If Halloween is your favorite holiday, you should most definitely do a photo shoot in your costume.
Why go through all the effort and expense of putting together an amazing costume that you only wear for one night? Dress up more than once and have some cool photos to share on Halloween.
Taking photos as yourself can feel daunting or awkward when you're not used to being front of the camera. (A good photographer will help with that but) Dressing up as a character helps relieve some of that awkwardness. Taking photos as someone else is sometimes just easier and a lot of fun.
Have a group costume idea? What better way to show it off than with an array of photos that pay an homage to the inspiration?
You can do photos as a group of friends or turn your fall family photos into a Halloween themed family session.
Or get glammed up, grab your best ghoul pals, and spend an hour or two taking fun photos.
These photos were taken in the studio, but your Halloween photos can take place anywhere depending on the theme or your costume. Choose a park at blue hour for spooky vibes or find a interior space that fits your theme. The possibilities are endless when it comes to Halloween photos.
Tips for planning your Halloween photo shoot
Schedule a photo session with your favorite photographer early.
To have your photos taken and delivered to you before October 31st, you'll need to schedule your session to take place at least two weeks (typical turnaround for many photographers) before Halloween.
October is one of the busiest months for photographers in the U.S. because its when the weather is nice, fall colors begin to appear, families are taking their fall photos, and couples are getting married. To snag a date on your photographer's calendar, you want to be contacting them as early as August to book your session.
Even if you don't have your costume yet (or even an idea), don't hesitate to get the session on the books!
Discuss your vision with your photographer
Your photographer will want to know what your costume is in advance so they can help you plan the following:
Location - studio, park, home, downtown, etc.
Time of Day - mid day for dramatic light, blue hour for spooky feels and use of lanterns, golden hour for dreamy effect
Types of Images - if your costume is from a movie, comic, or show, your photographer will want to do their homework ahead of time and see what kinds of images they can recreate
Gather Props
While discussing your vision with your photographer, think about props beyond what comes with your costume that you will need to enhance your photos.
For example, the retro Scream photo shoot shown above included a knife set, fake blood, a telephone, a window (and spray bottle for rain drops), and fake cigarettes (cause if it was filmed in the 60s instead of the 90s everyone would have been smoking).
Ready to Book Your Halloween Photo Shoot?
Laura Tannenbaum is a lifestyle family and portrait photographer in San Antonio, Texas. She loves capturing real life, loving moments between loved ones and showcasing personalities. To learn more about Laura visit her About Page.
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