Orbs: how can one tell the difference?

The problem with the phenomenon known as Orbs is that there can be several explanations for a false Orb. Before I continue, let me assure you that I welcome people sending me their photos at: a r oo lu-d e a dco n v e rsa t i on s@yahoo.ca
(no spaces in that email address, I just have to add the spaces so that spammers can't auto-copy my email)
Add in the subject line "Ghost Photo" or "Ghost Photos" or "Ghost video" so I know to open up my graphics program to check the signs. And I will absolutely publish them here if I determine they're really spirits or if I just can't tell.

So let's go through things that are not orbs in the first list:
1) Dust motes. In darkly lit areas, you can't see floating dust very well unless you have a good flashlight. Then you'll be able to see the tiny flecks. They reflect extremely well at times creating a very bright little orb. Dust motes follow certain rules when photographed up close: no dramatically jagged edges, they don't cluster into neat groups but more in a chaotic fashion, they don't cast a shadow on the ground or walls that should be easily visible. If your orb casts a shadow, send it to me or Art Bell asap ;)
2) Water droplets. Rain photographed with flash will make beautiful looking orb-like motes. Mist and fog is the same. They make for excellent fake ghost photos, and I've seen plenty of them. Now this doesn't mean that if you took a photo of a ghost during rain, mist, or fog that it's not a ghost. All it means is you have to be careful and closely analyze the picture. I use Adobe and carefully look at edges (blurred or sharp), reflections, shadows, and colour. Shutter speed is another thing to take note when you consider. A long exposure will show the directionality of the rain, and any small wind variance in fog and mist. So if all the rain is going one way, and your orb is perfectly still - you might have something there.
3) Dirty lens. Easily checked, as things on the lens will have a blurry border, fairly uniform in the blurring. It's best when taking ghost photos to take several photographs in order to see if the orb appears in the exact same place in the composition, denoting fixed matter on the lens or a problem with the camera itself.
4) Distant light source. If you're taking a photograph in the day and the orb is bright and has the pattern of light on the inside to duller on the outside, you must consider distance light sources such as far away traffic lights, street lights, house lights, or even someone with a flashlight. Take another photo at night and you'll be able to see if it's a light better. Or take the photo on another day and see if the light is present in the same area of the composition.
5) Water reflection. This can make for spectacular orbs, especially at night. You might be taking a photo downward and not know you're in a bog, marsh, or there's just a leaf with dew collected on it. Dew drops are great for mistaken orbs. If the photo is taken early in the morning or very late at night, consider dew.
6) Glitter
7) Confetti
8) Bioluminescence (From fish, invertebrates, to bacteria - examples are fireflies, glowing mushrooms, ocean glowing algae)
9) Glow sticks or black light paint
10) If you're using a road flare or old fashioned flash powder or flash bulbs.
11) Embers and sparks
12) Volcanic activity (Very nice photo anyhow)
13) Lightening. Sometimes lightening balls/fireballs.. but those photos are cool by themselves.
14) St. Elmo's Fire (again very cool anyways)
15) Vehicles on ground, in the air, underwater. For example, a hot air balloon in the distance can make an interesting orb pattern if blurred in the background, and air planes can look very suspiciously alien or ghostly in the right conditions.
16) Personal air filters that need to be cleaned sometimes produce an interesting cluster of dust motes.
17) Fibreglass insulation. When taking photos in attics, basements, or a place being built or renovated: small particles of the insulation can make great faux-orbs.

There are many other things that could be orbs, such as mirrors or shiny surfaces, etc, that must be taken into consideration when I look over orb photos but I don't want to harp on for days. Now we'll move on to suspicious orbs, or orbs that I'd more closely investigate:

1) Orbs with jagged or non-blurry borders.
2) Orbs with little drooping lines of "ectoplasm" appearance, like melted wax dripping down from the orb - but sometimes translucent or transparent. As a Medium, I don't call such things ectoplasm because it's a synthetic term for something so hard to label. Somethings I don't put labels on to remind me of how undefined the spirit world can be. Anyways, those drippings are a big sign that the orbs merit much further investigation.
3) Orbs with very defined colour patterns or very defined markings on it. The most suspicious orb I've seen (in my personal collection) had defined markings inside that looked organic and impossible to pass off as any of the aforementioned items on the first list.
4) Rays or appendages coming from the orb, and by appendages I don't mean arms and legs. You'll know what I mean if you see them.
5) Orbs always around a certain person in any location.
6) Orbs clustered unnaturally, in some kind of order. For example, if they're in a circle or square formation, or in dense clusters but all around them is empty air.
7) Orbs with faces. Yep I've seen these, and sometimes they're photographs in the background that conjunct with dust motes or water etc - a great coincidence. But sometimes orbs truly have faces in them.
8) Orbs with writing. Extremely rare, I've only read about one that had the word "Glory" in it, which was pertinent to the home owner's family.
9) Orbs bleeding (any colour, any texture)


So I hope this is helpful to new investigators, and I welcome your ghost photos.