Photo and Video Tips for Parents on Halloween
Ghouls, Ghost and Goblins will be roaming the streets tomorrow, scaring home owners into forking over truck loads of candy. Standing behind these three-to-four foot monsters will be technology-toting parents, attempting to capture the scary moments via photo and video.
However, what the parents don't know is that capturing Halloween moments isn't that easy as just pointing and shooting. Lighting conditions are horrendous and, for the most part, parents don't have top-of-the-line equipment that will aid in dealing with low-light situations and the quick movements of chocolate-motivated kids.
As a photographer who shoots weddings, corporate events and sports (not to mention having a five year old and a three year old), I follow a lot of photography blogs. They are stacked with tips. Here are some posts that will help you on your assignment of capturing your kids' "Thriller Night."
Digital Photography School
Darren Rose puts together a killer list of things to think about when you're shooting Halloween themed photos. He talks about things like finding points of interest, the rule of thirds, filling your frame, giving space to your subjects, using fresh angles, capturing details, suggestions for low light and helpful flash tricks.
Halloween Photography
So this site sounds exactly what it's named. It's a site that's dedicated to Halloween photography. It provides both still and video tips. Additionally, it provides some cool suggestions about how to display your creativity.
About.com
This post collected some really interesting tips ranging from lighting tricks, colorizing, angles, movement and the use of grain to enhance the overall feel of your shots.
Nana's Corner
I stumbled upon this post from a camera wielding grandmother who talks about the use of available light, how to tell a story with photos, creating portraits and a good tip about not forgetting to capture the "haul," i.e. the candy the kids rack in.
There are are a ton of posts floating around with even more tips and tricks. When it comes to gear, however, here are some of my tips.
Camera Tips
- If you don't own a digital SLR, a point-and-shoot will work. Be careful not to over expose the shot with bright flash. If you can dial down the flash power, do it by two steps if possible. Also, try and use some of the natural light, i.e. porch light, flashlights, etc. You want to be able to capture the "evening" feel and not wash out the shot with flash that's too over powering.
- Shoot in the lowest shutter speed you can without having to worry about camera shake. You need as much light to expose the sensor as possible, in order to get a good shot.
- Don't always take pictures of what you normally would, i.e. the kids. Take off-beat type shots like shots of the candy in focus and the kids a little blurred out. Try using a slow shutter speed with camera movement to see if you can create a blurred motion type shot.
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