Delving into a world outside her own, the photographer Layla Perchal-Neal focused her lens on untapped parts of Florida. Armed with an abundance of curiosity her goal was to try and understand a culture that was far removed from her life experience. It was here that Cassadaga was born.

I believe one of the best things a photographer can do is photograph topics that don’t necessarily align with their view of the world. To challenge themselves to remove preconceived ideas and to come out the other side with a fresh perspective.

This is exactly what Perchal-Neal did when she began a new chapter of her life in the United States. She aimed to go deeper than the showroom-esque aesthetic, and uncover communities the mainstream seldom let us see.

If you’re a fan of the eeriness of life and find enjoyment in the spiritual unknown, then this one's for you. Join us as Perchal-Neal shows us what’s referred to as the "metaphysical mecca” of central Florida.

About Layla Perchal-Neal

Layla Perchal-Neal is a freelance photographer with experience in news and television. Her journey began in her youth, when her father gave her a 35mm camera. Her passion for the craft would evolve, leading her to obtain a Master's degree in photography.

Now working as a professional photographer Perchal-Neal is available for portrait sessions and assignments.

Them Frames: Your website notes, “I forge with my environment, capturing my ongoing search for a sense of belonging”. How is that search going? How does photography help?

Layla Perchal-Neal: Photography became my path to healing. After a personal tragedy, I returned to photography—this time, not only as a creative outlet but as a form of unprescribed therapy.

My MA in Photography at Falmouth University challenged me to critically examine why I take photos and what they mean to me. In retrospect, my search for "home" through the lens was not just about place; it was about finding a way to heal and express my evolving self.

Having spent much of my life outside the UK, my sense of home has never been tied to a specific place or culture. When I arrived in the American Southeast from the Middle East, I felt disoriented.

What I expected from America collided with the reality of strip malls, chain restaurants, and mega churches—a stark contrast to the images I had in my mind. It was a culture shock, and I knew I needed to find my own Florida, to uncover the essence of the place that seemed hidden beneath its surface. Photography became my tool for exploration.

What began as a curiosity evolved into a project—a collection of visual curiosities and a conversation about the layers of Florida that often go unnoticed. I wanted to convey a true sense of place, one that challenges the clichés of beaches, retirement communities, and Disney World.

Florida is a tapestry of contrasting environments, from wild palmetto swamps to agricultural expanses and small, isolated towns far from the coast. All of it, under the heat of an endless summer, has its own story to tell.

As I explored these hidden corners, I came across Cassadaga—a place that challenges assumptions about Floridian regional culture. It epitomizes the complexity and richness of Florida, offering a deeper view into the state’s diverse and often overlooked realities.

Them Frames: Okay, so looking at your series Cassadaga, for those unaware, what exactly is this place?

Layla Perchal-Neal: Cassadaga, a Spiritualist community in central Florida, is often referred to as a "metaphysical mecca." Nestled on fifty-five acres of land between Orlando and Daytona Beach, this unique community has its roots in the 19th century and has defied the region’s religious and social conservatism.

Despite challenges, Cassadaga remains one of the few alternative religious communities in the U.S. to have survived and thrived since its inception, offering a sanctuary for spiritual seekers and a glimpse into a different way of living.

Them Frames: You say you were originally dismissive of the “Psychic Capital of Florida…”. With that, what made you decide to explore and document it?

Layla Perchal-Neal: The first time I heard about Cassadaga, often dubbed the “psychic capital of Florida,” I was skeptical. The name “Southern Spiritualist Camp” sounded like another tourist trap, and I couldn’t shake the feeling it was a gimmick.

My curiosity got the better of me, though, and I decided to research further. The more I learned, the more intrigued I became. I had to visit. What began as doubt soon turned into a quest to explore whether this place could offer something deeper—an opportunity to document a unique aspect of Florida for my MA project.

Them Frames: The photographs have a strong eeriness about them. What was the experience like in the area?

Layla Perchal-Neal: For me, the eeriness in these spaces comes from their silence and emptiness in combination with the visible marks of life that once was. It’s the sense of being surrounded by traces of the past without the presence of the people who created them.

This contrast between what was and what is creates a subtle tension—something familiar, yet not entirely comfortable.

For example, an empty chair suggests someone used to sit there, a story untold. A lamp with a switch invites interaction but remains unlit. The peeling paint on the walls hints at time passing, while the stillness makes the viewer acutely aware of the absence.

