There’s a wise old adage that tells you to believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see. Even though we might think that we see something, it might not be what it seems. The mind is funny like that. Those bright lights in the night sky that you saw probably weren’t UFOs and that large hairy animal that you saw in the woods likely wasn’t Bigfoot. That old adage is especially true when it comes to photography. Ever since we had the ability to capture images on film we have been finding new ways to manipulate these images. All you need to do is look at almost any fashion magazine and you’ll be presented with picture after picture that has been edited. Who knows what’s real anymore? Of course, it was more challenging in the years before everybody could get their hands on editing softwares like Photoshop.

Still, there are countless photographs that have been taken over the past 190 years that really capture our imaginations. Some of them have been proven to be fakes but there are countless other eerie photos that can’t be as easily dismissed. Ghosts, goblins, aliens, and other supernatural occurrences have been caught on camera and not even the most experienced experts can explain them. Check out these 15 seemingly innocent photos that accidentally captured something creepy. What do you think? Are they real or are they frauds?

15. Phantom by the Fire

If you’ve ever watched horror movies, then the one thing that you’ve learned is that psychopaths and spirits love to prey on campers. They must find something attractive with people that are seeking fresh air and a bit of peace. This couple posed for a picture by a blazing fire on their camping trip and they seem to be blissfully unaware of anything strange in their immediate vicinity. There are a couple of odd things in this shot. First off, the woman is wearing sunglasses when it is dark out. Secondly, there is what appears to be the ghost of a young girl right behind them. The specter is dressed in clothing from a long-passed era which could mean that she has been haunting campers for a long time. At least it’s not Jason Voorhees.

14. Don’t Turn Around

Here we have a typical picture of a couple of friends looking cool in a darkened room. They don’t seem to be worried about anything and why should they? They seem to be safe at home and in high spirits. It’s not until you take a gander at the spooky face that appears in the doorway behind them that we might feel a bit nervous for the two pals. It doesn’t look like a pesky younger brother or a parent asking them why they are up so late. No. That ghoulish face looks like pure evil and would scare the daylights out of anyone who noticed its presence. It might be small in stature but it’s hugely terrifying. The two friends were likely more than a little rattled when they finally spotted it in this picture.

13. I Spy

Horror movie fans know that campgrounds aren’t the only places that vengeful spirits like to roam. Asylums are also prime locations for supernatural events and eerie sightings. Many asylums and abandoned hospitals hold many dark secrets and this derelict building appears to be one of them. A photographer was snapping pictures of the building and somehow managed to capture the unsettling image of something staring out of an upper window. Does this ghostly entity have a terrifying tale to tell? It’s pretty certain that the photographer now does. Despite having plenty of daylight and a big opening for the sunlight to penetrate, the room from which this spook looks down is completely dark which makes its presence that much easier to notice. Perhaps that’s the point. It wants to be seen so it can tell its story.

12. Tough Guys

What’s with every 125-pound string bean of a teenage boy from the suburbs feeling the need to show off how gangsta they are? These two look as douche-cool as they come. They look fearless as one defiantly gives the middle finger to the camera while his friend makes his own goofy hand gesture. Yep, this will be a picture to be proud of in years to come. As tough as they look at this moment, it would have been an absolute riot to see how they reacted when they saw the spooky image that peered through the door on the left side of this photo. It’s a good thing that the closet door is open so they could quickly hide in there while they call out for their mothers. What the heck is that thing anyway?

11. Hallway of Horrors

Not to be confused with a sanitarium in which mental illness is treated, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium was opened in 1910 to treat patients who were suffering from tuberculosis. It was transformed into a nursing home in 1962 and operated as such until the building closed in 1982. There are a lot of local legends that surround this place. It’s been claimed that 100,000 people died here but that number seems to be highly exaggerated. It’s not a stretch to believe that there were quite a few deaths though. The photographer of this picture was likely trying to capture an image that illustrated how unsettling the long-abandoned hallways looked. The haunting ghost of the woman on the right side of the photo makes this vintage picture as eerie as it could possibly be.

10. The Dark Passenger

This photograph was taken in Ipswitch, England by Mabel Chinnery on March 22^nd, 1959. Mabel and her husband were visiting the grave site of Mabel’s mother who had been buried a week earlier. Mabel took a few photos and, as she returned to the vehicle, she used her one remaining shot to take a photo of her husband who was waiting in the car. It wasn’t until she had the photos developed that she noticed something very odd about the shot. Who or what is that in the back seat? You see, when Mabel took this picture her husband was alone. Mrs. Chinnery said that the mystery passenger was sitting where her mother always used to sit. Photography experts have scrutinized the photo for years but can’t seem to agree on its authenticity.

9. Malaysia Ghost

A crowd of people gathered on a riverside in Malaysia to watch rescue workers as they tried to save people that were trapped in the water in an overturned bus. Now, it’s bad enough to have to wade through waters that contain so many snakes, crocodiles, and other creepy things but it’s even worse when you now have to worry about coming across a gruesome goblin. If you look into the vine-covered area at the base of the hill to the left of the bus you will see a very disturbing sight. We can clearly see a hideous beast hiding away as it looks at the scene. Even more upsetting is the fact that the beast appears to be smiling at the tragedy. Maybe it was happy about the three deaths that resulted from the crash?

