Halloween is the day in which eating candy until you're sick is encouraged, and parents have an excuse to dress their child up as a jelly bean, circus clown or Muppet of their choosing.

And everyone seems to want to capture these moments for the ages, or at least for the grandparents

Photo Web sites like Ofoto, Snapfish and Shutterfly are crushed with business in early November, even more popular for showcasing photos than Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Last year, more than 3.1 million photos were uploaded to Shutterfly on Nov. 1 alone, making it the busiest time for the site.

"Grandparents just really want to see pictures of kids in costumes," said Jeff Housenbold, chief executive officer of the Redwood City, Calif-based company.

The company gears up for the holiday in advance by buying more storage, and there are at least 1.6 billion images already being stored.

Four tips for great Halloween photos from Shutterfly:

• Lose the "cheese": It's hard to get a natural look when your children are grinning like a Cheshire cat. Instead, talk to them about the holiday to encourage them to emote. The excitement and anticipation of gobs of candy will shine through.

• Stoop to their level, literally: Get down on one knee when you're photographing little children, and get close. That way you can see their cute faces without zooming in, and the photos don't look down on your pint-size progeny.

• Stay close to the action: The closer you stand to people mobbing a neighbor for candy, the less shaky your camera work is and that translates to a better photo.

• Keep the cameras rolling: Don't stop shooting after the costumes come off. Grandparents love anything having to do with the grandkids, even photos of them chowing on candy.

Comments

(Requires free registration.)

0 comment(s) found!