“Was that the Boogeyman?”–Laurie Strode (Halloween, 1978)…No, it’s my horror movie themed couples engagement photoshoot!
Some people want a sunset backlit mountain backdrop that oozes Colorado charm. Some people want my signature fashion-inspired photo shoots that look like they came straight out of a fashion ad, and then there was this couple. This insanely cool, overly prepared, inspiringly creative, and completely in love couple who wanted: blood, more blood, a rabbit mask, and an homage to arguably one of the best known Horror film series, Halloween. It just doesn’t get any better (or weirder) than that for a photographer!
As a portrait and fashion photographer, I love and am used to creating stories for my clients and my fashion editorials. I draw inspiration from magazines, sculptures, paintings, literature, fantasy, and movies. Most of my clients start with knowing what kind of feeling they want but not necessarily what type of photos. That was not the case with these clients. They sent me some of their favorite inspiration images from horror movies and TikTok reels, with several labeled “we need to get this shot.”
The Challenges: This photo shoot presented numerous obstacles which also meant an opportunity to problem solve and level up as a photographer.
Challenge 1: Timing of The Photo Shoot: The groom to be is flying in from another country, and has limited time and days to do the photoshoot. Solution 1: I only had two dates that would work for both the couple and the weather, so I chose the date that worked best for my assistant, because it will be much easier to pull off this large of a fast-paced production with some help.
Challenge 2: Weather: Winter is coming. Not Jon Snow, real snow, as in we have to beat it to bring their epically gory love story to life as her attire consists almost exclusively of lingerie, and part of their desire was to capture the season of Halloween in late Fall. Solution 2: Beat the snow. Be diligent about checking the forecast, be clear with the clients about how cold it will be while shooting, pack the appropriate extras (heated blankets, robes, hand warmers, hot drinks, etc.) and create the framework for a Halloween themed studio shoot, if necessary.
Challenge 3: Finding A Location: I needed to create a mood that was both eerie and romantic and had large areas that we could shoot in to vary the look and feel of the images, and be different enough to tell a complete story. The shoot date was on a weekend, which would greatly impact my ability to be incognito at a public location. I knew that my clients were planning on bringing great outfits, scary props, and several lingerie pieces. For this reason, I chose “Run & Gun” style photography. For those of you new to that term, Run & Gun Photography is moving as quickly as you can to get in, get the shots, and get out. It requires you being highly efficient, adaptable, and creative with how you pack, how you get the shot list accomplished, and how you adapt to ever-changing conditions. Sometimes it’s done for time or lighting constraints, and other times it’s because you are somewhere without permission, and can be asked to leave, fined, or other not so great outcomes. To be clear, this article is not recommending you break any laws, or go against people’s wishes. If you try this style of photography, it’s simply acknowledging what it is and that if you attempt it you need a plan. Solution 3: I had an idea of a great place to shoot, as I had done a video there once before, albeit at a different time of year. I drove to this State Park and spent an afternoon with my assistant, with him playing the role of the frightened damsel in distress escaping certain death, and in this case, matrimony. Pro Tip #1: I highly recommend you not skip the location scouting. You can do this long before you are booked for a particular type of photo shoot. Before I opened my business, I jumped in my car with my camera and one lens, and drove downtown, to state and local parks, to any areas I had seen that would be potentially cool for a future photo shoot. Pro Tip: #2 if you’re just starting out, google senior and engagement photos and photographers in your area, and you’ll come across several other photographer’s blogs/websites that show and or tell you their favorite places to take photos. You can start there and google or go in person to check out what might look interesting to you.
While on location I took tons of photos on my phone so I would know which locations looked the best after the fact, and I could choose the order of locations based on the positioning of the sun, or lack thereof, and level of bloodiness (keep reading). I essentially created a visual reference for the story that I could refer to on my phone of the locations which I could then use to plan what I needed at which location and how to best accomplish the photo shoot. By scouting ahead of time I was also able to realize that this location was swarming with mosquitoes, and the ground was a bit treacherous in certain areas, which required hiking boots to navigate it with my gear and clients safely. That preparation enabled me to pack some very helpful things, like bug spray, and let my clients know what the situation was so they packed appropriate shoes instead of heels, as just one example.
Challenge 4: Getting Your Shots That Won’t Get You Arrested or Banned: “There’s a creepy man in a Halloween mask and he keeps trying to play hide and seek with us.”–Little Girl, Halloween Kills (2021) Finding a spooky looking location where you can essentially shoot a horror movie with a terrifying looking large man in a mask with a knife stalking and attacking a gorgeous woman in lingerie was another reason we had to be prepared to get booted out. While you hope any people watching will see the camera and get it, that’s not always the case. For example, when we were scouting, we jumped into a slightly off the beaten path area (leaning against a tree stump just off the bridge) to test it out, and a bird watcher who frequented the area let us know we needed to get out of there or he would report us. This is another reason I knew I would have to approach this project with a precise understanding of which shots I intended to get first, and which ones would have to potentially get axed (Halloween pun intended) to pull it all off. Being in a public space, I needed a plan for not being intrusive to other people’s experiences, and a separate plan for how to do quick changes in public that gave my clients and bystanders both a decent amount of privacy. When I was modeling, this was something that was never considered by my photographers or the clients that hired me. Often times I was left in a position of trying to be a contortionist in the back seat of someone’s car with no one shielding the window view, and hoping I haven’t scarred a 4 year old for life, or hoping a group of cat calling onlookers would give up and leave or not see much at a mountain or park location with no changing area. Solution 4: If you regularly shoot in outdoor locations you may want to invest in a pop up changing tent, an investment usually between $30-$100. If you don’t have one, bring lots of large blankets that you can wrap around your client, leaving them personal space to change. If you have your car close enough the the shooting location, you can open the car door & cover all windows with shades, blankets, etc. Whatever plan you choose-have a plan that tries to avoid your naked client coming face to face with a stranger; it will impact their comfort level for the remainder of the photo shoot for obvious reasons, and potentially get your reported to the location.
Challenge 5: Mastering the Scene: I needed to create the mood and ambience of a large budget horror movie with no budget, because I said I could, and I would. Solution 5: One of the coolest things about horror movies is the feeling you get from the scene, which is often shot during blue hour or nighttime, in the woods with an ominous fog looming above the ground. That is exactly what I decided to create. I used a bug defogger from Home Depot with mineral oil to be conscientious of the wildlife, people, and the area. I also packed a couple of strobes with gels, but in the end I used the waning light and my white balance to my advantage. Our first location had strong light with the sun still high in the sky so I tried to work with the harshness of the shadows to create more drama.
Challenge 6: Making Sure I Get The Ring: For all of the engagement, wedding, and bridal boudoir photographers out there, you know you have to get several great shots of the ring. Horror movie scenes or not, I needed to be creative in showcasing a beautiful diamond engagement ring, while my clients are dripping with blood. Solution 6: As I mentioned above, make a list of the most important images you need to get, and make sure you get it. I was able to get the ring highlighted throughout with my posing and the fact that I had a shot list that I was checking off that included all necessary gets.
Final Tip: Keep it moving. On a shoot like this that is subject to the natural elements, the unknown response of people who are watching, and the expectations of the establishment, your efficiency as a pro is key.
In case you’re wondering…I insisted on one in studio look, because I knew they would love it: Black Widow, and they did!
“I don’t like you to hide your face. Take it off.”–Deborah Myers, Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007)
