five with frights:- joshua hoffine
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JOSHUA HOFFINE, an accomplished horror photographer was kind enough to take some time out to talk to Mr. Frights about his terrorificly horrofying work.
www.joshuahoffine.com
MR. FRIGHTS: Ok, the first obvious question is... where do you get your inspiration from?-
JOSHUA HOFFINE: From Horror films, fairy tales, and psychology. I draw upon my own memories, and from the fears I observe in my children. -
MR. FRIGHTS: What drew you into doing this type of photography?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: An interest in narrative-based photography, coupled with a love for Horror movies.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Do you have any specific criteria or standards that you keep to that makes up your style of photography?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: I try to shoot everything 'live' in front of the camera. I try to style my sets, props, and costumes to be archetypal and timeless. I try to make the lighting dramatic and painterly. And I always try to include some kind of subtext to the image.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Any advice for photographers looking to step out of the average realm of photography and dip into the darkness of Horror Photography?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: Everyone should develop their own approach, but I would suggest that you try to keep it real. The more convincing the image, the more effective it is. For this reason, Horror photography has more power than painting or illustration. Don't ruin it with imprudent photoshop.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Does it take any special equipment to pull off the shots you've gotten?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: I use a fog machine every chance I get. I use hot lights rather than strobes. I like the warming color shift, and they give me better fog effects.
Hit the Grab Bag Questions below to go on with the interview...
GRAB BAG QUESTIONS
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MR. FRIGHTS: How do you find your models? Are they ever "scared" to submit to this style of art?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: I only use friends and family members, including my own daughters, as actors and crew. For us, it's a good time. Nobody is ever frightened.
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MR. FRIGHTS: How do you get the children in the photos to be so much into the photo as they seem to be? (How do you get them to be cooperative and do what you're looking to have done)
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: We would practice making faces and rehearse 'looking scared'. Sometimes we would watch movies, like Zathura, and re-enact scenes where the children in the movie are frightened. They understand that it's a game of dress-up and are eager to play their parts. Nobody is ever actually scared on set - they are just acting. Because I am their father, they know and trust me and enjoy the experience.
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MR. FRIGHTS: When you're not doing photography what do you have going on? Is it still related to horror?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: When I'm not with my kids or my fiance, I guess I spend my free time in study. I like to read about cosmology, psychology, philosophy, history, and academic essays on the Horror genre. I watch a lot of movies, especially Horror movies. All of my hobbies are generally related to my work.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Is there any photographers that you would say are your "favorites"?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: Probably, Robert Parke-Harrison. He takes narrative and metaphor and large scale production to the ultimate level.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Your work is so cinematic to the point in some of your stuff it looks like you're getting people to perform stunt work (such as the one with the girl hanging over the bathtub), do you have to find specific models to do that kind of work?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: Yeah. That was a difficult part to cast! The model Andee actually said 'no' at first, but I couldn't find anybody else that 1) looked right for the part, and 2) could perform the stunt. I was so excited when she finally said 'yes'!
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MR. FRIGHTS: Do you ever use any camera trickery in your photos the way they do in movie?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: Yes. I love camera tricks. For my most recent image KEYHOLE, I made an oversized keyhole for the camera to look through. It helped to create the illusion that you're looking through an actual normal sized keyhole. The fore-shortened perspective worked better than a photoshop vignette would have.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Today's photography often involves some editing, is there ever any editing in your work?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: Yes. Even though I shoot everything 'live' in front of the camera, I still often finesse my footage in photoshop before printing. I will also occasionally use photoshop to composite an effect that is either impossible to shoot on set, or out of budget.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Do you build all your sets and props & monsters (that big black and white snake)?
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JOSHUA HOFFINE: My friends help me build my sets, or let me shoot in their homes. A lot of my props are made from scratch. Sometimes I use taxidermy or mannequins, other times I'll use some mask or prop that I found online and then repainted. I work on small budgets, so usually the least expensive answer wins.