Halloween Horror Portraits (C&C Appreciated)

Just in time for Halloween, my blogging friend Sarah did a collaboration with a local makeup artist, Summer, and I had the opportunity to do a photoshoot with them afterwards. Here are a few shots from the set, you can see the rest here: http://www.bmudarrisph​oto.com …/29/2013/hallow​een-horror

Photos taken with a Canon 6D and 85L II in natural light. I purposely edited the photos in a manner to try to give them that dark/horror-type feel. As always, any questions, comments, critiques, suggestions, recommendations, etc. are welcome and greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking!

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Great shots! Though I think you should've gone for more b&w if you wanted more of a horror feel to them. Makes it look a lot more ominous. Would love to see the rest of them in b&w, if you decide to convert them, especially #5

Nicely done.

I like this set also. I agree with Mowglee that B&W might help. The face paint reminds me of Mexican dia de los muertos, pretty cool.

Mowglee wrote in post #16415594
Great shots! Though I think you should've gone for more b&w if you wanted more of a horror feel to them. Makes it look a lot more ominous. Would love to see the rest of them in b&w, if you decide to convert them, especially #5

awesomeshots wrote in post #16416225
Nicely done.

TheRookie wrote in post #16416884
I like this set also. I agree with Mowglee that B&W might help. The face paint reminds me of Mexican dia de los muertos, pretty cool.

Thank you! I do agree that a few more b&w would have added to the feel, but I also wanted to show off the makeup as well, so it was a balance (one that wasn't too even).

Here are b&w conversions of #5 and #8. Let me know what you think!

Really cool!

Color or b/w, all are very well executed and well done.

Great shots! I just feel you pushed up the sharpness just a little too much. I don't know if that from compressing.

BrickR wrote in post #16417247
Really cool!

Thorrulz wrote in post #16417261
Color or b/w, all are very well executed and well done.

Madboy1827 wrote in post #16417610
Great shots! I just feel you pushed up the sharpness just a little too much. I don't know if that from compressing.

Thanks all for the kind words! I agree that I may have gone a bit too much with the sharpness, but I also feel it plays into the theme in some sense. Still though, something I definitely want be aware of for the future. Thank you!

Nice work.....on the fence of which I like more...the B&W or color....leaning towards B&W....good stuff.

I like the color---just because the makeup is so colorful, it makes sense to me.

Awesome depth of field and nice color tones. My only nitpick is the shed in the background of #7 is a tiny bit distracting, but that's seriously just me being picky.

basselmudarris wrote in post #16417231
Thank you! I do agree that a few more b&w would have added to the feel, but I also wanted to show off the makeup as well, so it was a balance (one that wasn't too even).

Here are b&w conversions of #5 and #8. Let me know what you think!

Yeah that's understandable. The make-up is really well done and colorful so I don't really blame you for not doing that many b&w's.

They're very neat, liking the poses in #5 a lot, feel like my fate's about to be decided lol

MissCJ wrote in post #16419712
I like the color---just because the makeup is so colorful, it makes sense to me.

Awesome depth of field and nice color tones. My only nitpick is the shed in the background of #7 is a tiny bit distracting, but that's seriously just me being picky.

Thank you! I did what I could with the framing for #7. I move her to the left, and there would have been firewood directly behind her; to the right and you'd see a deck, so that was the best I could do.


What is everyone's thoughts on the grain in the photos, especially in the color ones? I originally added the grain to the b&w and liked the look it gave, so I added it to the color photos as well. Personally, I'm someone who generally does not like grain, but I felt that it fit in well in the photos.

Terrific series! Great makeup, composition and post processing. You gotta love that 85 mm! Great work!

Great compostition and feel to the photos. The chair photo looks like there is a half circle line to her right going through her arm and out her knee.