How to take better Halloween night photos of your kids

I think, maybe more than any other holiday, Halloween is one where photos seem kind of like a required part of the ritual. I love the archive of images that have come from my kids costumes over the years, but I think a lot of the night goes without any documentation because our phones don’t do a great job in the dark. I know it’s getting better, but when the kids are moving even my iPhone 13 can’t really cut it.

So what are some solutions if you want to get some pics of the kids after the sunlight fades and you’re out with them trick-or-treating?

OK the first tip, I think is pretty obvious, but that is just to go out and do a photo session when the light is good. Usually around dusk, the kids are so excited to be in their costumes that they’re more than willing to pose for you. Plus, the smiles are just so genuine with 10 minutes to go. These have definitely been some of our favorites.

Bring an led light- bonus points if it has adjustable power (think second iPhone flashlight). The more adjustable the light, the easier it will be to get a more balanced image in darker scenarios but you can always also adjust power just by moving in/out. The ideal image is one where you can still make out the neighborhood in the background of your image AND your subjects look good. If you use a light that is too bright on your kids the camera has to use settings for that brightness; consequently, the background gets way too dark (it looks like you’re taking pics in a black hole). If you use a second iPhone for this, you can easily adjust where light is placed and how bright it is for better results, and you’ll be able to see those effects as you work.. super easy.

Here is an example of what an led light or flash can bring to the table. Here, I intentionally blurred the background by moving during the making of the pic, but the flash made sure Viv was sharp. In any scenario, the idea is to have a well lit background and foreground which we can do by balancing the light with an LED, like from your spouse’s phone.

Bring out your dedicated camera and choose a bright lens. Generally, this will be a non-zoom lens like a 50mm (or equivalent for your system) which has the ability to let in way more light than most/any zoom. These single focal length lenses are so great working with low light that you’ll want to keep one on hand for anytime you’re indoors or taking photos after sunset. This has often been my preference because I love the soft backgrounds it creates and how quick it is to use.

Here, I’m using a dedicated camera and a fast lens to shoot in near darkness.

Just roll with some extra grain and blur by pushing up the ISO on your camera. Turn off the flash on your phone and/or find your ISO settings on your dedicated camera and set it to ISO 3200/6400. These photos might have some blur, and they will most likely be pretty grainy, BUT I love that look and feel because they look like the moment felt to me.

Maybe it’s OK to have a bit of blur… doesn’t it kind of add to the feeling of the moment? Technical stuff aside, I love this image of Viv and her cousin lost in the moment.

Use your dedicated camera, zoom lens is fine, but also use a flash. Here’s the trick - you have to set the camera to make the background turn out. Try these settings to start and adjust the shutter speed to taste - ISO 1600, Shutter Speed 1/30, Aperture f2.8 (or as small a number as you can get, 3.5, 4, etc.) Then use your flash in ‘Slow Sync” or “2nd Synch” (same function different brands) to complete the setup. This solution will give you beautiful, balanced images and has the benefits of being fast, flexible and will almost guarantee sharp photos.

That’s what comes to my mind about Halloween right now, I hope it helps! Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions and good luck!