As Lydia Deetz once said (in the cinematic masterpiece Beetlejuice), “I myself, am strange and unusual.” This study is the culmination of all the curious inner workings of my mind. I find beauty in the eerily unnatural and weird. I wanted these photos to combine slight surrealism with nuances of supernatural elements. I was inspired by vintage Halloween photographs and the collection of photographs owned by Ransom Riggs. All of which, hold an air of mystery to them that makes you want to know more of the story behind them.

The photographs were taken over a series of separate shoots in different locations with different subjects. Smoke bombs were used to create smoke and fog in real time, rather than adding it in during the editing process. Many props and makeup were used to add to the peculiar feel of the photos. Post shoot many editing techniques were used. Desaturation and heavy vignettes and overlays, and in some cases, compositing and masking. The reason for slight desaturation as opposed to complete black and white, is because I wanted the main focus of each image to feel like it had a slight breathe of life. Full saturation would have made the subjects too full of life and take away from the unearthly vibes of the images. I also added an old photograph “texture” over the top of each image to give the sense that the photos are old and were simply found after some time.

I hope you enjoy these, and know that each photo tells a story that may be different for each person. The story is yours to discover.