Frustrated trying to capture any good pictures of your kiddos during the spooky holiday? Throw in a crazy amount of sugary snacks, super excited little ones, and quickly fading light, and you definitely have a scary recipe for photo disaster. But never fear! We’ve gathered some of our favorite tips to help you take print-worthy pics of your ghosts and goblins this Halloween.
Have a dress rehearsal
The weekend before Halloween, have your little one(s) dress up in their costume. Go big – hair, makeup, the whole shebang! Take advantage of zero rush and daylight hours to capture some fantastic pictures!
Daylight is your friend
If time in your schedule doesn’t allow for a dress rehearsal, then be sure to take your Halloween pictures as early as possible the day of. The more light, the better!
Skip the flash
I know, I know, you’re tempted to use the flash, but don’t! Just trust me on this one. Flash is often too strong and leads to not-so-great images. So what to do? Jump to pro tip #4.
Find the light
Once the sun is gone, you’ll need to hunt down other forms of light like a hungry werewolf. Think porch lights, street lamps, jack-o’-lanterns, passing cars, and even glow sticks! Seeking out these alternative forms of light will create some fantastic (and spooky!) effects! Have fun!
Let your feet do the walking
Skip the zoom feature on your phone and physically get yourself closer to the action. Zooming in on your kiddo(s) is essentially pre-cropping the image and it will destroy the image quality, especially in low light.
Be a statue
In low-light settings it’s imperative you remain still while taking pictures. Any motion can cause blur and visible camera shake in your images.
Try a different perspective
Instead of always photographing your prince and princess at your eye level, come down to theirs. Photograph the small things, too … tiny hands poking out of little too-long sleeves, a sweet side profile, even a close-up of their trick-or-treat bag. Halloween is definitely the time to be creative!
Black and white can be your friend
Converting images to black and white can cover a multitude of sins. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different filters to help create the creepy effect you’re looking for.
Hopefully, a few of these tips will help you create the print-worthy images you’d love to own. Be sure to tag us when you post … we’d love to see them! But, if you’d prefer to use a pro, we still have a few slots left for our Halloween Portrait Event happening this Saturday, October 22. With digital files included and a brand-new spooky backdrop, it’s sure to be fun for everyone! Click here for more information.