Don’t be afraid…

Hi everyone! With everyone’s favorite holiday rapidly approaching, (hint: it’s October) we thought it would be fun to provide some insight in how to photograph some of our – and your – favorite monsters. We are not talking about your little critters dressed up in their costumes, we’re talking about the real guys. If you have read our bios, you know that Kat & I have differing opinions on the subject of Zombies, so it seems like a fitting place to begin.

Zombies are currently a very popular demographic – everyone wants a piece of them, it seems. In our studio, we find that photographing zombies poses some special challenges. First, they have  horrible skin – due to years of poor diet and overexposure to radiation. We use subdued lighting to de-emphasize their decay. Using a soft focus also helps. Follow these pointers and your results will be dead-on and they will eat it right up.

When posing zombies, the creative possibilities are endless because their joints tend to bend in many unusual directions. Try to take advantage of this but remember, their motor skills are lousy and you will likely need to move their body parts for them. Wear gloves. If a arm falls off during the session, it’s not a grave situation – you can use it as a prop. Interestingly, most zombies are pigeon toed and favor sportscoats, which is currently a very fashionable look. Be sure to capture this if the photo is going into Vogue.

Please be sure to be certain that they are well fed prior to their photo session. Although their brain is rotted, when they get hungry they tend to get a one track mind and their appetites are legendary. So, keep your distance, use a zoom lens and make sure that you can run faster than your assistant. Trust me, it’s hard to get the perfect shot if your arm is lunch.

It is important to make a connection with your subject but it is difficult with zombies – You are composing – and they are decomposing. It’s tough to get on the same page. But through persistence, you can capture the perfect shot and create an heirloom that will never die.

Stu

p.s. Please stay tuned for our next entry in a few days: Vampires

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