Halloween Photo Shoot Tips for Families

Halloween is one of our family’s favorite times of year. The boys start planning their costumes for the following year on November 1st and find any and every reason to dress up throughout the year. Which means there are tons of opportunities for me to snap some great family photos and show our family’s creativity. As a hobby photographer, our halloween photo shoot is something I look forward every year.

Thanks to our sponsor, TruMoo, we were able to have our photo shoot with less stress and more memories and I can’t wait to share our tips with you!

Ninja Family Costumes

Photo shoots can be frustrating, exhausting and completely annoying. However, they don’t have to be. In fact, they can be an opportunity to create some pretty amazing memories with your family.

How to Make Your Halloween Photo Shoot Memorable

Involve the Whole Family

One of the things I remember most about photo shoots as a kid are the matching outfits, the checkered dresses I didn’t like, or the big curly hair I was forced to fix up. I remember more about what I didn’t like about family photos instead of all of the wonderful memories I am sure my mom has of the events.

Halloween Photo Shoot Costumes

For our halloween photo shoot, we wanted the kids to be completely on board. Since no Halloween is complete without the costumes, TruMoo sponsored a trip to Target to check out the costumes and get some ideas.

Remember, the goal was to create lasting memories.

Tip: Go costume shopping early in the morning when the store was almost empty and everyone is well rested. We went when we weren’t in a hurry and we could take our time really having fun and playing together as a family in the costume section.

Well Rested Kids = Happy Kids

Before ever trying to take a single picture, it is important to make sure all of the family is well rested. That includes mama, papa and all the kiddos. I’ve always found that if I wait until the afternoon to start our photo shoot, we end up unhappy with the results and someone always comes away crying (usually me).

TruMoo Orange Scream

TruMoo’s new Orange Scream milk was the perfect before-Halloween photo shoot treat for the whole family. While Super B (age 17months) was sleeping I set up a simple, but memorable snack for the kids and had it ready for them.

The boys couldn’t get enough TruMoo. It was so nice to feel confident giving them this healthy snack, knowing that it’s made with wholesome low-fat white milk, no artificial growth hormones or high fructose corn syrup.  I think they could have emptied the carton in one sitting, but we had a few more plans for the milk to make our photo shoot more memorable.

Make it About The Kids

Often times people think of a photo shoot as a separate event that should be a staged version of life. I think just the oppposite is true. In fact, I think one of the best parts of a family photo shoot is the experiences and adventures we go on to get the best shot. What better way to make lasting memories, than to do some simple activities with your kids before or after your photo shoot.

TruMoo Pudding Parfaits

TruMoo made it easy to plan some really fun activities before and after our Halloween photo shoot. You can get some really fun recipes from TruMoo like their Monster Mash Float or the Paranormal Pudding. We decided to make some of the pudding together as a family and let it set while we played some simple games with our pumpkins.

Make it Fun

Family photos should be fun and exciting. However, sometimes that is easier said than done. I am sure you are wondering the same thing I used to… how can I get my kids to all sit still at the same time? How can I get my kids to smile? How will I ever get a picture with everyone looking at the same time?

Simple Family Halloween Photo Shoot Tips

Want to know a secret? We Play!

Yep, we play! I put my shutter speed on 400-800 to catch the movement and I ask my kids to play! I will be the first to say I am not the best photographer around, but one trick I have found is that if I have my kids start down the sidewalk and walk or run towards me, I am usually able to get authentic smiles, real moods, and all around good memories captured on camera.

We had so much fun during our halloween photo shoot. In fact, Papa Bear said the photos should have sound because that is what we will remember forever. Super B was running down the sidewalk screaming “Ahhhh Ahhhh Ahhhh”.

Be Flexible

My last suggestion is to take your time and be flexible. While all of these ideas and photos all fit in one small blog post, the truth is that all of this occurred over the course of a week. Because we allowed plenty of time before the big day, the stress wasn’t there. There were cloudy days, days with no naps and days where our fun activities with TruMoo kept us a tad too busy to get great photos.

Photo Tips for Halloween

This flexibility not only allowed us to truly enjoy the moment we had our photo shoot, but the week surrounding it. I know that the boys will not only remember having to get their pictures taken, but the year they were ninjas together, the year they created some new yummy treats, and the year they played with their family and made wonderful memories.

Our photo shoot was like having an early Halloween Party and yours can be too! In fact, check back during later this week to see how we turned our TrueMoo into an amazing Sensory Play Activity!

How do you celebrate the holidays? Do you have any tips for a memorable photo shoot? I would love to hear all about it! Connect with me on FacebookTwitterGoogle+PinterestInstagram or subscribe by email so you don’t miss our next adventures.

Once again, Thank you to TruMoo for sponsoring this Halloween photo shoot.

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Memorable Halloween Family Photo Shoot


DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: THIS IS A “SPONSORED POST.” THE COMPANY WHO SPONSORED IT COMPENSATED ME VIA A CASH PAYMENT, GIFT, OR SOMETHING ELSE OF VALUE TO WRITE IT. REGARDLESS, I ONLY RECOMMEND PRODUCTS OR SERVICES I USE PERSONALLY AND BELIEVE WILL BE GOOD FOR MY READERS. I AM DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.”

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5 thoughts on “Halloween Photo Shoot Tips for Families”

  1. Joy

    If I win a sensory fix kit, I would use it for “quiet time” with my young daughter, whom I homeschool.

    1. Lemon Lime Adventures

      Thanks! We love them too!

  2. Pingback: 5 Simple Tips to Capture the Perfect Family Photos - Lemon Lime Adventures

  3. Pingback: Over 30 Stupifying Harry Potter Costumes for Kids

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