1. Look for spiderwebs
You can't have Halloween without spiders so why not photograph some spiderwebs? The best ones can be found first thing in the morning - I'm not a morning person so I had to make do with what I could find. The original photo was actually one spiderweb that wasn't in the best location and part of it was gone already. I decided to take it a step further: making a copy of the image, then flipping one and merging the two together in Photoshop. It made for an extra creepy photo!
Decorations aren't just for partying, they can be great creepy subjects! Grab a few of your favorite things and find locations like tall grass or fallen leaves, then shoot from all different angles. Shooting in wide open apertures will give them an even creepier vibe. If you happen to see elements of the prop that are distracting (like metal screws or fabrication lines) you can clone those out to make it look a little more realistic in editing.
3. Play on phobias
There's a reason why certain things make great Halloween decorations - snakes, spiders, clowns and other phobias are great ideas for creepy photos. A little editing helped make this rubber snake coiled up on dead leaves even more dastardly.
4. Hit up old shops, barns, etc.
When shooting these photos I walked around my dad's shop area - which has all kinds of great textures. Urban decay like abandoned buildings make great locations too.
5. Jagged lines
Lines are such strong elements of design that even their shape effects a photo. What do jagged lines convey feelings of? The creeps. Heebie jeebies. Or something's just not right. So look for jagged lines (or make your own) and try shooting them.
6. Crop in all the wrong places
When shooting people it's a no-no to cut off someone's hand or head, etc. Why? Because it gives the viewer this feeling of being disconnected or well, just disturbed. But that's all out the window for creepy photos so go crop crazy.
7. Shoot weird looking mushrooms
Or other odd plants. It's best to shoot these really up close in macro - if they look really odd and you can't tell what it is even better.
8. Edit in B&W
Of course this doesn't work for everything - the picture of Bucky (the skeleton) on the red trailer just had to be in color. Even so, B&W is classic for that spooky vibe and definitely rocks certain shots.
Have fun and spooky shooting!
