Halloween must haves and tips for low-light photos

Halloween is such a great time of the year, especially when you get to share it with the ones you love. We don’t have any children of our own, but we love to do prepare for and celebrate Halloween with my nephew. I love getting to be a part of and help document his life as he grows up.

Halloween kicks of the holiday season, it usually starts to feel like fall (except last year when it was 80 degrees), and it’s so great to see what all the little ones want to dress up as.

To celebrate the season, here’s a list of my must have photos for Halloween:

1. A photo from a trip to the pumpkin patch.

I know this can happen at any time during the fall for decorating purposes, but it is especially fun before Halloween when the little one’s get to pick out a pumpkin to carve or decorate.

This past year, we went to two different pumpkin patches. Once with my mom, and then again with Squirt’s preschool class. Don’t forget to try to get some detail shots of their little hands or the things they find interesting. Squirt’s preschool class had discussed the yellow blossoms on the vines prior to walking in the field and their teacher suggested they all try to find one.

2. Carving the pumpkins.

This is something my sister and I always did with our dad, and now he and Squirt have the same tradition.

3. The finished product.

Last year Squirt wanted all dinosaurs. The year before that, I carved a bat. The book said the design was easy, but it still took me an hour.

4. The costumes of course!!

This one typically goes without saying, but it is definitely a must have!

5. Memories of trick or treating.

I like to walk behind my sister and Squirt so get a more documentary style for some of his photos instead of having him look at the camera every time.

Tips for low light

• If you are trying to accomplish the glowing jack-o-lantern look, expose for the highlights. If it is dark outside, you most likely won’t be able to see the orange of the pumpkin, but the effect is still pretty great.
• Shooting after dark can be tricky. Using porch lights and street lights to your advantage can create some incredible images. Expose for the lighting from the porch or street lamp, not how you’d expose if you were just taking a picture walking down the street.
• Don’t be afraid to use flash if the situation calls for it. I typically love to only work with the light around me, but if it comes down to only using that light or not getting the photo at all I will happily bust out the flash to capture the image.

Want to get in touch?

If you’d like to book your session or wedding, you can contact me at kelsey(at)kelseyalumbaugh(dot)com. Check out my Instagram @kelseyalumbaugh ! I’ve been working curating my feed, so let me know if you see the pattern! And like me on Facebook to see the latest blog posts and wedding updates. 🙂 If you’re curious about the investment, you can check that info out here, but please feel free to reach out so we can better address your photography needs.

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