A Halloween shoot is about creating a story and a mood. You need both to be successful. For example, in this shoot we chose an open crypt located near Fountain, Illinois for our setting. This crypt plus the accompanying graveyard provided the perfect setting for a really good Halloween shoot. Maricel put most of the details together for it and she did a wonderful job.
This was her first time applying this type of makeup and while she was doing that I loaded the truck with all of the gear I would need for the shoot along with a few things she set out for me that she would need. I finished loading the truck about the same time she finished with her makeup.
She came upstairs and when I saw her I was shocked! I wasn't the only one, the dog wouldn't even look at her! It was far better than I ever expected it to be.
As we did the shoot it became very clear she was into this role. She played it to the hilt acting each pose out in the role of an undead bride. Very little direction was needed, if any at all.
We began at the crypt and struggled mainly to get the gelled lighting to where we liked it. That took some time and experimentation with several setups. Finally, we discovered something that worked well. We made several shots there.
Next, we explored the top of the crypt, and I really loved the way that story was going and how she was acting it out. The hardest part was dealing with the very bright light of the late afternoon. High speed sync is your friend here. All of those images were made using high speed sync.
Next, we moved to the graveyard itself and found a couple of very interesting tombstones to use to tell the story. This graveyard goes back many, many years. Back to the civil war era. It was vandalized so the folks that oversee it are very protective. We were respectful as we did our shoot.
All in all this was the very best and most fun Halloween shoot that I have done. I can thank Maricel and all of her hard work for that. I think we created some real art here. I am proud of it and I hope you enjoyed it.
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