How I Created a Horror Photography Series in the infamous Cottingley Woods

clinton lofthouse
Oct 11
5 min read

Updated: 3 hours ago

The Dark Fantasy Horror of Cottingley Woods: A Creative Journey

Date: April 2025

Location: Cottingley Woods, Bingley

Concept: A dark fantasy horror inspired by an old artwork I stumbled across online.

Team: Clinton Lofthouse, Marie-Jean Staxton, Martin Woodhead, Immy Alexandra

Uncovering Inspiration

Every so often, I come across an artwork that sticks in my mind. I save these images in a reference folder on my PC. This folder is full of old and outdated files that I keep telling myself I'll revisit for inspiration one day. One day in March, I opened this dusty inspiration folder. It was filled with weird and wonderful artworks, reference images, and memes that my ADHD brain had long forgotten.

My creative process for developing new image concepts works in two ways. First, an idea may come to me through an experience, a conversation, or something around me that triggers a creative thought. This often happens in the shower, unless I'm too busy with other distractions. Second, I force ideas into my brain by scouring inspiration online. Sites like Pinterest are great for this; just pick an image and go down the deep, dark rabbit hole.

Once I started looking through my folder of forgotten treasures, I found a dark art piece that fascinated me. It was an artwork by Mike Whelan. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the spark I had been searching for. Scenarios began playing in my head. Why was this dead body reanimating? What led to this moment and ultimately this unhappy ending? Good art should make you think, make you want to know more, and fire up your imagination.

That is where 'Sometimes They Come Back' was born. Not every idea will be original. As my mum used to say, there is nothing new under the sun. If you strive to be unique every single time, you will procrastinate. Trust me, I’ve been there. Just create, and keep creating. Eventually, those seldom unique ideas will emerge. Until that point, find inspiration, take parts of concepts you like, and add your spin. Create something new from that inspiration. Artists have been doing that for hundreds of years. If it's good enough for Da Vinci, it's good enough for you.

Setting the Scene

With inspiration in hand, ideas flooded in. A murderous husband, a shovel, a dead wife, and some creepy woods. It needed an atmosphere that only a real location could provide—something wild, eerie, and cinematic. Cottingley Woods instantly came to mind. It’s a place rich in folklore, ancient trees, and stories of strange occurrences. It's where the famous story of the young Victorian girls and the fairies took place (absolutely true, Google it). This location was perfect for a horror photography shoot.

The Setup

Shooting on location always adds a touch of chaos. Uneven ground, unpredictable light, and the occasional passerby wondering what we’re up to can be challenging. At one point, a couple walking their dog slowed down, staring at us as if they had stumbled into a real-life murder scene.

For lighting, I kept things clean and simple: one flash with a large octabox. I love working this way outdoors; it provides soft, cinematic light while allowing the location to breathe. However, be careful if it's windy, as your light may fly away! The woods provided the perfect backdrop, with deep greens and textured shadows wrapping around the subjects beautifully. Pockets of dark and light are great for atmosphere and composition.

The Shoot

The team worked hard on this project. Marie-Jean Staxton and Martin Woodhead fully embraced the characters we had discussed. I've roped Martin into many of my ideas before, so he's used to the chaos. However, this was Marie's first time shooting with me (she's a talented commercial model), and I believe her first horror shoot. On-location shoots can be testing. They are tiring, often too cold or too warm, and there are countless ways a shoot can go wrong. Both models handled it like pros, even while covered in dirt, leaves, and the occasional bug.

Immy Alexandra created the base of the look with her usual magic. Her makeup work added depth and character without overpowering the natural mood of the shoot. The tones she used connected beautifully with the earthy palette of the woods, creating an excellent foundation for me to enhance in Photoshop.

We started shooting towards the end of the morning and had everything set up and shot in around three hours. This efficiency was mainly due to my location scouting a few weeks earlier and making notes of where I wanted to set up. Never do a location shoot without visiting the potential site at least once. Half the battle is choosing the right locations, which can take time. You need to consider safety, light, and many other factors. Scout well enough beforehand, and your shoot on the day will be much easier!

Studio shoots are fun, but there's something special about shooting on location, especially in nature. The sound of the trees rustling, the feel of the pine cones crunching underfoot, and catching elusive light rays filtering through the trees create a unique atmosphere. The laughter and camaraderie among our small group added to the experience.

Unfortunately, we didn't see any fairies... what a letdown!

Final Images

Post Production

A couple of days later, I began editing. I never start right away; I let the images take some time to breathe. I took the images into Photoshop for post-production. Some frames needed only minor retouching, a few light adjustments, colour grading, and cleaning up small distractions.

Others needed more drastic compositing or photomanipulation. I brought in composited elements, subtle textures, atmosphere, and light overlays to heighten the mood and tie it closer to that original idea in my head. This is when someone might shout, "This isn't photography; it's art!" Yes, photography is an art!

I didn’t want to lose the authenticity of shooting on location, but those extra touches helped create a dreamlike, otherworldly quality that felt right for the concept. Do what you need to do to get the vision in your head out and into reality—by whatever means necessary.

Share Your Thoughts

What kind of horror photography artworks would you like to see me create? Let me know your thoughts!

Credits

Creative Director, Photography and Post-production: Clinton C Lofthouse

Models: Marie-Jean Staxton, Martin Woodhead

Makeup Artist: Immy Alexandra