One common report of paranormal involves a photograph with a face in a window or mirror.  While we can not discount all of these claims, we can explain some claims as not paranormal in nature. 

Most of the photos are taken in older homes with old windows.  To many, old homes are considered ripe for paranormal activity, so the first instinct is to claim any anomaly as being paranormal.  One must be careful in keeping an open mind and thinking about alternatives. 

Faces in windows can be easily recreated.  If you take a photograph and there is a face that appears in a window, try to duplicate that photo – don’t automatically assume it is paranormal.  Take more photos from the same position, location, weather conditions, etc.  If someone was with you, have them stand in the same spot and position.  Try to recreate that moment and see if it happens again.  If you can not recreate that image, it may just be paranormal.  But if you succeed in recreating that image over and over again, it could just be a simple explanation - reflection.

Glass in older windows has a unique property in that they are not as smooth as newer windows.  This unevenness reflects light differently than newer windows which may make a reflection appear in the window regardless of the position of the photographer to the window. 

The human mind has an amazing ability to matrix – that is, to complete a picture that is not there.  The “face on the moon” is a prime example with the crater shadows and tricks of light that allows some to see a face on the moon.  This is the same concept with all the reports of famous people’s images in toast or other common objects.

In a majority of these “faces in the window” images, this image is a reflection caused by outside objects or someone (living) outside of the window or even from the flash itself and our ability to matrix images.  One common trait in these photographs is that many of these pictures include a face or figure located on upper floors of a house.  The photographer is pointing the camera upward and can not see (from that perspective) that the reflections are coming from normal conditions.  Any object can cause a reflection and these photos can easily be duplicated.   

Another issue some people run into is when they try to take a picture through glass.  The glass will reflect the light and odd photos will result.  The resulting reflection will result as white blobs or streaks.  If you must shoot through a window, place the camera lens flush with the pane of glass.  The window will actually act as another lens and will reduce reflections.  Just make sure you have permission if the property belongs to someone else, or you’ll have a police officer looking for a Peeping Tom in the neighborhood.