General Tips For Investigating
Check out the area in daylight so you are familiar with the area. Look for dangerous places and obstacles that you will not be able to see in the dark.
Look for no trespassing signs. Make sure you are not trespassing. If you are on private property you are risking getting a ticket or arrested in some areas. You can get permission from many owners and or caretakers. We will often notify the local Police that we will be in a grave yard "taking pictures" so they are aware of our presence. If you are asked to leave do so immediately, you will not win this argument and you make other investigators look bad if you make a scene.
Make sure you bring you ID. (drivers license, etc.) so if you are questioned by the police you can prove who you are.
Never go alone. This is just common sense. If you get hurt, who will get help?
The best times are from 9pm to 6am, these are the psychic hours,with the DEAD time being netween 2 a.m & 4 a.m, but anytime can produce results. Photos have historically been better in the dark but don't let that discourage you from taking them during the day.
Find out all you can about the history of the locale. Newspapers, town historians, WWW and books can be helpful finding folklore or hard facts about the site.
Beginning An Investigation
Always obey the local laws. Venturing into a cemetery after dark, trespassing on private property and taking photos when not authorized will only serve to get you and your team into trouble. Best to get permissions ahead of time.
ALWAYS search the history of the site before beginning an investigation. Search the local Land and Trust offices, local library and area newspaper morgues for information or history on the site.
Never go to an investigation site under the influence. This can impair judgment and discredit your findings.
Never go to the site alone. This point has a two-fold effect.
First, corroborating your findings with another is always a good idea.
Second, no investigator should go into the field alone. Often, haunted areas can be dangerous due to age, decay or abandonment. ALWAYS let another know where you will be and what time you will return. Always be prepared.
Set aside a backpack (hands-free shoulder straps) to hold your equipment and record keeping instruments. Not every investigation attempt is going to succeed in photos or findings. Try again, perhaps at another phase in the moon, different weather patterns, time of day, etc.
