7 HALLOWEEN KID’S PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

Halloween is probably the one time of year where your kids are going to cooperate when it comes to having their photos taken. They’ll want to play dress up, smile, laugh, and generally are great subjects – so take advantage by getting lots of photos of your kids this Halloween. We’ve put together a great list of tips to help:

Tip One: Get Camera Ready

Before you even think about taking Halloween kid’s photos, you’ll want to get your gear together in one place. Here’s a good list of items:

–          Camera (of course!)

–          Spare battery and memory card

–          Lenses: One portrait and one telephoto (so you can get candid photos while they are trick ‘or treating). Don’t worry if you don’t have these or are working with a point-and-shoot camera – you can still get great kid’s photos!

–          Flash and flash diffuser (optional, but can come in handy as it gets later)

–          Gloves and a hat (to keep warm)

You’ll want a comfortable camera bag to put all this in once you and your kids head out the door, but other than that you’re set!

What about settings, you say? Well, the tricky thing about Halloween photos is that the light and conditions are constantly changing. We’ll touch on the best settings for each situation throughout the article.

Tip Two: Get Started Early

Taking Halloween kid’s photos doesn’t have to start once you’re outside; start early! Get them to try on their outfits a few days early, document making treats or decorating the house. Also, don’t forget pumpkin carving! All these things contribute to a great Halloween and also provide the opportunity for terrific children’s portraits.

As a bonus, you’ll have more time to get great “Halloween” photos, since it’s often hard to get kids to focus right before candy time.

For indoor portraits, you ideally want a well-lighted room so you don’t have to use flash. Use a large aperture (f/2.8-5.6) for up close portraits, a slightly smaller aperture (f/8) for “lifestyle” shots to include the details.

Tip Three: Get in Character

It can be fun to plan a staged photoshoot near Halloween that is more than just costumes. For example, you can take your little police man to a police station and pose in front of a police cruiser, take your tiny doctor to a hospital or clinic, or simply set up your living room with a few props (Dads are great for posing as bad guys or patients). Let them really get into character and you’ll end up with some fantastic portraits!

Don’t forget to capture a few details, too. Fun shoes, a purse or fairy wings may not may the whole costume, but they do make for fun photos when they become the center of attention.

Tip Four: Harness Daylight

Some of the frustration with Halloween photos is that it’s always dark! This means that often you may have to rely on flash or end up with fuzzy photos, neither option which tends to lead to great kid’s photos. The solution? Start early! Find a neighbor or relative who’s willing to let your kids start at their house and get some photos of them knocking on the door, getting candy, and running back to show you their haul. Hopefully, by the time that’s done it will be time to get started with the trick ‘or treating in earnest.

A telephoto lens with a bit of zoom is great for getting candid shots of your kids getting candy and coming back – try a few shots like this, but switch back to a wider lens if you find places with interesting surroundings (such as lots of pumpkins or fun and spooky details).

Tip Five: Find Fun Scenes

Now that you’re underway, you’ll likely find yourself capturing the first few houses before it starts to get repetitive. Switch to a hunt for the spookiest house on the street, and then have your kids pause for a few minutes for extra photos.

You can pre-scope out your neighborhood (or wherever you tend to end up) and make note of the “good” houses, and then plan to hit those houses earlier to provide a bit of light to work with when you’re photographing.

Tip Six: Use Flash, Sparingly

As it gets darker, it will be harder for your camera to get good exposures without increasing ISO (and noise), or slowing down the shutter speed. Flash can come in handy, but it needs to be diffused (with a tissue, if that’s all that is handy). It can be handier to keep an eye out for well-lit houses and use them as an opportunity for photos.

You can manually dial down your exposure, which results in darker photos, but it’s nighttime, so that makes sense! Learning how to do the same with your flash intensity can make a difference as well.

Tip Seven: Capture the Aftermath

What, you’re done already? Time for some hot cocoa and an inventory of the candy haul! Keep your camera handy to capture candy mountains, gleeful (sugar-fuelled) smiles, and the inevitable crash in bed still in costume. You never know what fun opportunities will arise to photograph your kids on Halloween, so stay prepared until the last kid toddles down the hallway to bed. Then feel free to reward all of your hard efforts with a few treats from the candy pile – we won’t tell anyone!