7 Halloween Photo Ideas: Photograph the Spirit of Halloween

by | Technical, Family, Light, Top Tips

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Wow, where has the year gone? It’s October, which means Halloween is right around the corner! Fall is one of my favorite times of the year: crisp cool days, the fall colors, and my favorite holiday… Halloween!

Halloween is an excellent opportunity to have fun with your photography, and these 7 Halloween photo ideas will help make this year’s Halloween photos the best yet!

Due to COVID, Halloween may look a bit different this year, but I hope that no matter where you are, you still get to dress your little goblins up, and maybe yourself, and practice some social distancing Halloween fun.

1. Capture the Halloween Costume Preparation

Start before Halloween night. Shopping for costumes is half of the fun of Halloween. Admit it. You still enjoy looking for a good costume. Grab your camera before you head out shopping for outfits. Don’t forget to capture the excitement that your child has while they are shopping for theirs. Whether they are 4 or 14, trying on masks, looking at makeup and accessories let them have fun while you snap their picture.

Dressing Up for Halloween with Costumes & Accessories

2. Location, Location, Location

Match your location with the costume. You don’t have to wait until Halloween night to take photos. Get your trick or treater dressed up before the big night and take them to a location that matches the costume. It’s a lot easier to get great pictures when things are a bit calmer.  

7. When the Night of All Hallows’ Eve Has Ended

Bare Trees Make a Great Location for Halloween Photos

3. Use Lighting to Set the Mood for Halloween

Utilize the golden hour, especially if you have little ones. The rich color of the golden hour makes for perfect rich light. Low light can also be ideal to set the mood for Halloween photos. And don’t stress about your ISO. Push it up there as the grain can add to the effect. If you are unclear about what settings to use, check out The Manual Mode Essentials Ebook. It’s key in learning to use your camera.

4. Step Back to Capture the Perfect Halloween Moment

Follow the kids from a distance. Skip the posed photos and just capture the moment.  

Capture Your Trick-or-Treater’s in Action

5. Snapshot the Pumpkins & Jack-o-Lantern’s

Pumpkin photos are some of my favs. You can easily capture the signature Halloween pumpkin photo a few nights before the big night to avoid stress and the pumpkin carving if that is a family tradition. These photos will give you great memories to look back on!

Photograph Your Pumpkin Carving Traditions

6. The Devil is in the Details

There are so many fun things that represent Halloween. The candy, the decorations, the candy!! Use some photography rules to get great photos of all of your decorations: pumpkins, spiders, skulls, cobwebs, zombies, skeletons, masks, costumes, and more! Fill the frame with Halloween candy, or use another composition rule. Looking through all your decorations is a great way to brainstorm up new Halloween photo ideas. The possibilities are endless!

Don’t forget to continue taking pictures as your little skeleton winds the night down. Capture her excitement when she inspects her loot. Snap photos of your dinosaur asleep in his costume. Remember, you are telling a story, don’t forget to finish the chapter.  

Capture Your Trick-or-Treater’s Candy Finds

Hopefully, these fun Halloween photo ideas inspire you this season! Don’t forget to head on over to my Facebook Group and share your photos! Happy Haunting!

Lifestyle Photographer & Mentor

Hi, I’m Dena, a natural light lifestyle photographer with 20+ years of experience capturing other people’s memories and teaching photographers how to understand and easily use their cameras.

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