Photographing the Halloween season can be a fun and creative endeavor, as it allows you to capture the eerie and atmospheric elements associated with the holiday. This can be done through the right location, atmospheric lighting, props and decor, costumes and makeup, foggy or overcast weather, experimenting with angles, or creative post-processing. We’ve curated a group of creators whose images fit the vibes of the season in one way or another. Take a look at their imagery, how they created it and the gear they relied on to get the shot. Create your own spooky shots and tag #SonyAlpha. Don’t forget to follow @SonyAlpha on Instagram for more inspiration and sparks of creativity.

As our favorite frightening holiday approaches, check out these photographers on Instagram for some eerie inspiration.

Brooke Shaden – @brookeshaden

Sony Artisan Brooke Shaden is a self-portrait artist who photographs herself and becomes the characters of dreams inspired by a childhood of intense imagination and fear. Being the creator and the actor, Brooke controls her darkness and confronts those fears. We are always mesmerized by the scenes Brooke creates. Check out the Instagram Reel below that shows some behind the scenes of the shoot as well! 

Ashley Brehm – @ashleyinwanderland

Ashley Brehm is a boudoir, portraits, and weddings/elopements photographer. She is well-known for her dark, dramatic and romantic editing style that you can see in these images. She shot these images on the Sony Alpha 7 III with the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master lens. We love Ashley’s use of props, posing, and editing to create a spooky shot. The typically romantic roses incorporated in what could be interpreted as a malicious scene creates tension, adding to the unsettling vibe. 

Stacy Honda – @StacyHonda

Stacy Honda is a fine art photographer who uses digital photography and Photoshop to create surreal, dreamlike images. She began with a focus on portrait photography and then soon turned the camera on herself to experiment with self-portraiture. She worked as a model for many years so it felt natural for her to use herself as the characters in her images. Wanting to take her images beyond the boundaries of reality, she learned how to composite and manipulate images in Photoshop. Creating is her way of processing emotions, past experiences and desires. Check out her profile for more surreal images. She made the one below using her Sony Alpha 7R III and Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master.

Ivan Wong – @ivvnwong

Ivan Wong is a photographer and Sony Alpha Ambassador. He creates larger than life images by adding 3D elements and utilizing creative lighting. He has really gotten into the Halloween spirit with this image of a witch in the forest. Ivan shot this on the Sony Alpha 1 and the Sony 50mm f/1.4 G Master. We love all the little elements he included, the attention to detail really elevates this image. For more fun and quirky images, be sure to give Ivan a follow. 

Lizzy Gadd – @elizabethgadd

Sony Alpha Ambassador Lizzy Gadd is known as a self portrait artist, creating magical images of herself that feel just out of a fairy tale. Lizzy is deeply passionate about the outdoors and incorporates it into her imagery. The tone, color, posing, and processing of her image often make us feel like we’ve entered a new world. For example, in the image below, we feel like we’ve fallen into a novel about a heroine embarking on a quest. She often shoots with her Sony Alpha 7R V and Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master.

Andrea Friederichs-du Maire – @friederichsdumaire

Andrea Friederichs-du Maire is a self-portrait artist who develops colorful photomontages with herself as the focus. Her digital collages move between photography and painting. They are inspired by surreal ideas, dream memories, fairy tales and imaginations. They offer metaphors for her inner struggles and confrontation with herself. She uses photography to make the invisible visible and with its help to stimulate a transformation process. She made the image below with her Sony Alpha 7 III, it’s meant to represent the feeling of being overwhelmed with information and not being able to take in any more. 

Terrence Drysdale – @tjdrysdale

Terrence Drysdale is a Tampa-based photographer and Sony Alpha Ambassador. He’s a professional portrait, fine art and fashion photographer, and he makes great use of natural light to create his fanciful images. Terrence often draws inspiration from fantasy stories, and that comes across so well in his images. Scrolling through his Instagram account gives the feel of entering a fairytale or an epic adventure. And what is more Spooky than a photo shoot in a cemetery? Terrence did a terrific job of creating a storytelling image here. 

Brooke DiDonato – @brookedidonato

Brooke DiDonato is a visual artist from Ohio living in New York. Her work illustrates the subconscious, creating compositions that blend the ordinary with the uncanny. Tinged by Surrealism, she portrays a state of flux between reality and construction in which psychological experiences are personified. She is recognized for crafting everyday scenes distorted by “visual anomalies” – glitches in the norm. In these shots, everything looks fine, but one thing is slightly “off,” giving the viewer an uneasy feeling. Brooke creates many of her images with the Sony Alpha 7R II.

Rachel Langlois – @penrystudio

Rachel Langlois is a fine art portrait photographer currently based in Houston, Texas. Throughout her photography career, Rachel found herself creating works with more of a skew towards social commentary and activism. She founded the “Disappearing Earth Series,” which is a portrait series that works to spotlight endangered species and how we can help protect them as well as explore the link between women and climate change. Rachel shoots with the Sony Alpha 7R III.

Daniel Blake – @dnlblk

Daniel Blake is a freelance photographer based in the Hudson Valley. For the last few years his work has focused deeply on the emotional themes he finds most compelling in life: heartache, loneliness, love, and melancholy. His experience as a queer artist has continually shaped his approach to photography and helped Daniel to develop his personal style. Daniel shoots with the Sony Alpha 7R III. Follow him on Instagram to see more of his stunning work.