Make the most of spooky settings

Finding an uncanny or unsettling backdrop for your shots is half the fun when it comes to Halloween

The location you include in your Halloween pictures is an even more important consideration than the choice of subject, as it’s the setting and the lighting that will help to set the right mood. Obviously there’s plenty of inspiration to be had from classic horror films, with misty streets, dark forests, abandoned buildings and cemeteries being some of the staples of the genre. Or how about juxtaposing a horror costume-clad person with a more homely setting, such as a carefully staged kitchen or garden scene? You don’t even have to shoot the subject and the background at the same time: by using editing software, it’s possible to create ghostly images by blending figures from one photo with a location you’ve shot on a different occasion.

Shoot in raw for the most flexibility during the post-production stage, and think about the perspective and lighting angle when you shoot each element, so that they knit together more easily. If there’s a colour mismatch, you can

Trees are good

Watch out for underexposure when you shoot mist. If you want it to appear white rather than murky grey, increase the exposure so that the histogram is pushed to the right. The figure from another photo was added as a new layer, with Opacity adjusted to create the transparency effect. add a colour tint to the entire image or simply go black-and-white. It’s a fun way to revisit old photos that you’re looking to do something new with.