It's nearly that time of year when we'll be celebrating Halloween and I thought I'd do a photography special on this. Halloween, more accurately the old Celtic festival Samhain, was the time of year when the veils of the living and the dead were believed to be at their thinnest. Jack o' Lanterns were lit to ward of malevolent spirits and were originally carved turnips or swedes but are now those more familiar big orange pumpkins. In the USA, UK and elsewhere children go trick-or-treating and there are thousands of fancy dress parties. It is also big business and Planet Retail said the UK spent £235m in 2009 on Halloween-related products compared to just £12m in 2001.With such massive interest it's a perfect opportunity for taking some interesting and unusual photos of your children, your pets and the food and decorations it took you hours to prepare. "Halloween Photography" will help you get the best out of your camera this Halloween. I've also included a special section "Halloween Fun" just for those who want to organise a party.
Halloween Photography
You'll find the following websites very useful. There are general principles to bear in mind that apply to using point and shoot and SLRs but I would also add look at as many websites as possible for Halloween pics i.e. Flickr as it will give you lots of ideas and help you take better photos alongside the advice below.
Halloween Photography Tips
Halloween Fun
Halloween is an idea time of year for organising a party and it's something I've enjoyed doing myself. If you're planning a party this year I would say give yourself about a week at the very least to prepare things and make a checklist. You need to figure out how you're going to decorate your place, what you're going to wear and what food and drink you're going to serve. I would personally give it my full attention and give your friends something they'll always remember.
If you're really going to make a special effort to make your place look creepy then I would say pay attention to lighting and think about dark materials to adorn your walls. Pumpkins are a must, no party should be without them but don't just content yourself with one, get a few if your budget allows and in a range of different sizes. Even have a go at carving a turnip as these can look cool too but they are difficult to carve. Keep your lighting minimal. UV lighting can look spectacular at Halloween but for it to work effectively you've got to keep your walls pretty dark. You can get many wall decorations from budget shops and elsewhere which won't cost you an arm and a leg but it's best to do this as soon as possible as the best stock tends to sell out quickly. If you're more artistic, why not visit your local craft and fabric shops for materials to go on the walls. Black netting can look great and you can tie and add things too it such as leaves and other fancy Halloween decorations.
Alongside your decorations, think about what music you're going to play. You can play it all through your stereo or use a montage of videos on your TV. Think fun, scary and atmospheric and you'll create a great recipe for enjoyment and don't just consider having one stereo. Sure you must have your main music system where the majority of your guests will be but you can equally create subtle atmospheres in your hall, kitchen and different parts of your home using small music devices: this is perfect for creepy soundscapes and dark ambient music.
For food and drink there are plenty of recipes you can find on the web and I've listed a few for you below. Always consider your guests dietary requirements so everybody will feel happy, this goes likewise for alcohol as not everybody drinks. For those who do drink I've listed some good websites to check out giving you amazing ideas for cocktails.
As for other forms of entertainment you should definitely think about this. Traditional games such as apple bobbing are great for the kids and you should make sure you have bags of sweets at the ready should any trick-or-treaters call by. Why not try chilling your guests with a few ghost stories or even ask someone to read your tarot cards. You can even try some Halloween-themed karaoke etc.
The more consideration you give to all of the above, the better your party will be and you are limited only by your imagination. It is easy to spend a wad of cash on Halloween but you can cut costs by shopping around and even creating some of your own props. Children would be happy to help out here.
I'm sure you've got what it takes to create a night to remember, make a plan and the rest will fall into place and I guarantee you will take wonderful pictures that will tell the story for years to come.
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I thought I'd write this blog post to explain my role as a photographic artist and my use of the camera as a tool for expression. The term 'photographic artist' was deliberate but I am equally happy calling myself as a photographer though the former really fits what I do.