Spooky Halloween Photo Shoot - a yearly tradition with my son

Since my son was a baby, we started a spooky project together that’s become one of our favourite traditions—our annual Halloween photo shoot. Each year I choose a different Halloween or horror character and we capture some seriously cool and creepy portraits. It’s a great creative outlet for me where I can embrace my love of everything spooky, but also a fun adventure for him where we head out to a different location each time and he can have fun, dressed up as the chosen character. Here’s how we make it happen!

1. Picking the Character

The first step? Choosing which spooky character we want to bring to life. As my son has sensory issues, I have to come up with a character who’s costume won’t have any elements to it that my son won’t be comfortable with, like anything covering his hands or face. The scarier the better for me too. I find the juxtaposition of an adorable child dressed in a delightfully scary costume the most fun to create.

2. DIY Costumes on a Budget

I often try and make the costumes myself to get get the look I’m wanting and to save a bit of money. I’m no sewing expert, but honestly the costume only needs to last through the shoot, so it’s all good! I love giving the costumes a unique twist instead of just trying to match the original exactly. For example, instead of just doing Pennywise, I created a “baby Pennywise” look, which let me add fun embellishments and really make the outfit pop in the photos.

3. Finding the Perfect Spot

Living in the Cotswolds and close to the Forest of Dean is a huge bonus because we have so many awesome locations to choose from. My son and I spend time exploring, looking for places that fit the character’s world. Whether it’s an eerie forest path or an old ruin, we want the location to feel like it’s straight out of the spooky movie the chosen character is from.

4. Setting the Scene

Once we’ve got our location, it’s time to get creative with props and lighting. Lighting is key to making everything look just right, so I play around with portable coloured lights and sometimes just use the natural light in creative ways. It’s all about setting the mood!

5. Making it Fun for My Son

This part is all about keeping my son engaged and having fun. I make sure he’s not just posing, but really getting into character. I always think about the props I’m including in the image, choosing things that fit that world, but he’d also enjoy or interact with in some way. This helps bring out those perfect expressions and makes the whole experience more enjoyable for both of us.

7. Editing Magic

Once we’ve finshed the shoot, the fun continues with editing. This is where I really bring the photos to life; enhancing colours, adding extra effects like changing the colour of his eyes or tweaking the lighting to make everything look just right. I never stress too much about any make up I do for my son on the day as I know as long as a bit is there, I can enhance or touch it up in post. I always use stills from the film/TV show the character is from as a reference for my edit.

Finishing Up

These Halloween photo shoots have become such a special tradition for us. It’s not just about getting cool, spooky photos; it’s about spending time together, being creative, going on little adventures together and making memories.

If you’re thinking of doing something similar with your child, go for it! It’s such a fun way to celebrate Halloween, and you’ll end up with some incredible photos to look back on. Plus, DIY costumes and a bit of creative flair make it all the more special!

If you’d like to book a spooky shoot for your child captured by me, click here.