The Boot Hill Ghost

Here’s why I think this is a total fake:

1. The “ghost” in the photo is a child.

2. The “ghost” is not wearing a style of clothing that any occupant of the graveyard would have worn. He is wearing a fedora style hat. The fedora wasn’t even invented until 1910. However, with the exception of some guy who’s son had his ashes shipped there in 1953, the cemetary has no residents who were interred after 1888.

3. The gentleman with the gun seems to be pointing it in such a way as to draw attention to the child.

4. The staging of the photo is counter-intuitive. Why is there so much space on the right side of the photo? If the child was not there when the photo was taken, why was he taken into consideration when the photo was set up?

5. The photographer, Terry “Ike” Clanton, is a showboater and is trying to promote his little piece of Tombstone, Arizona. It sucks that he has no moral qualms about lying, but as a promoter he certainly has a good motive. Check out his website… BootHillGraveyard.com

5. The photographer speaks of shadow issues. Saying that the shadows on the figure in the back do not match the shadows on the figure in the forefront. They look pretty matched to me. Light coming from the subjects’ fore/right, leaving shadows on the rear/left of their faces.

6. The photographer claims that there was no one there when the picture was taken. I say that the man is lying.