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document.write( "Pope Gregory III started it all in 739 A.D. when he officially designated All \n" );
document.write( "Saints Day, but he wouldn't recognize Halloween as we celebrate it today. It's \n" );
document.write( "become a night of fantasy for children of all ages, and with its pumpkins, \n" );
document.write( "costumes, and trick-or-treating it's also a great opportunity for you to capture \n" );
document.write( "the spirit(s) with your camera.
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document.write( "\"\"It's easy to turn this night of fantasy into permanent picture memories,\"\" says \n" );
document.write( "Chuck DeLaney, Dean of the New York Institute of Photography, \"\"but you have to \n" );
document.write( "follow two simple guidelines or, excuse the pun, you won't have a ghost of a \n" );
document.write( "chance.\"\"
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document.write( "\"\"The most important guideline,\"\" says DeLaney, \"\"is to know exactly what you want \n" );
document.write( "to be the subject of your picture. Then, when you look through the viewfinder of \n" );
document.write( "your camera, make your subject the most important thing in the frame and try not \n" );
document.write( "to show anything that distracts from it. The second guideline is to try to \n" );
document.write( "capture the 'feeling' of the occasion too.\"\"
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document.write( "For example, if you are shooting a jack-o-lantern, it's your subject. Make that \n" );
document.write( "clear by moving in close and almost filling the frame with the pumpkin. Keep the \n" );
document.write( "background simple so it doesn't distract from your subject. Hint: To make this \n" );
document.write( "picture even more interesting, include the faces of the kids or Dad or Mom \n" );
document.write( "hovering over it. Get down low so that you see their faces looming over the top \n" );
document.write( "of the pumpkin. Careful now, you don't want to cut any heads off, even on \n" );
document.write( "Halloween.
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document.write( "Now the second guideline. To capture the eerie \"\"feeling\"\" of Halloween, shoot at \n" );
document.write( "night using \"\"ghoul\"\" lighting. Rule One is to turn off your strobe!
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document.write( "You don't want pictures with its cold, clear light. Rather, you're looking for \n" );
document.write( "eerie lighting that captures the \"\"spirit\"\" of Halloween.
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document.write( "Hint: To capture the glow of a jack-o-lantern, don't light just one candle \n" );
document.write( "inside the pumpkin. Two or three lit candles will produce a far better picture.
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document.write( "When you take a picture of your favorite goblin in costume, have a helper shine \n" );
document.write( "a flashlight from off to one side or from below, the way we all did as kids. \n" );
document.write( "This is \"\"ghoul\"\" lighting and it will produce wonderfully scary lighting in your \n" );
document.write( "pictures. The biggest mistake amateurs make is to shoot from too far back. So \n" );
document.write( "get in close and fill the frame. You don't have to shoot from head-to-toe. \n" );
document.write( "Rather, you're usually better off if you fill the frame with just the head and \n" );
document.write( "shoulders. And bend down low to kid's-eye level. Don't shoot from adult-level.
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document.write( "Hint: If your kids wears a mask, take two shots - one with the mask on and one \n" );
document.write( "without so that in future years you'll be able to identify the little devil \n" );
document.write( "behind the mask (and you may be able to use the picture for your Xmas card). And \n" );
document.write( "don't forget fido. Put a mask or silly hat on the family pet, and shoot - but \n" );
document.write( "fast. Fido or Cleo will be too embarrassed to suffer this indignity for more \n" );
document.write( "than a few seconds.
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document.write( "\"\"The key to good Halloween pictures,\"\" concludes DeLaney, \"\"is to capture the \n" );
document.write( "spirit - the feeling - of the occasion. The spirit of Halloween is ghoulish fun \n" );
document.write( "and silliness. So for great Halloween pictures, know what you want the subject \n" );
document.write( "of each of your pictures to be, and make it important in the frame. Then add \n" );
document.write( "'mood' that captures the spirit of Halloween by the ghoulish way you light your \n" );
document.write( "pictures or the silly way you pose your subjects.\"\"
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document.write( "For more ideas on how to take great Halloween pictures, visit the New York \n" );
document.write( "Institute of Photography Website at \n" );
document.write( "http://www.nyip.com
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document.write( "Reprinted with permission from the NewYork Institute of Photography website at \n" );
document.write( "http://www.nyip.com