This creates a feeling of solitude, or even abandonment, that many interpret as eerie. Eeriness also comes from the uncanny quality of these spaces—they look like they belong to another time, yet you’re experiencing them in the present.

The decay and disrepair serve as a reminder of impermanence, evoking a blend of nostalgia and unease. It’s not about fear but more about a quiet mystery, as if the space itself holds secrets it can’t quite reveal.

This feeling is heightened by the deliberate absence of people. Without the distraction of human presence, the objects and spaces themselves take on an almost ghostly life, as though they’re waiting for someone to interact with them. That silence, combined with the viewer’s imagination, is where the eeriness truly lives.

Them Frames: How did your feelings about Cassadaga evolve throughout the process of making the series?

Layla Perchal-Neal: My feelings about Cassadaga deepened significantly over the course of the project. At first, I was drawn to its history and the unique atmosphere—a place so steeped in its own lore and identity.

Initially, I thought including portraits of the mediums would help convey the community’s character, but as I progressed, I realized those images felt performative and inconsistent. They lacked the visual cohesion that I found in the interiors, architecture, and outdoor spaces.

It was through reflection and reassessment that I recognized the strength of the "sense of place" in the images without people. Removing the portraits allowed the essence of Cassadaga to emerge more clearly.

The absence of individuals lets the viewer focus on the traces of life within the spaces—the worn furniture, the muted light, the carefully preserved structures. Each photograph feels imbued with human presence, even if no one is visibly there.

As I refined my approach, I began to see Cassadaga not just as a curiosity but as a place with layers of resilience, nostalgia, and quiet resistance to time. It’s a community locked in its own era yet alive with subtle energy.

By the end of the series, I felt a much deeper respect for its spirit and the way it quietly endures, not only through its people but also through the spaces they inhabit.

Them Frames: What were some of the challenges of putting together the final frames for this series? Are you happy with its final outcome?

Layla Perchal-Neal: One of the biggest challenges was narrowing down the selection from such a large collection of imagery. After five visits and hundreds of photographs, I had to assess what really captured the essence of Cassadaga.

The decision to exclude portraiture was pivotal. While the portraits of the mediums were interesting, I felt they detracted from the project’s core purpose, including them risked reinforcing stereotypes about alternative religions or spiritual practices, which wasn’t what I wanted to convey.

Instead, I aimed to let the spaces and objects speak for themselves, focusing on an "absence of presence" that invites the viewer to imagine the people and stories beyond the frame.

Another challenge was working with the technical and aesthetic demands of the spaces. Many of them were dimly lit and required long shutter speeds to preserve their natural tones.

Flash photography would have completely altered the feel of the scenes, making them too sharp or artificial. Using an old Pentax 645n with 120 film helped retain the softness and warmth I was aiming for, but this also came with its own set of limitations—film can be unforgiving, and some shots required a digital backup to ensure they were captured as envisioned.

The final outcome, though, feels true to the spirit of the project. The film aesthetic captures the gentle tiredness and timelessness of Cassadaga beautifully. The photographs don’t just document the place—they pose questions. They leave room for the viewer’s imagination to fill in the blanks, which was exactly the intention.

The spaces may be empty, but there’s a sense of human presence lingering just beyond the edges. That balance between absence and implied presence is what I’m most pleased with.

Them Frames: If you could pick one song or album to be the soundtrack to Cassadaga, what would it be and why?

Layla Perchal-Neal: ‘Woodstock’ - Crosby, Stills and Nash

Well, I came upon a child of God

He was walking along the road

And I asked him, tell me, where are you going?

This he told me:

He said, "I'm going on down to Yasgur's farm

Gonna join in a rock and roll band

Gonna camp out on the land

And try and get my soul free."

We are stardust, we are golden,
And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden.

Then can I walk beside you?

I have come here to lose the smog,

*And I feel like I’m a cog in something turning

Them Frames: Finally, please finish this sentence: I need photography in my life because…

Layla Perchal-Neal: it allows me to see the world more deeply, it is a medium that can uncover the quiet stories hidden in places and moments, in sharing those discoveries in a way that sometimes words on their own cannot.

It’s my way of connecting with the past, the present, and the emotions that exist between them.

You can see more work by Layla Perchal-Neal by visiting her website

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