Finding someone who actually knows what the crap they are doing with a camera can be as difficult as finding a needle in a stack of needles. It’s also unsanitary and dangerous.
Horror photography is dark, literally and figuratively. It can be dirty, cold, and at times, repulsive. It is utterly unique. It can’t be rescheduled or delayed. It lacks the simplicity of something you can snap with a smartphone. It requires patience, tenacity, and an open mind.
The Dark Woods has been blessed with the talents of Ms. Hillary Rae from Hillary Rae Photography. Based in Hollis, NH, Hillary Rae has been snapping professional photos for clients for more than a decade. Although her full time speciality is aligned with wedding photography, senior portraits, families, newborns, and boudoir, Hillary has quickly claimed a seat at the Halloween/horror photographer table. We are also proud to have her as one of our most treasured cast members.
With the inception of The Dark Woods in 2020, the event required consistent and professional documentation, especially as the guest lists continued to grow. Characters of The Dark Woods are THE most valuable assets to the Halloween attraction, and remembering all those who have contributed their creativity, time, and talent has been memorialized through the lens and by the nimble index finger of Hillary’s right hand.
Striking a creepy pose (which she has mastered) in proper lighting (which there is naturally none), while incorporating scenery (which includes just about every poisonous vine known to humans) has become Hillary’s forte at The Dark Woods. With an uncanny ability to learn each unique characters’ backstory and personality, and then capture the essence of their design through her photography has enhanced the show dramatically.
Whether a haunt is fully established or just entering the beginning phases of design, having room to support a local, professional photographer is a must. That photographer must be willing to explore new territories and be open to reach beyond conventional creative cterritories. Once that photographer is found (and enjoys being involved), hold them close (metaphorically; not in a creepy, illegal way). Written by Willard Kringles on 3/30/23 while sitting on the can in his camper-van parked in a Walmart parking lot.