Now Playing: Dream Waltz

By The Caretaker.

Basement Witches

Snapped these a few minutes ago.  I like how the smallest Twig Witch came out, as she doesn't look as "friendly" as she did in most of the Haunt photos from 2017.  I think the jaw dimple created an illusion of her smiling fondly.  Hopefully some children thought the same and then were slightly unnerved when they got closer?  I'll never know.

More Random Weird

Random Weird

Now Playing: Reckless Night

By The Caretaker...

A Barrel, Bushels, And Witches

A favorite shot from 2017.
I left it at the original size for anyone who wants to right click on it to open in a new window or tab.

1921

Now Playing: From Out Of Nowhere

From The Caretaker.

Imagine this weird song playing on Halloween night as kids came up for candy... 

Click below:

Farewell Halloween 2017

Added Some More Photos To The 2017 Gallery

Was tweaking photos over the weekend...

Click below:

Phone Photo

A coworker took this on Halloween night.  Neat to see the Haunt through someone else's lens...

My Great Great Grandfather's Workshop

Haunted Air

Thanks, Creepy Kid

The starting point for this year's display was the taller of the Twig Witches - her mask, specifically.  I wanted it to be reminiscent of some weird little kid in a terrifyingly innocent vintage Halloween photo found in the amazing book Haunted Air.  Once I had that, the rest was built around it.

Here's a side by side...  I tried to imagine my front porch existing in the same universe as those awesome [assumption] people on the right.

Music From Halloween, 1921

The music playing on the big night was a playlist using tracks from The Caretaker's Selected Memories from the Haunted Ballroom and music from Halloween at High Noon's Atmosfear.

Thanks for asking, Jeannine!  I meant to do a post and forgot!

Click each album below to listen.

Happy Halloween

Halloween, 1921

It was another odd year by way of weather.  A giant storm packed with heavy rain and wind passed through and finally gave up the ghost at 8AM on Monday, the 30th.  I ran outside and began work on mushy ground.  The winds were surreal.  To date, the worst ever while prepping a Haunt.  I worked through the day and around 9PM, just as I was whining that the night shoot photos would have to take place in the early hours of Halloween, the wind stopped.  I ran for the bags of leaves in the yard and began spreading them like a man who had lost his mind.  But they stayed in place.  And the candles stayed lit.

Halloween morning, the winds returned.  Hours of heavy gusts that literally removed every leaf from the porch floor and whipped the clothesline around until the clothes were wrapped around each other and the line.  I yelled "My Laundry!" to no one.

Then, in the late afternoon sun of Halloween, the wind ceased.  I ran for more leaves.  And the cameras.  Success.  The evening was calm and cool, and everyone seemed excited about the display.  I think the lighting and the clothesline created a depth that my Haunt hasn't seen before.  And people seemed to really dig the effect.  Thankfully. (Though someone did say "So what's with the clothesline?")

So below are the photos which answered the question I kept asking myself throughout the build - "What would I make if I lived in 1921?"  I hope you enjoy them.