As the weather cools down and October 31st draws near, photographers all over are looking for cool Halloween photography ideas to test their skills and show their creativity.
So here are some of my favorites…
Visit A Haunted House or Hayride
Haunted houses are fun, and there is a good chance there’s one nearby no matter where you are located.
This year I visited the Field of Terror in East Widnsor, NJ and brought my camera. If you are in the area, I highly recommend it!
One thing about haunted houses is that they are dark. So trying to get shots of the ghosts and ghouls is going to be very very difficult.
The thing I had the most trouble with was getting focus. Most cameras have a tough time focusing in very low light and when they do, it can be slower than normal.
Go Pumpkin Picking
Pumpkin patches are perfect for photography.
Row after row of orange pumpkins create interesting patterns and leading lines that work great for landscape photos and portraits alike.
This is a great opportunity to work on your composition skills.
Try different angles and heights to take the photos from. Also try to work with different focal lengths if you have them available, especially if you are shooting portraits.
A portrait in a large pumpkin field can look really cool with a wide angle lens. Just be sure to frame the person towards the middle so that the wide angle doesn’t distort them at all.
Visit Some Neighborhood Decorations
Every neighborhood has that one house that goes all out for Halloween.
It can be a lot of fun to drive around looking for the best decorations and then photograph them.
Just remember that it is private property, so even though you can legally photograph it from a public street, try to be respectful of the homeowner’s privacy and just photograph the decorations.
Plan A Costume Portrait
Do you or a friend have an epic Halloween costume this year?
Then it’s the perfect time to practice some of your portrait skills.
If you have the room and the time to set up some lighting, I highly recommend it.
Costumes are a great opportunity to try some really unique lighting angles that may not look good for a normal portrait. Try some backlighting or lighting from a low angle for a more dramatic look.
Group Costume Portraits
Halloween is the perfect time for groups of friends to gather for group photos.
But if you’re all dressed up, skip the boring posed shots and go for some action photos. If you want some good tips for group shots, check out my tips for taking group shots with a 50mm lens.
Make A Jack-o-lantern
Carving a pumpkin is a lot of fun.
But despite all that work you put into creating your masterpiece, it will eventually end up in the trash…or eaten by raccoons.
So make sure you get some good photos of it before either of those things happen!
A really cool idea is to put your camera on a tripod and use the menu on the camera to take a shot every couple seconds while you are working on carving the pumpkin.
If you don’t move the pumpkin around too much, the result will be a great timelapse of the process.
Shoot Silhouettes
Silhouettes aren’t necessarily only for Halloween, but they certainly fit the mood of the holiday.
You can use things you simply find in your environment, like the photo above or you can plan them out with your friends and find an interesting light source for them to stand in front of.
Visit A Creepy Location
Not every scary location is an official “haunted house.”
In many places, you can find old abandoned buildings that are scary all by themselves.
These types of locations are very popular among photographers and during Halloween tend to be a popular adventure for non-photographers as well.
The detail and intricacies of an old building like the one below provide ample opportunity for interesting photographs. But exposure can be tricky with dark shadows in some areas. So take multiple shots at varying exposures so you have more to work with when you start editing.
But make sure to be careful when you are visiting locations such as this. Check to make sure it is safe and not a condemned building. Stick to the first floor if it looks like the floor is in disrepair and always make sure you are walking on solid ground.
Shoot Forest Landscapes In The Morning Fog
Halloween also means the weather is getting cooler. During this transition season, that can often mean very foggy mornings in many parts of the country.
That makes for a dramatic setting for shooting landscapes.
Try Some Abstract Scary Shots
Ok, so this one is a little vague, but that’s where your creativity comes in.
