There is no doubt that Halloween, like Christmas, is really for the kids, and the kids at heart. But Halloween is a great time to try out your night photography skills too. There are so many yards decorated for the trick or treaters, and they look their best lit up for the evening.
Here on Eastern Long Island, a local pumpkin farmer has made a tradition of carving some jack o’lanterns out of the left over squashes, and displaying them for the revelers to enjoy as they pass by. It has always looked to me like a Halloween party for the ghosts and goblins.
To capture night images, a photographer must do three things:
1. Find a tripod or other method of keeping the camera steady, besides holding it in your hands (shutter speed will be too slow for hand held images-even you folks with image stabilization)
2. TURN OFF THE AUTOMATIC FLASH
3. Set your shutter speed to around 1/8 or 1/4 second. Or if your camera will not allow you to set the shutter manually, use the night mode—just make sure the flash is disabled.
Here’s Krupski’s Pumpking Farm 2009 Halloween:
