As promised last week and just in time for Halloween, I thought I’d share with you just a few quick tips for photographing kids in costumes. Read on for the details…

First off, I know I’ve said before that you should shoot kids on their eye level, but sometimes it’s fun to break those rules, like with the picture to the right. I find that, especially with kids in costume, it’s cool to get a different view than the straight-on looking-at-the-camera shots that parents tend to do every Halloween. The bird’s eye view shots give a cool voyeuristic feel (great for a spooky holiday like Halloween) and they help you see a different angle of the costume than you can when you’re photographing a child right in front of you. Even though my daughter’s not in a creepy costume, I think this technique works well for this shot because of her full skirt. And yes, I would have liked a little eye contact or even a smile, but you try to tell a 13-month-old to do anything on command. I dare you!

Another thing to remember with kids in costume is that the most important thing is to make sure that they are comfortable, both with their costume and in their environment. I know this seems obvious, but many a Halloween photo has been ruined because a child couldn’t see through his Buzz Lightyear helmet and threw a fit or hated the princess tiara shoved onto her head. It always helps to try the costume on a couple times before Halloween, especially for younger kids. Getting zipped into something fuzzy and itchy could be scary if you don’t know what’s going on.

Once your child is in her costume, let her play. This is the best opportunity for some natural shots. Remember, late afternoon light is great for this sort of photograph — you won’t have to use a flash. But since Halloween is a dark holiday, don’t be afraid to use your flash to illuminate scenes that do not have enough available light. Just remember to use your flash within its range — no farther than about 10 feet with a normal point-and-shoot camera.

Remember, Halloween is full of deep, rich colors — great for photographing! Take your camera out early, before all the light is gone, for the best costume-photographing opportunities. Later on, you can spend time using a tripod to get some jack-o-lantern photos in the dark. That is, if you don’t have a sugar headache by then.

Happy haunting!