Halloween can mean many different things to different people. For some, the October holiday is all about candy, fun, and sweets. For others, Halloween is all about horror and costumes. But whether your memories look spooky or sweet, the season can be a great source of inspiration to break from the norm and experiment with Halloween photography. This week, we asked four photographers for tips on creating conceptual Halloween photography. Find inspiration in this week’s Photos of the Week by Meg Loeks, Tyler Clement, Mariah Arianna Wall, and Floriana Mantovani.

Meg Loeks, Meg Loeks Photography

For Meg Loeks of Meg Loeks Photography, her work often centers on the real-life moments that unfold in her family. Portraits carving pumpkins is an annual tradition for her, but this year, she wanted to do a bit more of a comical take. Inspired by her daughter’s antics and attempts to sneak candy, she set up this scene, exaggerating the amount of “stolen” candy. She took the shot with the Canon R5 and Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art lens, lighting the scene with a Profoto B10 Plus, B10 and two A2s with umbrellas, diffusers and softboxes. A Tiffen Black Pro Mist Filter also helped contribute to the softer, painterly look to the final image.

“The holidays are a great time to experiment with new concepts,” she says. “If I’m trying something new, for example, a new lighting setup, I often like to have an experimental day where I set things up and play prior to the actual shoot. This allows me to freely make mistakes and make alterations without being rushed. This is especially important when my children are in the frame with me because I only have a short window of time to get the shot. On the day of the shoot, I have everything ready to go.”

Tyler Clement, Clement Portraits

This self portrait by Tyler Clement of Clement Portraits was part of a one-year challenge to create a new self-portrait every month. The photographer explains that he wanted to create a photograph that visualized the feeling of being an outsider in an image of being abducted by aliens. He used the Nikon D780 and a Nikon 50mm f1.8 lens, with two Godox AD400 lights–the main with a green gel and strip box and the fill with a parabolic umbrella. He photographed the objects mid-air, then composited them into the shot, using Photoshop to remove the stool to create the look of levitation.

“Give yourself permission to think outside the box,” Clement says. “Halloween is all about stepping into characters and personas, so don’t be afraid to get creative and push boundaries. Play with dramatic lighting, unusual angles, and bold concepts.”

Mariah Arianna Wall, Mariah Arianna Photography

For this shot, Mariah Arianna Wall of Mariah Arianna Photography wanted to blend the aesthetic of ghoulish lovers with the desolate mood of the mountains in late fall. She used a Canon 5D Mark IV and a 24-70mm f2.8 for this shot, using the lanterns and a hiking headlamp as fill light.

“Get weird! Halloween is one of the few days of the year where adults get to believe in magic again and indulge in fantasy worlds,” she says. “Lean into your creativity and take risks with your Halloween photography. Use it as an excuse to try that new technique, or a different editing style, or just take a break from your usual content.”

Floriana Mantovani

Floriana Mantovani (@floriana.mantovani) says that Halloween is one of her favorite holidays, so she celebrates by creating a new image every year. She captured this double exposure using a Polaroid Automatic 340.

“The things that scare us are often all around us, even if we do not immediately notice them,” Mantovani says. “Just as horror movies exploit the ordinary to create creepiness, we too can carefully observe our surroundings and imagine them in a frightening context. This will help us find the perfect subject. Once we have identified the protagonist of our photo, we can experiment with dramatic lighting cuts, extreme framing and unusual exposure times. This mix of techniques will not only help us discover our personal style but will open up new ways to interpret and transform our subjects in original and frightening ways.”

Dig into our Photos of the Day Archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching portraits and wedding photos. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery (up to five images at a time) to: [email protected].

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