It's easy to turn Halloween fantasy into permanent photographic memories if you keep just two things in mind: First, NYI's three Guidelines for Better Photographs. Second, the "spirit" of Halloween.

Let's start with the NYI Guidelines. As with any picture you take any time, good photographs depend upon your fulfilling NYI's Three Guidelines. Before you press the shutter, you must decide on the answer to the three questions we call our Three Guidelines: One - What is the subject of the photograph? Two: How can I focus attention on that subject? Three: How can I simplify the subject? If you're unfamiliar with these Guidelines, we suggest you first read our Photo of the Month Review analysis for a demonstration of how these Guidelines work.

For example, look at this picture of "Ms. Dracula." Here's a subject that can sink her teeth into you! All Three Guidelines are clearly met. There's no doubt as to what the photographer had in mind. Those fangs are clearly the subject here. They're right up front and stand out loud and clear. There's nothing to distract you from the intent of this picture. Ms. Dracula's eyes are staring right at you, and make it absolutely clear that you - the viewer - are about to be lunchmeat! Ouch.

But, as we've noted, the Three Guidelines are only part of the story. The second key is to capture the "spirit" of Halloween. What's the "spirit" of Halloween? Fantasy. Fear. The supernatural. The eerie. The unworldly. And how can we capture this "spirit" in our pictures? The best way is with the right dramatic lighting. Since nighttime ghouls are so central to the holiday, this often means shooting at night or in dim light.

Hey, shooting at night? No problem, right? Just use a strobe, right? Wrong! Halloween should look dark. Using strobe or flash will give you bright lighting of scary creatures. Is that what you want? No. They look a lot more frightening when you view them in the dim light of the crypt or the glow of the moon. Lighting? Yes. Perhaps, "ghoul lighting." (We'll explain this in a moment.) Perhaps, candlelight. But strobe? Usually, no!

We divide Halloween subjects into three basic groups, and each calls for its own type of lighting: 1) Glowing Jack-O-Lanterns; 2) Kids and adults in costumes; and 3) Kids out trick-or-treating. Let's look at each category separately.

You can end up with a photo like the one on the left of the carved pumpkin where you carved it - say, on the doorstep. Problem: The setting is apparent. And the setting can distract from the subject. Better to place it somewhere that is less distracting - for example, in the garden where the leaves can form a background for the jack-o-lantern - as in the picture on the right.

Here's another technique for low-light Halloween pictures. Take a tip from the pros. When they want to show a scene at night, they often shoot before it's totally dark. They shoot during twilight when the sky has that rich blue/purple color shortly after sunset. Like them, you'll find that finished prints or slides make the scene look darker than it really is so that the viewer will assume it was shot at night.

When you apply this technique, use fast film. Whether you use a single lens reflex (SLR) or point-and-shoot, load your camera with a film that is ISO 400 or faster, such as Kodak's Gold Max or Fuji's Super G 800. You'll be thrilled with the results. Try it!

Let's say you want to take a portrait of your little boy (or kid brother) in a "scary" costume before he goes out trick-or-treating. First, figure out what's the best part of the costume. Is it just the mask on the face? Or is it the mask and the torso too? Then get in close and fill the frame with the parts you've decided are best. A pro tip: It's usually better if you don't shoot from head to toe since shoes are often the weakest part of a costume. (One year we wanted to go to the local Halloween parade disguised as a rabid raccoon, but we just couldn't locate the right footwear.)

If you're shooting a child or a group of children, bend down low to kid's-eye level. Don't shoot from adult level down on these little ghouls - you'll trivialize them. Or if you're limber enough, bend down to below kid's-eye level or even lie down for the shot. Nothing makes a monster more imposing than looking up at the scary countenance.

If you're shooting two monsters, get them as close together as possible and, again, get close enough to fill the frame with the best parts of their costumes. People tend to drift apart when there's a camera pointed at them. You want just the opposite - no space between those monsters - like this:

If you can, make sure to take a photo of your favorite creature with and without the mask. That way in future years everyone will be able to identify the little devil behind the mask, and this year you may be able to use the picture for your Xmas card.

The same tips go for portraits of adults in costume, only you don't have to get down so low to be at eye-level.

 When you turn to groups of monsters, aim for the two elements that help any group photograph. First, show relationship by having them close together, touching one another wherever possible - you know, arm over the shoulder, etc. Second, make it casual. Try to get them to laugh and relax.

With groups of monsters - young or old - it's the same. First, pack them together, have them touch, and fill the frame with them. Second, keep it casual. Don't line them up like soldiers at attention. If you're photographing three, group them in a triangle - this arrangement usually looks best. In a larger group, like the one shown above, have some kneel or crouch down in front of the others so you get an up-and-down arrangement. Regardless of the grouping, before you shoot get them to give their scariest growls and grunts and moans. In this case, it beats laughing!

Now, how should we light these posed creatures? When possible, try "ghoul lighting." We mentioned "ghoul lighting" before. What is it? Remember how, as kids, we would shine a flashlight up at our face from below the chin. This is "ghoul lighting." It's different from our everyday lighting which is almost always from overhead, whether it comes from the sun or from room lights. Ghoul lighting creates shadows on the face that are eerie, other-worldly, exotic - in a word, "ghoulish." If you're taking a close-up of a face, here's what we suggest: Don't use your strobe. Rather, have the vampire hold a flashlight about six inches under his chin and point the light up onto his face. Then just bare a few fangs, and Eek!

Trick-or-Treat
We really have two different types of situations here. First, pictures you take from inside your house of goblins who come trick-or-treating to your door. Second, pictures you take from outside a neighbor's door when you follow around after your own baby goblin. We made the portrait of this scary trick-or-treater using the ghoul lighting technique that we described above.

When you're taking pictures of monsters coming to trick-or-treat at your door, you have to be ready. Kids come and go mighty fast. Here's one time when flash on camera can come in handy.

It's best if you have two people in the house. One to answer the door. The other to take the picture from behind so that the photo includes both the person answering the door and that porchful of ghastly visitors. Tell the ghouls they'll have to grimace and groan before treats are dispersed - then snap the shutter while they're howling.

If you are following your own kids with your camera on their trick-or-treat rounds, try to capture their expressions of glee when candy is poured into their outstretched hands. As always, get in close. And - very important - position yourself so that the door won't swing open and block your view.