Charm City Moms: Tip sheet on taking great Halloween pictures - A blog for Maryland parents by The Baltimore Sun's Kate Shatzkin

Halloween pictures

Today's Tip Sheet is on how to take great Halloween pictures. Kodak.com has a nice multimedia presentation with tips on how to make the most of your photos of the spooky holiday. They include:

--Tell a story. Photograph your child turning into his Halloween alter-ego, as well as the finished look. You can use the photos to make a flip-book that documents the transformation.

--Avoid flash reflections. (See good "do" and "don't" examples here.) If you're using a flash (and since some of these pictures are taken when it's dark out, you might be), stay away from reflective surfaces like mirrors and windows. They can project a big, irritating reflection of the flash onto your shot. If you can't avoid those surfaces, Kodak.com recommends standing diagonally from your subject while you shoot.

--Move in close. Fill the frame with your subject. (This tip works year round, especially when it comes to taking kid pictures.)

--Stay in flash range, about 6-10 feet for digital cameras and 15 feet for cameras that use film, Kodak.com says. Otherwise, your pics will be too dark or too light.

--Get kids into character. Urge them to act the part they're playing...

(AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

and don't be afraid to get a little action into the shot.

--Capture the mood. Trying turning off the flash and using the glow of a pumpkin or the fading light of the sky to get an atmospheric shot. When you're shooting without flash, be sure to hold the camera very steady to avoid blur from the slower shutter speed, the site says. Don't forget to switch your camera to night mode, which adjusts for low light.

--For great jack-o-lantern photos, cut bigger holes when you carve; they'll let out more light. If the pumpkin needs brightening, use a flashlight or turn on a nearby porch light.

--Create a ghostly photograph. This looks fun, if a bit more advanced: Try setting your camera exposure for 8 seconds, then have your subject leave the photo after 5 seconds, which will make the subject's image appear transparent. Have the person move very slowly as you take the picture.

What are your favorite Halloween picture-taking tips? If you'd like to also share the pics, e-mail them to me and I'll post some.