Get Shooting / 2 / Tips for Better Halloween Pictures

1. Take ‘Golden Hour’ Portraits

The hour before the sun goes down is called the ‘Golden Hour’ for its soft, golden light. Take advantage of the outer light of the sun and the inner light inside your excited kids. Shoot them ‘in character.’ Ask them about how excited they are to go trick or treating. Pretend to be a super villain who will steal their candy if they dare smile at you.

 

2. I Mean Shoot Lots of Portraits (Including Sibling Shots)

You will never get the chance to wave a bigger carrot in front of your kids than a night of candy-gathering. Don’t miss this chance to generate even more excitement and to stretch photo taking. I tell my kids that we can’t start Trick-or-Treating until people get home from work at 6:30 PM (which is true). That keeps them willing to hang around the front yard while we count down the minutes. It totally works.

 

3. Start Trick-or-Treating While There Is Still Light

You’ve got kids bursting at the seams to get candy and a Daylight Savings late sunset, so you’ll be able to get some photos before you lose all light. Be ready to shoot the first house – it’s when they are most excited. Get them even more excited by starting the trick-or-treating with an “On your mark… Get set… GO!!!”

4. Get Moody With Available Light

Halloween is the moodiest of holidays. Use the dark as an eerie backdrop. Wait for your kids to walk into a spot of light. Then shoot!

5. Silhouette Your Kids

You might not have enough light to illuminate your kids, but you can still get a story-telling shot of them trick-or-treating. Expose for the light and wait for a ‘moment’ then shoot! (It’s better to overshoot and delete later – night shots are hard to get.)

No one can capture your family like you can. Learn how to use your SLR and tell stories with your camera in my favorite online class. Registration for the January class is now open: Snapshots of Good Life