Assignment 9: Halloween!

A mother and son hand out candy in their driveway to young trick-or-treaters in Highland Park, Texas, on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2025. ©2025 Rubyanne Moley/SMU

A home decorated with pumpkins, lights, and a towering inflatable jack-o’-lantern welcomes trick-or-treaters in Highland Park, Texas, on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2025. ©2025 Rubyanne Moley/SMU

Two trick-or-treaters walk down a neighborhood street in Highland Park, Texas, on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2025. ©2025 Rubyanne Moley/SMU

Children dressed in colorful costumes — including peas in a pod, a Dr. Seuss character, and a minion — walk door to door collecting candy in Highland Park, Texas, on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2025. ©2025 Rubyanne Moley/SMU

This weekend, I ventured to the suburbs of Highland Park to capture families trick-or-treating for the holiday. I am not from Dallas, so I relied on intuition and memory of last year’s celebrations to take a guess where I could find good images of trick-or-treaters. We headed out around 6 p.m. to get even lighting and younger crowds. I was excited to capture everything, but I was fearful of how I would be able to take photos of the family without being questioned. 

What I did right: I did a good job of making people the focus of my subjects! I was quick on my feet, taking as many photos as possible, chasing the right shots. I was keeping track of my perspective, watching for faces as I looked in the viewfinder. I had the perfect camera settings and was quick to adjust when needed. I also knew the theme I was going for--family and memories of Halloween. The colors are vivid and balanced, with medleys of form and shade ranges.

What I did wrong: It was very difficult to take a good photo and not look completely suspicious while doing so. I wanted to squat to get a better angle of all the children running around as they compared candy and rang doorbells. My roommate was trying to teach me street photography methods where I hold the camera at my chest, but it was not working. The shots would come out crooked, too zoomed out, and blurry. There were also moments where I missed the perfect shot, like a child looking up at his parents, two little girls dressed as Pennywise running across the street together, etc. With all the commotion, I was struggling to find a focus. There was so much bustle I could’ve stayed for hours.

How I fixed it: I would make sure to smile and appear approachable as I shot the pictures. I’d ask families if they looked at me confused and made clear I was a student. I also got more comfortable with street photography as the night went on. I looked for groups of children who had good energy to make my subjects. I placed myself in yards and on sidewalks at all times to get the right angles of the candy being handed out. 

Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I loved being able to reminisce about being a child once. I saw families creating what I knew would become moments they will look back on with happiness. I wish I could give some of these families the photos I took, and hopefully they will find their way to them.