Halloween is such a special time for our little ones. We spend so much time, effort and sometimes money planning out the perfect costumes and making sure there are several places to show them off. It is natural that we also want to take photos of our kid’s outfits too! The problem is that we aren’t always happy with the results. I’d love to share some tips with you on how to make this process easier and hope that you all get some exceptional Halloween images of your kids this Halloween!

The best way to ruin a photo is to take it in direct full sun. Squinting will most likely happen like most kids will do. I find that for trick or treating especially, bringing them under a porch gives excellent shade and lighting. Have them look out towards the light but have their body in the shade. If there is no overhang on the house or even garage, try to get them in any shade possible – like a tree even. If you decide to take the pictures inside have them facing the window or open a door and have them facing the light coming in from the door.

Make sure your focus does not capture just getting a perfect smiling photo of your child when in costume. Get some shots of hands grabbing the delicious candy, holding the bucket, or even a cute little hat to tie off the costume. You do not have to have a face in every image you capture. Try and think ahead of what you want to see besides the adorable little face. In the end you can even tell a story from start to finish!

At this point, I’m sure many of you are thinking, “But then it will be blurry!”  That is not the case if you plan ahead.  First of all, do NOT use a camera phone for this one. You can use your point and shoot, but make sure you are using a fast shutter speed to take your Halloween images.  If you do not know how to do that, you can look at your settings and find the “running man” symbol.  This mode is for sports and fast action. Go ahead and capture your child running to the door to trick or treat, spinning around in the fallen leaves, throwing their candy up in the air and whatever else they are having fun with that day!

Don’t have a fancy camera and only have the handy cell phone. Capture the image anyway – blurry or not. It is not about how great you took the photo but the memory that you have captured on camera.

Try to spend the day, avoiding the usual phrases, “Smile for the camera,” or “Say Cheese,” and you will be surprised at your photos at the end of the day!   You and your children will have more fun, and the photos will prove it!

I know you are looking forward to the Halloween and hope that our tips will help you take amazing Halloween images.