Costumes, A Camera
and Photography

For decades now, it has helped us capture and preserve the visual memories of places and times past, and it continues to record memorable events. Trunkloads of photos have also led to a serious scrapbooking habit.

Over the years, the subject has shifted from travels to the four corners of the globe to more familiar ones such as Hobbie's 100 acre woods, nature in general, house elves, and of course, costumes for Halloween, the Renaissance Fair, and more recently, historical re-enacting. Photography is just as much fun now as it was way back then...

Whether it be the Leica, the Rolleiflex, one of several Nikons, or the Minoltas, the Brownie camera [yikes, does that ever put a date on the subject!] is even featured in this photographic saga. Today, the dark room equipment sits well protected in a corner of the storage room, obsolete equipment we are not willing to part with.

Gone are the days of 12, 24 or 36 photos at a time. Now, it's hundreds of snapshots which need to be organized. How do we do it?

We use the software at least once a day to add a few pages to our virtual product catalog. A favorite feature? The photo collage. Easy as 1,2,3.

And what could be easier than using your photos to create unique photography gifts?

Yes, some of us still prefer to use 35 mm. conventional cameras but the digital camera, even with extra accessories, has slowly pushed aside the bulky and often heavy paraphernalia of even the most casual of photographers. Let alone the person who considers this to be more than a mere hobby.

No more lugging a variety of heavy lenses, the rolls of film, filters for this, that or the other situation, muttering under your breath when a dark cloud obscures your only source of light...

Photos © 2000-2007 Hobbie's House of Wizard Wear.

Therefore, whether it be for Halloween, Anime Expo, DragonCon, a party or any upcoming event, do take pictures and have your picture taken in full costume.

After all, you have been working feverishly for weeks, maybe even a month or more to create an award winning costume. So, grab that camera, any camera, and take some photos!

Post them to your Live Journal, your Squidoo lens or MySpace profile, start an online scrapbook, print them...just set the timer, strike a pose and take the picture, or allow someone else to take your photo.

Here is another interesting way to capture, share and preserve memories: OurStory.com - Go beyond diaries and journals. See your life history on a graphical time-line.

How do you make the subject pose for a photo?? or better yet, how do you make them smile? Tricks of the photography trade!

Let the costume wearer, whatever their age group, do his/her own thing and you will be rewarded with fabulous photos to add to your albums or scrapbooks.

We also found some interesting and "à propos" articles related to this creative hobby.

Consider adding your wizard costume photos to Hobbie’s Gallery of Wizards, especially if part of your wizard school uniform is one of Hobbie's sweaters or scarves.

It will allow others to visualize how well the various components of a wizard costume work together and in general, can be an inspiration to other wizard fans that plan to create their own costume. You know the saying - a picture is worth a thousand words...

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There she was in all her glory. Long white lab coat, frizzy hair, safety goggles -- and a face smeared with the black ash of an experiment gone terrifically wrong. She was, at least on this Halloween night, Dr. Abby Normal. But for most of her life I had known her as Abigail, my daughter, and I had just taken some of the most legendary photos of her life. These weren't your garden-variety portraits. Not exactly Wal Mart studio stuff either. They were pictures taken of my kids in their natural element -- being kids. That is the real photo opportunity of a holiday like Halloween.

For treasured images this Halloween, here are some quick tips to remember to get once-in-a-lifetime photos:

1. Stop Posing -- Halloween is not a formal affair. So don't bother with the wedding style shots. Engage the kids in the play associated with their costumes -- and THEN shoot the pictures. Candids reveal the smiles much more than a "Hold still, honey!" moment.

2. Shoot Early, Shoot Often -- Film is the cheapest part of photography. And in this digital age, there just isn't a reason not to shoot several images. There are many good reasons for being trigger happy with the camera. First, if kids are use to you constantly firing away they won't bother with the plastic smiles. But most importantly, shooting more simply increases your chances for great pictures. With Halloween pictures some of the best images are taken while the costuming is in process -- don't wait for the finished product in getting out the camera.

3. Get in Their Face -- Halloween was made for pretend. Kids love to make faces, don costumes and assume a new personality. It is the ultimate form of exhibition. You just can't let the opportunity pass. They WANT to be noticed. Most point-and-shoot variety cameras have wide-angle lenses. While this helps them to get sharp results and to work well in lower light, they tend to move the subject matter further away. Most have a minimum shooting distance of around three feet. Don't be afraid to push that limit at Halloween. Get in close, have them make faces, ask them to talk to the camera. They will. It is, after all, Halloween.

4. Let Them Call the Shots -- It's their party. Ask them what kind of pictures they want. When my son was Harry Potter a few years back he wanted to jump off the roof on his Nimbus 2000. We had to reason with him a bit. But a little leap from a lawn chair to the grass did the trick and we got the shots of Harry in flight. Chances are your kids have an idea of the persona they are adopting. Let them call the shots to document the experience.

5. Use the set -- Most of us decorate for the season. There could be haystacks, a bubbling pot, a roaring fireplace. Use these props, even if they don't fit the theme of the costume. Down the road the memories you cherish will include all the fun that went into creating the holiday environment in your home.

Good candid pictures of children require active participation and putting them at ease. Halloween is the easiest of seasons in which to do this.

© 2004 by Jeff Westover

About The Author

Jeff Westover is a freelance writer and father of seven from Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the managing editor of My Merry Christmas.com, where folks have been making merry online for more than a decade. He writes about holidays, families, parenting, home schooling and photography for a variety of publications both online and offline. Please visit http://mymerrychristmas.com for more articles like this one.