Having enjoyed horror and psychology for much of my life, I naturally wondered if the concept of creepy and feeling scared of an unseeable force was in fact scarier than a seeable horror. Many horror films contributed to my early years and gave me nightmares and various other phobias for a number of years after, which I then sought to understand and get over. Films which would tell of a seeable, touchable, knowable horror did more damage I believe. The paranormal ones kept my imagination busy and fascinated me but did not bring the same level of fear.

So, after wondering much about the triggers of being scared and the concept of horror, I finally got round to asking the question, was I just scaring myself? Were these films just the seed planter, the suggester if you will, making my ideas turn towards the dark or sinister. Or was I always drawn towards horror, and therefore found my way there, of this I am not yet sure. I have been on a number of ‘fright night’ tours of apparently haunted locations, with other people to see if I could further my understanding or remain the sceptic on the subject of the paranormal. Also so I could observe other people doing the same for what appeared to be different reasons. I still very much remain the sceptic but with a want to believe, it would be so interesting if it was but just not enough evidence for me. Gothic locations and graveyards are still a favourite of mine but more for architecture and history rather than horror, my ideas come from a very different place…

(c) K Wicks – Photography of Tintern Abbey