Halloween Is an Amazing Time of Year to Get Creative With Photography

Have you ever bemoaned the lack of great subjects to shoot with in your area? Ever cried in exasperation while struggling to come up with concepts? Those complaints all go out the window in mid-October when virtually every city in the world that celebrates Halloween explodes with wonderful photo opportunities.

During the Halloween season, creativity has no limits. All the normal rules go right out the window and you are free to focus on being creative for the sake of creativity. Leverage that and channel it into your photography. Plan some amazing shoots that are likely to push yourself in a new direction.

Special Effects Costume Photography

The rest of the year we just call it "cosplay photography," but once a year this sort of work becomes excellent for any photographer. Here is your chance to experiment with those Photoshop special effects that you never really get to use when doing day-to-day to work. Make it fun and create something that probably won't ever go into your portfolio, but just may raise a few eyebrows.

Horror Photography

Don't have a costume to shoot? Did you even try? They are everywhere! It's OK though if you don't want to shoot costumes because you can also bust out your inner Hitchcock by creating something terribly creepy. Find a great location or a terrifying model and just let those creative muscles do their thing. The shot below involved a model, makeup, and a bed sheet in a dark room.

Finding Locations

Finding a great horror location is one of the easiest types of locations to find. Virtually anything can be turned into a horrific scene with some creative lighting and perhaps a little bit of set decoration. Abandoned buildings are fantastic, but even your bedroom with a few alterations can make for a potentially terrifying scene. Take the time to do some exploring to find a location that perfectly fits the mood of the scene you are trying to create. A dark forest, an moonlit street, a dusty field; virtually anything goes. Don't let lack of location slow you down because there is always something that will work to create a Halloween scene.

Get Started Now

The best inspiration that you could possibly draw on for your shoot is by finding someone with a great costume. Head to your friends list to see what everyone is making for Halloween. Reach out to a few to see if they would like to create some cool images (Most will!). Then just go from there. You can do it. It isn't hard; the hardest part is the push to get started, so don't hesitate. Make the perfect Halloween scene and get excited about turning it into reality. Don't forget to come back here and post your results. I'd love to see what you come up with.