8. Birthday Party Crasher

Every child gets overcome with excitement when their birthdays roll around. This young girl is awkwardly smiling for the camera after chowing down on some delicious chocolate cake and a bowl of ice cream. It looks like she’s had a pretty good day full of happy moments but something about this picture tells us that her girlish glee might have turned into tremendous terror after seeing this picture. You can see that there is something strange coming through the doorway in the back left side of this photo. It almost looks like the Grim Reaper except it isn’t carrying a sickle. It could be a malevolent spirit that wants to spoil the party or it could be a harmless but scary looking entity that just wants to have some cake and ice cream. Make a wish!!

7. C’mon Honey. Smile.

Having a picture taken with your spouse is perfectly normal. Almost any married couple has posed together for a picture which they then placed on their bedside tables or set atop the fireplace. This has been going on since the introduction of photography. This picture doesn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary until you discover that the woman in the photo is actually dead. In fact, she had been dead for two days when this picture was taken. Ah yes. That would explain her vacant stare and less than professional makeup. Believe it or not, taking pictures with deceased loved ones was common practice back in the 1800s and early 1900s. There are loads of pictures similar to this one all over the internet. Thankfully, this trend is dead and buried.

6. Deep, Dark Secrets

Tina Watson was a 26-year-old American who was on her honeymoon in Australia back in 2003. She and her husband of 11 days, David Watson, decided to go scuba diving. Unfortunately, she never made it back to the surface. These scuba divers were photographed later on and the camera caught Tina’s lifeless body in the background. David Watson was initially charged with her murder. Authorities claimed that her new husband had drowned her by turning off her oxygen supply as they roamed the depths. The Australian courts convicted him of manslaughter and sentenced him to a prison term. After his prison stint ended, Australia deported him back to the States where he faced the same charges. The case was dismissed due to a lack of evidence and Watson was set free. Did he get away with murder?

5. Just Dropping in for a Visit

Moving into a new house is usually a very exciting experience. The Cooper family was quite pumped to have just moved into their new house in Texas, back in the 1950s. A few of the family member gathered around a table and posed for this picture. They are all smiles and focused on the camera as the picture is snapped. They definitely don’t seem to notice that a ghostly figure seems to be coming down from the ceiling. In fact, it wasn’t until the photograph was developed that they noticed the strange and previously unseen anomaly. It’s uncertain whether or not they remained in that house after they saw the scary presence. There are many explanations such as double exposure or some kind of photo trickery but nobody has been able to come up with a definitive answer.

4. The Solway Firth Spaceman

Jim Templeton was a photographer and local historian who was with his wife and daughter at Burgh Marsh near the Solway Coast in England on May 23, 1964. He snapped this picture of his 5-year-old daughter and the mystery of the Solway Firth Spaceman was born. As you can see, there is an entity in the background that looks amazingly like one would expect a spaceman to look like. Templeton swore that there was nobody behind his daughter when he took the picture and the photograph has stumped countless people over the years. The most widely accepted explanation of the mysterious figure is that it is actually Templeton’s wife with her back to the camera. While she was photographed in a blue dress on the same outing, the white appearance of the dress can be attributed to overexposure. Templeton simply didn’t notice her there.

3. Freddy Jackson’s Ghost

Freddy Jackson served in the R.A.F. during World War l as an air mechanic at the HMS Daedalus training facility. Freddy was tragically killed by an airplane propeller just two days before this picture was taken. He was buried on the day that this picture was taken yet he can be seen posing with his squadron in this photo. If you take a close look behind the guy who is fourth from the left in the top row you can see a face that Freddy’s crew members swear is that of the deceased mechanic. Many believe that Freddy simply didn’t realize that he was dead and buried and decided to show up for the scheduled photoshoot. The photo has intrigued a lot of people since it was first published in 1975 by Sir Victor Goddard who served with Jackson.

2. The Tulip Staircase

The Reverend Ralph Hardy was a retired clergyman who lived in White Rock, British Columbia. He was visiting the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England in 1966 when he was struck by the beauty of the Tulip Staircase that was located in the Queen’s House section of the museum. He pulled out his camera and took this picture. When he had his pictures developed he must have been quite baffled as to what he had captured on film. In this picture, what appears to be a ghost hangs off the railing of the Tulip Staircase. Like almost every other photograph on this list, there are questions about its authenticity but experts claim that this photo has not been tampered with. The area around this staircase is said to be haunted and several unexplained events have occurred there.

1. Girl in the Fire

Back in 1995, Wem Town Hall in Shropshire, England went up in flames and burned to the ground. As the inferno raged, a guy named Tony O’Rahilly was taking pictures. One such photograph that he snapped was this one which shows a girl calmly standing by an open door. She wasn’t panicked and she didn’t flee the building despite the intense heat and thick smoke that surrounded her. Many believe that she wasn’t fazed by the carnage because she is actually a ghost. Many further speculate that it is the ghost of Jane Churn who caused most of the town to burn when she accidentally set her house on fire way back in 1677. Local legend says that she has haunted the town ever since. There are experts that believe the picture has not been tampered with but, of course, there are those who believe it’s a hoax. What do you think?