I see dead people - Interview with horror photographer Amanda Norman

For years now Amanda Norman has been at the forefront of horror art and photography. With her innovative yet classic style she can do no wrong right now. So when she agreed to do a little interview for Scare Sarah I almost peed my hypothetical pants.

What were your early photos like? Any relatives with the top of their heads chopped off?

I had a lot of early photos with the tops of heads chopped off and a lot of them had red eyes. Fortunately there was no blood and gore, but they were totally rubbish photographs.

Your photos are authentically eerie. Do any of them ever scare you?

They don't scare me, but sometimes I marvel at how eerie they are. Take for instance the shot of the 'Dark Angel', which is one of my favourite photos. I love how this image can potentially create fear for some viewers.

Do you ever get scared walking round graveyards or is it a peaceful experience for you?

There was one occasion when I felt unnerved at being in the cemetery on my own. I had this strong feeling that I was being watched and I attempted to shrug it off thinking that my imagination was getting the better of me as it had done on previous occasions in the same cemetery. On this particular occasion, I had to turn around as I felt a presence moving swiftly behind me and what I seen is kind of hard to describe. Imagine seeing a heat haze where the scene is shimmery, it was like that, but moving at a fast pace. Even though I seen this, I wasn't alarmed and I decided to move on. I've been to this cemetery since and not experienced anything strange.

What’s inspiring your work at the moment?

I have an obsession of taking photographs of silhouettes. The darkness is what draws the viewer in and within the darkness, ones imagination can run a mile with wondering what is hidden.

What was the first horror film you ever watched and how old where you?

This is a tough question as I can't really pinpoint an exact time. My mother is a big horror fan so as a young teenager I did get to see films like Hammer Horror, Carrie, Amityville Horror and Salem's Lot. I also watched The Exorcist, which scared the living pants off me. I ALWAYS lied to my mother promising her that I wouldn't get scared if I watched the film, but once the film had finished and I had to go to bed, the tears would come and I would get told to 'grow up'!

You probably get asked this all the time, but while developing your photos, have you ever experienced a Japanese girl with long black hair appearing in the background when they were not in the original picture?

I'd SHIT myself if I did! The closest I got to taking a photograph that looked like that Japanese girl is a portrait I took of my daughter Kerry.

Woah, that is scary! So where can we see more of your work and purchase prints?

Please visit my 'Horror & Gothic Collection' on Zazzle. The store features lots of greeting cards and business cards that can be fully personalized by the buyer. I'm also working on creating more 'Horror B Movie' style posters that again can be fully personalized. You will also find mugs, prints and calendars that feature my favourite Gothic and Horror photography.

Thanks again to Amanda.