Horror isn’t a common theme featured here on Pigtails, but when a talented photographer blends common childhood fears with the presence of young girls it deserves to be brought to the readers.  Joshua Hoffine, born in Emporia, KS in 1973 and graduated from KSU with a degree in English Literature, is currently a freelance photographer who started his career with Hallmark Greeting Cards as a photo assistant.  Hoffine then branched out from wedding photography to explore the darker side of humanity by creating a series of horror photographs featuring two of his young daughters in various nightmare type scenarios.  Hoffine’s elaborate sets have the look of a mini movie studio as he and his crew captured the essence of a frightening childhood world.  When asked why he used young girls in his photographs, he states “The little girl as an archetype represents innocence and vulnerability.”  Another reason he mentioned is practical because he has four daughters and no sons.  Using family and friends to portray the evil entity in the photographs, Hoffine reassures everyone that in no way were his daughters afraid of the sessions and that they compared it to playing “dress up.”  Featured below are several examples of Hoffine’s work from the series After Dark My Sweet; more can be found on his website with prints available for purchase in his store.

Joshua Hoffine – Closet (date unknown)

Joshua Hoffine – Wolf (date unknown)

Joshua Hoffine – Couch (date unknown)

Joshua Hoffine – Bed (date unknown)

Joshua Hoffine – Candy (date unknown)

Hoffine has recently taken a hand in filmmaking.  His first effort, Black Lullaby, stars his daughter Chloe and Bob Barber (as the monster) and can be viewed on Vimeo [the video has since been removed].

Joshua Hoffine Fan Page