the halloween recap, a photo tip and a contest

They got into costume and posed for a Halloween portrait.

They partied.

They enjoyed the pizza.

They hopped on their broom.

And finally hit the neighborhood.

Then decided it would be easier to ride.

And finally, they enjoyed all of their loot!!

Halloween is a tricky holiday to photograph, since most of the excitement happens after dark. This year, I was quite pleased with the results I got using the night portrait mode on my camera (the one with the picture of a little man standing in front of a star in the sky).

Basically this mode combines a flash with a long exposure, so instead of white faces and a black background, you get light on the person being photographed and a long exposure to fill in the background details. The problem of course is that you should really use a tripod to prevent blur due to camera shake, which is not exactly practical for trick or treating.

All of the outdoor pictures above, with the exception of the first one, were taken using this night portrait mode after it was dark outside. Although they are blurrier than I would like, I love the color and the fact that the background is not pitch black. Overall, I think they capture the mood pretty well even if they are not technically perfect.

In the end though, I have to go with the last shot of Claire enjoying her candy as my entry for Best Photo in the Halloween Photo Contest sponsored by Parent Bloggers Network and the fabulous folks at Blurb (where you can import photos, artwork or even your blog and turn it into a bookstore quality book, which is a prize I would so love to win).

While I am at it, I will also enter this shot of my little kitty cat in the Cutest Costume (age 2 and under) category. Personally, I think her annoyed expression just makes her that much cuter.

And this shot in the Cutest Costume (age 3 and up) category.