I remember sitting at my desk at work, back in 2008, and getting an email from a friend that said: “Dude, you have to check this out!” I forget what website I was directed toward, but it was there that I was introduced to Joshua Hoffine’s work for the very first time. I thought I was looking at stills from an upcoming film, but I was wrong! It was an image gallery showcasing Hoffine’s ‘Childhood Fears’ photographs, and I was blown away by them. His incredible use of imagery captured an entire story in a single frame, and I was quite impressed by it.

Flash forward to present day, and I saw a book being advertised. After checking out a few preview images, I thought “Hmm, these look familiar.” And sure enough, they were: Hoffine’s work, from back then to now, is the subject of a new book from Dark Regions Press.

Joshua Hoffine: Horror Photography showcases his incredible work from the last ten years with images that really creep me out. In addition to the ‘Childhood Fears’ photos, Hoffine also brings other haunting images to life.

Presented in an oversized, 12×12 book, the photography is the centerpiece. Each page showcases an image, with some of them getting additional, closer looks, to show off some of the minute details as well. Each is accompanied by quotes from Hoffine, as he talks about what exactly he was trying to capture within the frame. In addition to two brand-new photos, taken specifically for the book, there are also tons of behind the scenes photographs, as well as alternate takes that didn’t quite make the cut. It is definitely a fascinating look into Hoffine’s process, and how much work goes into each and every photo shoot.

The book itself is a work of art, and definitely a great conversation piece for your living room table. I really was impressed with the details, and Dark Regions Press really went above and beyond to show off Hoffine’s work.

I reached out to Hoffine recently to find out a bit more about him, and his process.

HORRORBUZZ: What’s your background, Josh? Where are you from, what was your upbringing?

JOSH HOFFINE: I am from Kansas City. Growing up I loved scary movies and Stephen King. I began pursuing a career in photography shortly after graduating from college with a degree in English Lit. In my early years I worked for Hallmark Cards and various advertising photographers. As my skill set as a photographer developed, I spent increasing time on personal projects based on psychology and the Horror genre.

HORRORBUZZ: From Hallmark to horror, that’s fascinating. Can you tell me how you got started with horror photography? It’s not something you see every day! 

JOSH HOFFINE: It began with a conversation at Hallmark. I asked a friend at work why there was no such thing as Horror photography? We have Horror movies, and novels, and comics, and video games, and illustrators, and bands – but no Horror photographers? I declared that I would take a narrative approach, where a story is suggested within a single frame – a one image Horror story.

A couple of years after this conversation I started making my first actual Horror photographs. My early Horror photographs starred my young daughters dealing with classic childhood fears. These images went viral online in 2008 and I suddenly became known as Joshua Hoffine, the Horror photographer. I’ve been exploring different facets of the genre ever since.

HORRORBUZZ: Why did you want to get into it? What about horror draws you to it?

JOSH HOFFINE: I love the genre. I watched scary movies with my parents and sisters growing up. It’s a happy part of my childhood. I love monsters and Halloween and the frisson of being scared out of my wits. As a an adult, I’ve come to regard the genre as complex, psychological, metaphorical, and even existential in nature. I believe Horror can be as deep as the artist is willing to take it.

HORRORBUZZ: What’s your process? How does a typical shoot go for you?

JOSH HOFFINE: I stage my photo-shoots like small movies, with sets, costumes, elaborate props, fog machines, and SPFX make-up. Everything is acted out live in front of the camera. The majority of time on any project is spent gathering or making all the necessary elements. Shoots tend to last for hours. I lock my camera down during the shoot and never change position. This way, I come home afterwards with hundreds of versions of the same photo to pick from and work with. I’m striving for the ‘perfect’ frame.

HORRORBUZZ: Your ‘Childhood Fears’ series is incredible…what made you want to capture that in photo form?

JOSH HOFFINE: Those fears are universal. I noticed the same fears in my children that I myself had experienced as a child. We all know about the monster under the bed. But nobody had ever seen a photo of it before. I wanted to take these images we are all familiar with and put them on film, make them tangible.

HORRORBUZZ: Not only are you a talented photographer, but you are also a filmmaker as well! Tell us about your film, Black Lullaby, and how it wrapped up the ‘Childhood Fears’ series.

JOSH HOFFINE: Black Lullaby is a short film about a young girl and her encounter with the Boogeyman. Like many of my photos in the childhood fear series, the short film stars my daughter Chloe. The film is an exercise in suspense and was meant to capture the same style and tone as the photographs. The film really came from a yearning on my part to create moving images. I envisioned a gallery situation where 2 walls would be lined with the photographs, leading to the short film playing on a loop.

You can watch the film here: http://bit.ly/blacklullaby


A big thank you to Hoffine for chatting with me. His work really is incredible; I want to buy a second copy of the book just so I can hang some of these photographs on my wall!

If you’re a fan of horror, or even just amazing photography, I highly suggest checking out this book. It’s well worth your time.

About the Author

Jeff Heimbuch writes. A lot. On a variety of things and in different mediums. He also created the fiction podcasts LIGHT HOUSE and RETURN HOME (of which you can find both on all podcasting platforms), loves all things horror, works in social media, and is probably writing something right now. You can find him on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @jeffheimbuch.