to say. The colors might reflect the emotions of the spirit currently or when the person died. Click here and here to read two different interpretations of the orb colors.

What I have noticed is that different places where I take photos have different energy. In Brazil, the orb colors were more white, orange, brown, and yellow. In Italy, they were mostly white. In the desert, the colors blue, purple, white, and orange are represented more than others. It seems that the colors represent the individual spirits at a particular time and place.

How Did You Start Seeing the Orbs?

I was able to start capturing spirit orbs on camera after having the John of God experience in May 2014 in Abadiania, Brazil.

I’m a searcher and am always looking for things that resonate with me. My friend Jay, who is an energy healer, recommended that I travel to Brazil to see John of God to get my knee healed. (If you want more information about him, visit the official John of God site here, the site for the guided tours here, and the show that Oprah Winfrey created about the experience here.)

At the time, my left knee was so painful I could barely walk upstairs. I thought I was going to need surgery. In Brazil, I stood before John of God for no more than three seconds. He performed what’s known as a psychic surgery. Afterward, I meditated for five hours and then sat in solitude for 24 hours. The next day, the pain in my knee was gone. That was two years ago, and the pain hasn’t returned.

One night on this trip, my traveling companion and I were coming home from dinner, and all the lights in town went out. We couldn’t see two feet in front of us. She suggested that I should try to capture images of spirit orbs with my camera, as her daughter had done that on their last trip to Brazil.

“They show themselves to her in a way that’s different from anyone else on the planet. She can do it almost every single time she tries. It’s amazing what she gets.”
–Jay McKeral, energy healer

We got out our cameras, pointed at the sky, and started shooting. The images that showed up on my screen were amazing—so many balls of light and energy! I’ve been a photographer for 15 years and had never captured images like these. My friend said that it must be a gift from John of God, and that I should share that gift.

My experience with the orbs has made me go deeper into my relationship with Spirit. They have shown me that it is my path to help others, especially with the grief of losing a loved one. More and more, people I meet in my everyday life tell me that they have recently lost loved ones. They say that I help them feel better and look at a loved one’s passing in a different way.

What Kind of Camera Do You Use?

People always ask me if I use a special camera or any special settings on my camera for spirit photography. I use a Leica Vlux 4 digital camera on AUTO, and I always leave my flash on, as the orbs use the energy from the flash to appear.

How Can I Experience the Orbs?

Custom Orb Photo Shoot

Have your photo taken with the orbs and sit with the orb energy. You can schedule a session in your home, your office, a cemetery, a haunted house, or any location that is of spiritual significance to you. The photo session will be conducted outside after sunset. I will take several photographs featuring each individual participant, or two or more participants if you wish to be photographed together.

Sessions typically last between one and two hours. Photos will be delivered via email or a flash drive mailed to you. Travel to the site is the responsibility of the client.

To schedule a shoot, get in touch via email or phone at 831-239-6687.

Nearby locations where the orbs tend to show up most clearly and in the highest numbers include:

• Cathedral City
• Coachella Valley
• Desert Hot Springs
• Indio
• Joshua Tree
• Morongo Valley
• Palm Springs
• Pioneer Town
• Rancho Mirage
• Whitewater Nature Preserve 
• Yucca Valley

Orb Tour

Book an orb tour! Be with their energy and be photographed with the orbs. Sessions are scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 PM on Thursdays and take place during the art fair in the downtown Palm Springs area. The spirit orbs enjoy being with our energy and always show up when there is an event.

We'll meet at a beautiful condo in downtown Palm Springs with gorgeous mountain views. There, you will be able to see other orb art photos taken around the Coachella Valley. There will be a brief meditation and cleansing before you leave to see the orbs.

We walk or drive to different spots downtown where there is orb energy. To be sure they show up in the photos, I call them in to the area out loud and energetically. I take your photograph with the orbs and email you the one best image the day after. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather.

The fee is $80 and includes round-trip transportation in a private vehicle from the Palm Springs condo to downtown Palm Springs, plus one digital image of you with the orbs. 

At this time, we are limited to two people per tour. If you’d like to schedule a larger group and provide your own transportation, we can arrange that as well. Sessions are generally scheduled for two months in advance, so you have your choice of dates to choose from. If you have questions, get in touch via email or phone at 831-239-6687.

Photos will be delivered via email or a flash drive mailed to you. If you want other forms of the print from your session, you may choose your own photo sizes and media and purchase them on my Fine Art America site. For example, a greeting card is $4.95; and an 8 x 6 print is $92. You can buy pillows, duvet covers, totes, and many types of prints.