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Halloween Photo tips & Techniques

Halloween Photo tips & Techniques

Halloween is almost here and with it comes nearly endless possibilities for great Halloween photoshoots of children, adults, and amazing decorations.  Here are some tips for creating the best Halloween photoshoots.

Photograph costume prep
Start by taking Halloween photoshoots before Halloween starts. Some families spend weeks getting the perfect costume together. Photographing the preparation is the perfect opportunity to document the in between moments before all of the chaos and fun of Halloween begin. Images like these show an important part of what goes into making Halloween successful in a different way.

Halloween

Get up close and far away
Halloween is as much about the costume as it is about the person wearing the costume. Move up close to really capture your child’s personality in the Halloween photoshoots. But then be sure to step back and capture the whole costume. You’ll be showing both the full costume while capturing how happy your child is to be wearing the costume.

Photograph before you go trick or treating
Capture your kids together with their friends while the sun is still out, having them stand close. These photographs make for wonderful keepsakes, even if their costumes aren’t always matching! This works well for scary photography of adults heading out to Halloween parties as well.

Photograph on the street
Look for appropriate backdrops for Halloween photoshoots on the street. Try looking for the perfect spot to compliment awesome costumes. Sometimes these can be found in front of a neighbor’s decorated gate. Always be on the lookout for fun and interesting decorations that might become the perfect backdrop for some scary photography.

Capture what Halloween feels like
Photograph what it feels like for kids on Halloween. Try to get their faces when they FIRST see themselves all dressed up. Try to take pictures of the reaction to all of the candy they have in their bags. Show that even though the kids are celebrating a holiday, they’re still kids. They still get tired, cranky, have temper tantrums, cry their makeup off, etc. Don’t be afraid to take Halloween photoshoots of this.

Halloween


Baby Halloween photoshoot
There’s just nothing cuter than a baby in a Halloween costume! But because they’re so little sometimes it can be hard to get a good Baby Halloween photoshoot of them when you’re out trick-or-treating. That’s why you should take your Baby Halloween photoshoot at home before heading out. For best results, set your baby up in a safe place like in the middle of the floor where there are limited distractions. A white bedspread against a white wall is a good way of focusing on the costume and the baby. Remember to talk to your baby. Sing songs. Interact. Wait for the moment, the perfect smile or expression or even your baby crawling away to show the back end of his/her costume. Another benefit to taking your Baby Halloween photoshoot at home is that it frees you up when you’re out trick-or-treating. Instead of worrying about getting the perfect shot, you can just go out and have fun! After all, they’re only little once! Enjoy it!

Halloween

Look for opportunities all around you
Conditions for shooting on Halloween night aren’t ideal, but it’s still possible to take great scary photography if you’re patient and know what to look for. If you want to get good images of children out trick-or-treating or knocking on doors wait for an opportune moment. Always have your Fujifilm Instax Instant camera from Beachcamera.com out and look for decorations that involve some light before shooting your kids on the street. Also always look down the block to check for homes that have bright lights by their doors to wait to capture the kids in the act of getting their candy.

Halloween

Creative Halloween themed photoshoot
Anything goes on Halloween so this is the time to really stretch your creativity. Creative lenses add a unique wow-factor to images that are impossible to replicate any other way. If you need to use flash, you’ll be better off using a small diffuser. This avoids the harsh directional light of standard flash, making your photos look much nicer. Another Halloween photoshoot tip is to use colored flash in your photos. Red, green, and blue colored lighting can look quite unnatural and give your photos that spooky feeling. You can purchase colored camera flash gels from Beachcamera.com to use with your flash. You can add some fog to your photos for an added creepy effect. Smoke machines or dry ice can also work well. This can be particularly effective if you use off camera flash to highlight the misty effect. Use these tips for some scary photography this Halloween!
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