11 baby Halloween photoshoot ideas you can do at home

For a baby’s first Halloween photo you only need a simple costume, a window and a plain blanket. Pumpkin, witch and ghost are the easiest to start with: babies tolerate them, and people recognize them at a glance. If you would rather not buy a costume your baby will wear for one evening, take one clear photo of their face and let a BabyWish filter dress them up.

Below are eleven costume ideas, each with a way to set it up at home and the BabyWish filter that gives you the same look from a single photo. The pictures in this post are the app’s own example images.

Before you start

Shoot a few days before October 31, in daylight. On Halloween evening it is dark by the time anyone is in costume, and phone photos of babies indoors at night come out grainy and orange.

Put your baby near a window and switch off the ceiling lights. Light from the side is soft and flattering; a bulb overhead turns skin orange and leaves dark circles under the eyes. A cream, grey or dark blanket behind your baby keeps the costume in focus, while patterned fabric competes with it.

Pick the moment, too. A baby who has just eaten and slept will give you ten good minutes, and that is all you need. Set everything up first, then bring your baby in. If you want them to look at the camera, ask someone to stand right behind you and talk or shake a toy.

Keep costumes away from the face and neck: no strings, no tight elastic, nothing that can slip over the nose. Take the costume off before any nap.

How to pose your baby at each age

• 2 months: lay your baby on a blanket and shoot from directly above. At this size a hat or a wrap works better than a full costume.
• 5 months: try tummy time, or sit your baby in a nursing pillow or a laundry basket lined with a blanket.
• 7 months: most babies sit on their own now, so you can put a pumpkin next to them or a toy broom on their lap.
• 10 months: they will not stay put. Turn on burst mode and get down to their eye level.

If you plan to use the photo in BabyWish, choose one where the face is sharp, looking at the camera and not covered by a hand, a hat brim or a pacifier.

11 baby Halloween costume ideas

1. Little pumpkin

The classic first Halloween costume. For a newborn, an orange knit hat with a green stem is enough. Older babies can sit in a pumpkin patch, or on the floor beside two or three small pumpkins.

2. Little witch

All you need is a pointed hat and a black tutu. Expect the hat to come off within a minute: attach it loosely to a soft headband and take your photos first thing. A toy broom on the lap finishes the look.

3. Little ghost

Don’t put a sheet over your baby’s head. Sew two felt eyes onto a white onesie, lay your baby on a white blanket and dim the room a little. You get a ghost, and you can still see your baby’s face.

4. Pirate captain

A striped top, a red bandana and a cardboard sword. Skip the eye patch; the elastic sits right next to the eye, and your baby will pull at it before you have your phone ready.

5. Superhero

Sew a felt logo onto a plain T-shirt and tie a short cape loosely at the front. Shoot from below and your baby looks big against the sky or the ceiling.

6. Safari explorer

Good for babies who will not keep anything on their head. A khaki shirt and a few stuffed animals around them are enough. The sun hat can lie on the blanket next to them.

7. 1920s boss

A flat cap, a tiny vest and a very serious face. The face is the hard part; wait for the moment just before a yawn.

8. Teddy bear onesie

The most comfortable costume here. A brown fleece onesie with ears keeps your baby warm and comes off in seconds, which helps on a cold evening.

9. Little prince or princess

A paper or felt crown and a red cape. Sit your baby on a velvet cushion or the softest armchair you have, and shoot from a little below.

10. Little astronaut

A white or silver onesie, a cardboard control panel and a dark blanket with a few glow-in-the-dark stars. The dark background makes the suit stand out.

11. Family costume

If the whole family dresses up, choose a theme that works in a single photo: superheroes, pumpkins or pirates. Stand close together so nobody is cut off at the edge. BabyWish’s family portrait filters work the other way round: you give the app one photo each of mom, dad and baby, and it puts the three of you together in costume.

Real costume ideas from Pinterest

Photos other parents have shared on Pinterest. Use them for costume ideas, or to see how others handled the pose and the light.

Before you share the photos

Turn off location in the photo’s details so it does not reveal where you live, and check the background for a house number or the name of a nursery.

A filter is no substitute for a costume you made yourself, and it is not meant to be. It is useful when there is no costume, when your baby fell asleep before the party, or when you want to see one more look before Halloween is over.