Halloween Photography – How to Capture Your Witches and Dragons

I don’t know about you, but I love being able to take my own Halloween Photos which is why I wanted to set out some Halloween Photos tips & tricks for you. In between those professional photo sessions you have with a photographer, it’s great to be able to take your own high quality photos to either frame or put in a photo book. After reading through this post, you should be well on your way to capturing the best Halloween Photos of the witches and dragons of your household.

Halloween Photo Equipment Essentials

• Camera Options
  • Whether you have a DSLR camera or are using your phone, you can get some really great photos. A DSLR camera will give you higher quality photos but isn’t always ideal in a low light situation which is where your camera phone can come in. Or, maybe you don’t want to lug around your heavy DSLR camera so you’re opting for your phone instead. Whatever the reason, either one will give you great photos!
• Lighting Gear
  • The best light in my opinion is natural light. But if you’re losing natural light as the kids are heading off to trick or treat, you may want to think about an external flash. I know that you can get them for your phone but I’ve never used one. I’ve only ever used one for my DSLR camera. If you don’t have one, don’t worry, I will give you a few tips below.
    TIPS:
  • If using your DSLR start with your ISO @800-3200, Aperture 2.8 or as low as possible, Shutter speed 1/160 but no lower. These settings will help you let the most amount of light into the sensor on your camera but they come with some downfalls so play around with your settings. If taking your photos indoors, have your kids face the largest window in your home which will bring in the most natural light.
  • When using your phone, you will want to try to get your kids to be as still as possible. Phones are great in low light but like DSLRs low light can cause the photo to be grainy or blurry.

Planning Your Halloween Photoshoot

• Setting the Scene
  • Choosing a location: This is going to depend on what type of vibe you’re going for with your photo session. My kids are young so my goal is to just get a damn picture haha. Usually that means in front of my patio door with who knows what in the background. If your kids are older and will cooperate, you can choose to do yours indoors or outdoors.
  • Maybe use some of your Halloween decor to create a spooky scene.
• Timing the Shoot
  • Be prepared my friends. The more prepared you are, the more likely you will be able to get your photos in before the sun goes down. If indoors, anytime in daylight is great. If outdoors and the sun is shining, an hour before sunset is ideal. You just want to make sure that the sun is behind your subjects for the best outcome.
• Choosing Your Subjects
  • For a photo of one person, have your aperture as low as possible and focus on the eye closest to the camera. If you’re photographing a group of people, you want to try to get them as close to a straight line as possible. Then you want to increase your aperture a bit so that if anyone isn’t quite in line they won’t end up super blurry.
  • If you want to focus on the details of the makeup or costume, stop with the zooming in and move your feet. Zooming in with your phone will distort the photo so just move yourself closer to what you want to take a photo of. If you have a zoom lens on your camera, best thing to make the object pop is to back up and zoom the lens in to the max and then adjust your feet accordingly. This will cause your subject or object to pop off of the background.

Editing Tricks for Halloween Vibes

• Basic Adjustments
  • If you need to brighten up your image, try increasing your exposure and shadows.
  • If you need to make your image more clear, increase clarity and if the function is available, click “denoise”.
• App and Software Recommendations
  • Best app for quick edits is Adobe Lightroom. You can get a free mobile version that does all of the basics that you will ever need.
  • For more advanced editing, you can pay for the monthly Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop plan.

I hope that all of these tips are helpful and that you get the best photos of your littles heading off Trick or Treating! I would LOVE if you tagged me on Instagram @nicoleannephoto so that I can see your photos!

If you found this helpful, you should check this one out too!! And if you want to dive into the world of photography more, I have a really great resource here!!