DON'T LET THAT MOMENT GET AWAY!

Tips for taking remarkable photos this Halloween

Halloween can be scary, but taking Halloween pictures shouldn't be! From pretty princesses to ghastly ghosts and everything in between, Halloween is a fun day to keep the camera snapping.

"Just because you aren't a professional photographer doesn't mean you can't take striking photographs," explains Joy Vertz, owner of Shoot the Moon Photography. "Anyone can learn basic techniques that will turn your Halloween pictures into treasured keepsakes."

Here are a few tips of the trade to keep in mind when snapping pictures this Halloween:

• Get up close and personal with your subject. Zoom in on your little ghouls and goblins to fill the frame with their dressed up little selves.
• Play the Part. Ask your gymnast to do a cartwheel or your Luke Skywalker to fire up the light saber - they will love it and you'll have action photos that are keepers!
• Take lots of pictures before and while the sun sets. Using natural light will make it easier to get great photos because you won't have to worry about using your flash. And at dusk, the warm glow of the sun setting will add depth to your photos. After the sun goes down, keep on taking pictures, but remember to add the flash or other another source of light.
• Candid photos are sometimes the best photos. Posed pictures are great, but candid photos produce pictures that really tell the story. Relaxed and uninhibited, candid shots of your little monsters walking up to the next house for candy or shrieking "trick or treat" may just turn out to be Christmas card material.
• Try taking pictures from different angles. Get down on the ground and shoot photos as the troops walk by. Stand on a chair and take an overhead shot or two. Changing it up a bit will result in unique Halloween keepsakes from the camera.

Shoot the Moon Photography is a distinctive fine art portraiture studio in Mequon, Wisconsin and has been named Milwaukee's top photography studio by WISN Channel 12 for 2007. One of the largest and most upscale studios in the Midwest, the studio offers unique, photojournalistic portrait sessions for maternity, infants, children, seniors, families, and weddings. Shoot the Moon also provides distinctive services including artist renditions; custom handbags, jewelry, stationery, and greeting cards; as well as private runway experiences. For more information, call 262-240-9848.