Halloween is such a fun time of year. There’s pumpkin carving, copious amounts of sweets and a chance to get dressed up in a ghoulish get-up that will hopefully spook a few people! But what about your little dog? Shouldn’t they get to enjoy the festivities too?

Here at Parrot Print, we’ve put together a go-to guide for dressing up your pooch so that you can get the best medium family snaps to turn into a canvas print. You could even turn your Halloween photographs into a print gift for a loved one – especially one who loves all things scary…

Winning outfits

Where to start? If you have a Shih Tzu then a Star Wars wookie costume is a must. You can turn your Chihuahua into a taco or your terrier could be an Umpa Lumpa! Plus, any breed can pull off the batman costume. There’s so many options that you’ll easily spend too many hours checking them all out.

Pinterest is excellent for browsing the options, as well as this site that is packed with ideas. But, if you run out of time, there’s always the option of throwing an old sheet over them to become a ghost!

In nothing but paint…

You can ditch all outfit ideas and go straight for painting your dog. Yes, paint! There’s a non-toxic, hypoallergenic paint that can be used on your furry friend to turn them into skeletons, little foxes or anything else your imagination can conjure up. Check out the painted skeleton dog Nixe for inspiration.

This will also be an unusual look that will get attention this year. Who else will be painting their dog for Halloween?

Photography lessons

Halloween is also the perfect time to flex the photography muscles by testing your pet photography skills. Patience is needed, along with the ability to hold your dogs attention (treats at the ready…). This could also be the first of many shoots with your best friend – who knows? Your dog could be the next Instagram star!

Regardless, it will probably be your funniest photoshoot to date and it’s also something that the children can get involved in too.

A Halloween photoshoot will also give you the opportunity to work on light and shadow in your images, picking out splashes of colour (orange being a big choice). Here’s some great examples of working with shadow to get you started.

Creating spooky prints that capture the personality of your furry friend, while also depicting the eeriness of Halloween, is easier than you think. This post on setting up a Halloween shoot will definitely come in handy too, looking at the equipment needed, location and timing, as well as tricks and tips for working with white balance.