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4 simple steps to create spooky portraits in nature

Halloween is just around the corner and that always makes me want to bring out the mystery in my photos. Here are 4 steps to help you create spooky portraits in nature.

  1. The perfect weather

To get that spooky and mysterious atmosphere you must pick a day for your photoshoot when it’s cloudy, rainy or best of all - foggy. I would say a foggy day makes your photos 10 times spookier and it really brings out the feeling of mystery that I want to have in my photos this time of the year.

OM-1 • M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO • 20 mm • 1/25 s • F1.4 • ISO 500

A foggy and cloudy day in the beech forest about an hour until sunset.

  1. The right location

I always come back to the forest for these kinds of photos, especially when it’s foggy because then you get those layers of trees slowly fading away into the fog. The trees in the forest also makes it a little darker on cloudy and foggy days, which adds a spooky feeling and is also perfect if you want to use props such as candles or another light source.

I try to look for a forest with older trees because there tend to be more space between them which makes it easier to find a nice composition and to move around to get a good angle.

OM-1 • M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO • 45 mm • 1/100 s • F1.2 • ISO 640

Found a nice clearing in the forest to make my model stand out from the background.

  1. Props and clothes

Before you head out to shoot, think about what props and clothes you can use to increase the spooky feeling. It’s easier to get a good shot if you have thought about a theme or feeling that you want your photo to have.

OM-1 • M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO • 45 mm • 1/125 s • F1.2 • ISO 400

OM-1 • M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO • 45 mm • 1/125 s • F1.2 • ISO 400

These two photos are taken at the same location within minutes but thanks to different outfits and light source they don’t radiate the same feeling. In the left photo I wanted to create the feeling of a woman from the 1800s searching for a safe place in the dark forest. In the right photo I wanted more of a “Stranger Things” feeling with someone trying to figure out what made that noise.

  1. Composition and settings

The forest can be a bit confusing to shoot in – there are trees everywhere! But I always try to look for a small clearing so that my model has at least a few meters to the trees in the background. Sometimes I frame the photo with trees which kind of works like a vignetting.

I always shoot with a wide aperture to get the focus on my model and make the background a bit blurry and mysterious. To increase the spooky feeling I underexpose the photo a bit to make it a little darker.

E-M1 mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO • 25 mm • 1/125 s • F1.2 • ISO 200

E-M1 mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO • 25 mm • 1/125 s • F1.2 • ISO 200

E-M1 mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO • 25 mm • 1/125 s • F1.2 • ISO 200

I always shoot some “test shots” when shooting self-portraits to make sure the composition and settings are ok. During this photoshoot I chose to go a bit closer to the tree I was going to shoot with. I placed a flashlight between the roots in the tree to make it look like there was light coming from within the tree and I also changed to more suiting clothes for the photoshoot.

Now that Halloween is closing in - charge your camera, think about a theme for your photoshoot, gather props if needed, look for a cloudy or foggy day and head out to create your spooky fairytale!

OM-1 • M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO • 45 mm • 1/250 s • F1.2 • ISO 640

E-M1 mark III • M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO • 25 mm • 1/250 s • F1.6 • ISO 200

OM-1 • M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO • 45 mm • 1/800 s • F1.2 • ISO 400

OM-1 • M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO • 20 mm • 1/15 s • F1.4 • ISO 500

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About the author

NaturebyLouise

In love with nature and fairytales.

I'm a photographer from Sweden who loves to be out in nature and always tries to capture the magic.
One of my favorite things is to get up before sunrise during summer and drive around on small dirt roads with my camera, listening to inspiring music while looking for sun rays and magical views.

I started photography when I was 14 years old back in 2005 and later started up my own business as a photographer in 2016. Since then I've been working with brands and companies all over Europe, selling digital photos and prints. I've also launched online courses in photography and workshops.

If you would like to know more about me you can find me on instagram @naturebylouise or visit my website www.naturebylouise.com


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