Halloween is getting closer and closer and in this article you will find out how to take scary photos!
In the Tricks section you will find some ideas to make some creepy photos!
Instead in Treats I’ll give you some tips on how to set up your camera, organize the scene and edit your photos.
Without further ado let’s get started!
TRICKS
1.THE GHOST
Have you ever thought you could photograph a ghost? If you follow these tips it will be a real breeze! And most importantly, you don’t need to summon any spirits from the afterlife!
You will need:
- A camera whose shutter speed you can adjust.
- A tripod to avoid blurry images. Again, if you don’t have one, any hard surface will be alright.
- Camera shutter release cable. You can also use the self-timer!
- Neutral density filter (optional). If you shoot during the day it can be useful to limit the amount of light that will hit the sensor.
- Ghost! You will need someone to do the ghost. You could do it yourself too!
To make this type of photography you will need to set the shutter speed to a few seconds or more to allow for sufficient exposure time.
Once the desired composition is found, the subject must remain completely still for a fraction of the exposure. This will allow the camera to capture a figure with sharp, yet transparent detail as the subject has not been in the frame the entire time.
When your personal ghost comes out of the frame, it will have to do it quickly to avoid blur.
You’re basically combining two photos into one so any slow motion in between will be imprinted on the photo!
Obviously the success will depend on many factors, such as the brightness, the aperture you choose and many others. So feel free to experiment!
2.LEVITATION
This trick requires Photoshop or another good photo editing application, but I assure you that the spooky result is guaranteed and you won’t need expensive cameras!
To create the levitation effect you will need to take a first photo of the background only with no props, and then take a second one using something, such as a stool, to place the objects you want to levitate in mid-air.
To simplify editing, I recommend using a tripod and manual mode, so that the exposure does not change between shots, so you can take photos in the closest possible conditions.
Remember it is important that the photos have the same light and perspective to achieve the desired result!
Once the photos are taken open in a photo editing program like Photoshop.
If you intend to edit the photo from your phone I recommend Photoshop Fix on which you can find my article here!
What you will need to do is overlay the second photo you made with the object or person you want to levitate on the photo with only the background. Then with the eraser or the tool that the program you are using has available, you will have to remove all the unwanted parts.
Voila! Guaranteed result!
3.SPECTRAL LIGHT
If you want to take Halloween photos in the dark, this spooky trick is for you!
Simple, fast but effective!
You can use colored LED lights to slightly illuminate your subjects making them even more terrifying!
For example, if you want to photograph a witch, you could use a very dark room and place a light inside a cauldron. If you position the subject behind, directly above the light you will get a beautiful ghostly effect! If you don’t have LED lights you could use lamps.
The important thing is that these objects are not visible in the frame!
This is just one of the many things you can do with simple lights!
The key word is always the same: EXPERIMENT!
TREATS
1.LIGHT
Most activities on Halloween take place not before the sun begins to set.
This means there won’t be much light to experiment with.
If you want to take photos of stationary objects like pumpkins, you can use a tripod and set a slow shutter speed; this will allow more light to enter the camera, making it easier to photograph the object.
Do not use the flash, otherwise you will lose the effect!
If the light inside the pumpkin isn’t bright enough, try adding more candles or replacing them with a flashlight.
If you don’t have a tripod, you can place the camera on a hard surface.
On the other hand, if you want to photograph children or people on the move, try using a higher ISO, or take pictures near light sources such as street lamps, to add a little extra light to the scene.
In some cases you can use the flash, but keep in mind that it will eliminate the lights and the atmosphere created by the decorations!
2.WHITE BALANCE
Why not add some creepy effects to your Halloween photos using white balance?
The white balance setting used in the camera is designed to make images warmer or cooler.
The average white balance for ideal lighting is about 5000K (Kelvin). A lower kelvin number will make your lighting warmer and a higher kelvin will make your lighting cooler.
You can use the settings in the camera to change the colors of your lighting. For example, candlelight will be warm (low on the Kelvin scale), so if you raise it above average or use an incandescent or fluorescent setting, your image will appear much cooler.
3.COLORS AND TEXTURES
To make your photos even scarier I recommend that you reduce the saturation!
The older the photo looks, the scarier it will be!
If some colors are too bright, try desaturate them using a selective tool that allows you to. You can do this in Photoshop, Lightroom, and many other apps or programs!
To age the photo even more you can use textures such as dust or tears!
4.POINT OF VIEW
The more unusual the point of view, the scarier your images will be.
This is because people are used to seeing the usual perspectives.
Try shooting from a very low angle when photographing people. This will make them look bigger and scarier.
You can also shoot from a distance to capture your model and its surroundings. The less visible their face, the more creepy your Halloween photograph will be.
For a ghostly distorted effect, use a wide angle lens and get as close to the subject as possible.
I hope you enjoyed these tips!
I wish you a scary Halloween!