Pic’ or Treat!

With Halloween only a few weeks away and the Halloween party season in full swing, it’s time to start snapping some shots of your little ones in the cutest costumes ever. If you’re like most folks, taking Halloween shots can be intimidating. Low light, fidgety kids, and costumes can pose a challenge that might scare the camera out of your hands! Here’s a few ideas for taking some great Halloween shots

1. Don’t Wait. Kids are usually willing to put on their costumes at the drop of a hat. My son has been wearing a Spiderman costume almost everyday for two weeks now. Take advantage of that and get some shots early. Without the stress of trick or treating, organizing, and finding gloves, you’ll find it much easier (on all of you) to have fun with the photos. At the very least, plan on taking shots well before you leave the house on candy patrol!

2. Set The Mood. You’ve gone through the effort of getting the perfect costume but you’re going to settle for a picture of it in the kitchen? Try to match the setting to the costume. Got a little cowboy? Try a shot on the lawn or against the wood wall of the shed. Astronaut? How about a shot with nothing but sky in the background? (get low and shoot up) Setting the right mood for the shot makes a world of difference.

3. Play With The Light. Don’t be scared of the dark. Shut your flash off and play. A flashlight under the chin or from the side of the face makes for very dramatic and spooky light. A twirling trick or treater with a glow stick will also make a neat light trail. Have fun and experiment.

4. Change Your Point of View. So often we take photos of our kids from the same place. Standing at our height and shooting down. Point of view makes a big difference. Got a Superman on your hands? Stand him on the patio table, crouch down, and shoot up at him. The low closeup will make you little guy look huge and powerful! Got a little ladybug? Get up high on a chair and shoot down with lots of space around her. This view will make her look small and delicate in a big world. Point of view means a lot but we often don’t think of it.

5. Have Fun! Your kids want nothing but fun on Halloween. Posing for pictures is boring. But, if you ask Superman to bend a steel bar (foam tube from the hardware store) or Buzz Lightyear to talk on his wrist radio, you’ve made it a fun game. Give you kids a reason to get into character and they’ll give you all the shots you could want!

Naturally, you can get good photos without following all or any of these but hopefully, some of these tips will help you take your best Halloween photos ever!