Tip # 53: Shooting Your Pumpkin

There are two ways of taking pumpkin pictures: with or without the flash.

Most people use the flash since it’s the easiest method (picture on the left). But to me, you lose the cool glowing effect of the candle by doing this. The picture on the right was taken while experimenting with the exposure to see what I liked best. If I wanted just the facial features to glow in a sea of darkness, then I exposed for the light. I zoomed in so the light source took up most of the view, adjusted the speed according to the exposure, then recompose the picture. If, as in this photo, I wanted to reveal a little more of the pumpkin, then I adjusted the exposure (the speed) so that the camera took in consideration both the dark and light areas of the scene.


The best thing to do is play around with different exposures (underexpose, regular exposure, and overexpose) to see which effect you prefer. And remember, you’ll need a tripod or a stable surface for your camera; otherwise, the picture will be blurry due to the long exposure times.

Have a great Halloween!