Nail Your Halloween Photography with these Useful and Spooky Tips!
Halloween is here, and it’s the perfect time to make photographs! From costumes to parties, the spookiest day of the year brings out all the fun and frolics of human behavior. Because of that, almost every photographer wants to create images, meaning it’s extremely difficult to stand out. But below are some examples of photographers who nailed their Halloween photography and some tips for what you can do to do the same. Let’s go!
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Tips for Halloween Photography
Halloween photography covers several photographic bases. Candid photography, event photography, and portrait photography can all be explored during this time of year. Below are some tips for each one.
Candid Halloween photography: Street parties are popular during Halloween, and you should see more and more open up post-pandemic. Don’t just be a spectator who documents. Instead, aim to build your own narratives, tell your own stories, and create unique visuals. I’ve used on-camera flash for Halloween photography in the past, something I don’t normally use at other times throughout the year. The blend of costumes and light painting makes things look more bizarre and eye-catching.
Events: There are countless in-door events during Halloween. The main tip here is to stay away from the most popular events in town. While they may have fantastic productions and more people, every photography will want to attend them. Instead, look for small, local events with small capacities and unique themes. The reason for this is to have the chance to create images nobody else is creating.
Portraits: Other than photographing those with the best outfits, portrait photography at Halloween gives you an opportunity to tell people’s stories. For many, Halloween has a deeper meaning thank parties and candies. Some people see the spiritual element during this time of year. Speak to your subjects, tell their stories, and do some meaningful photography.
Useful Tip: Taking Better Photos of People in Costumes
An error many photographers make is not allowing their subjects to take center stage in their images. Instead, they position them in extravagant surroundings and the consequence is the subject goes missing. Aim to pose your subject on a blank, neutral background. This way their costumes can really stand out, and so so can the photograph you create! Read more about this tip here
Examples of Awesome Halloween Photography
Aside from tips from The Phoblographer, below are some prime examples of how to do shoot top-draw Halloween photography. Both photographers below were previously published on the site. While we had many to choose from, below are the most popular stories from over the years. Enjoy!
Lina Aster Turns to Cosplay at Halloween
Lina Aster took something as spooky as a Corpse Bride and somehow managed to humanize them. In this cosplay Halloween photography series, Aster plays on love, pain, separation, and loss. What we love about this series is that fact, although staged, it’s easy to feel empathy towards the subjects. That’s not easy to achieve—also, props to the makeup artist, who did a fantastic job in this series.
Andy Campos Shows The World Dia De Los Muertos
Dia De Los Muertos is an event that begins a day after Halloween. Although heavily linked, the two events are completely separate. Celebrated in Mexico, Los Muertos allows people to remember those who have gone before them. It’s a way to grieve and move forward. Andy Campos took elements of the theme, the creative attire that comes with it, and created this curious and mysterious portrait. You can read about his full creative process here.
Have Fun!
Honestly, Halloween is one of the rare points of the year where things can get wild. It’s the only day people dress in such a way, so it’s perfect for shooting something different from the norm. Remember to be respectful, and during these COVID times, remember to wear a mask–just make sure it’s a spooky one! Have fun, and feel free to send in your photos by using the submission form above. Thanks for reading!