An interview with paranormal travel blogger and author, Bryan Hutchinson.
You had a few supernatural experiences as a kid. What inspired you to return to those locations to shoot pictures?
When people ask me this question, I often simply answer that I wanted to take photos of the locations for those who read the book (The Wee-Jees: A Ghost Story Based on True Events).
But, if I am being honest, I also wanted to go back for personal reasons that are harder to explain. After spending so much time writing about what happened I felt I needed to go back.
You show some compelling evidence in your photos of ghostly activity. What process do you and your photographer go through to ensure that these aren’t lighting or camera effects or errors, increasing the validity of the photos?
Here’s the thing: We did not expect to capture anything in our photographs so there was no anticipation or planning for them. We went there to take photos of the locations and that’s it.
When we reviewed the photos we were shocked and we don’t have clear explanations for what they are. We will let viewers decide.
We don’t think we captured lens fares because the orbs are isolated and defined. As for the shadow figure, which is one of the most compelling we have ever seen in any photograph, we have no other explanation.
How has your belief in ghosts shaped your life—changed it for good or ill (or both)?
For most of my life, I have tried to not think of my childhood experiences, but the memories would not let go and in the last few years, I felt the strong need to write about what happened.
I don’t know that my belief has changed my life one way or the other, I guess because I discovered the paranormal so early in my life I’ve just always known.
Your videos of your travels are fun to watch. You seem to have a drive to research certain locations and historical tales. What drives you to invest your time into these travels? What are you seeking?
Ha! The truth is out there. 🙂
For me, it’s just something I love to do, and really, I’ve been doing it all of my life. It’s only recently that I started filming and documenting the locations.
I have thousands of photos of castles and other ancient locations we have visited over the years and I plan to slowly but surely post all of those to my blog as well.
What “life lessons” would you say you learned from your photographic expeditions? Things maybe you would pass on to others…
I’d say to be open minded. The world isn’t as clear or as defined as we’d like to believe it is.
Just as the world wasn’t flat with Columbus sailed to the new world, it’s also not just about us. There are things out there that we don’t understand, but that doesn’t mean they’re not as real as we are.
I love this quote from a song from the Charlie Daniels Band:
“That there’s some things in this world you just can’t explain.”
~The Legend Of Wooley Swamp
What is your next project related to the paranormal?
I just published my latest book and I’d love for readers to check it out with an open mind: “PHOTOGRAPHIC AND FIRSTHAND PARANORMAL EVIDENCE FROM INSIDE THE HAUNTED FOREST.”
Interesting story about this new book is that it once again I was led back to the forest because most recently I discovered there’s castle ruins a little deeper in the forest as well as a 4th century Roman burial site. No wonder the forest is so haunted!
So what did I do when I found out? I went to check them out, of course!
You can see the publication announcement and the video of my latest expedition here.
* * *
Bryan Hutchinson: I had my first paranormal experience when I was 8 years old. At first, I thought it was just me and that I had “night terrors.” It turns out that I wasn’t imagining things because soon my friends saw what I saw, and then we were attacked by it. I’ve wanted to write about that experience for over 30 years.
Doubt, fear, the supernatural, and a general uneasiness with the idea of telling my story, which might not be believed, kept me from actually writing it for such a long time. I wrote book after book about how to become a more confident writer, but all the while I felt like such a fraud because I wasn’t telling the story that made me become a writer in the first place!
I am both excited and relieved to have finally written and published the most terrifying experience of my childhood. It wasn’t easy, it took many tries over the years, and even now I am a bit nervous to share the story with the world.
The book is titled, “The Wee-Jees.” It’s my ghost story.
(For more about Bryan and his work, please see his website, Paranormal Evidence, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Photographic and Firsthand Paranormal Evidence from Inside the Haunted Forest:
Have you ever seen a ghost?
If you’re not sure, it’s probably because “ghosts,” don’t tend to look the way we think they should.
The paranormal evidence contained in this book, especially photo #9, makes that clear.
After you read the firsthand experiences and view the evidence, you’ll never think of the paranormal the same way again.
Available at Amazon.
The Wee-Jees: A Ghost Story Based on True Events:
A group of kids, unwisely following a message they receive from a spirit board, trek deep into a haunted forest for what they expect will be a fun adventure.
Instead, they end up in a terrifying game of cat and mouse with something otherworldly.
Based on actual events, this is a first-hand account of what happened.
Available at Amazon.