Halloween is always one of my favorite times of year to get creative, and this month I had a blast collaborating with makeup artist Diana for two themed shoots. One day she transformed into a stunning Sugar Skull, and another she became a fierce female version of Chucky.
Diana first sent me photos of the Sugar Skull outfit she planned to wear, along with her makeup reference. From there, I spent some time gathering inspiration to plan my lighting setups and overall mood for the shoot. I wanted each look to feel unique while staying true to its character.
I chose my Savage Universal fashion grey background for its versatility… I could keep it dark for contrast (as in the left photo below) or use color gels on my lights to add vibrant pops of color (as in the right photo). After a few small adjustments to my lighting placement, camera angles, and posing, we captured the final shots!
LEFT: Used one Profoto B10 strobe on camera right with a bare bulb and a zoom reflector to light my subjects and limit the spill of light on the background. RIGHT: A Profoto B2 with an optical spot was placed on camera right to light the face, two Profoto B10’s with strip softboxes and pink gels on either side behind the subject to light the background and act as rim lights, and behind camera right was a Profoto B1X with a large double diffused umbrella and a blue gel to lift the shadows.
For the third Sugar Skull look, I wanted to create a cinematic scene without relying heavily on props or digital backdrops in post. I found the perfect solution in a Halloween Forest Graveyard background from Amazon… it was the ideal element to complete the scene.
Diana and I are obsessed with the turnout and we hope you enjoy it just as much!
I used a Profoto B1X with a double diffused large umbrella positioned on camera left at a 45-degree overhead angle to create soft, flattering light on Diana’s face & torso. A Profoto B10 with a strip softbox placed on camera right and slightly behind her was gelled with ¼ CTB (color temperature blue) to emulate cool moonlight touching her hair and side of the body.
A few days later, it was Chucky’s turn in the spotlight and choosing my Savage Universal primary red backdrop was an easy decision. I’m naturally drawn to a monochromatic color palette; it’s visually soothing and helps create a clean, cohesive aesthetic.
I must add, Diana always puts incredible thought into her Halloween looks. She’s meticulous about every detail, from doing her own makeup to styling each outfit, selecting the perfect wigs, and choosing just the right accessories to bring each character to life. Her attention to detail truly allowed these photos to shine.
B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S
To illuminate Diana’s face, I used an optical spot with the 150mm kit lens and a medium round gobo, mounted on a Profoto B2 strobe (shown on the photo above on the stand closest to camera right). To create separation from the background, I positioned two strip softboxes slightly behind her on either side, both fitted with red gels. For fill, I added a large umbrella with double diffusion and a full CTO (color temperature orange) gel to gently warm and lift the shadows.
If you know me, you know I can’t resist dressing up! As I brainstormed ideas for my costume, I remembered that I’d once wanted to dress up as Carmen Sandiego, and I knew it was finally time. I started hunting down every piece to complete the look, and luckily, everything arrived just in time for the shoot. With Diana’s help, we were able to capture some pretty cool snaps.
