How I got the Photo: Dias de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Dias de los Muertos: Día de los Muertos Halloween Portrait
Every year, I love putting together something a little bold and dramatic for Halloween, and this year’s Día de los Muertos theme was no exception. Inspired by the rich symbolism of the Day of the Dead and the visual power of sugar skull makeup, I wanted to create a darkly elegant portrait — moody, detailed, and full of texture.
The Concept
Our model Skye Medusa was a last-minute but absolutely perfect choice — she brought such poise and emotion to the session. The incredible makeup by Jolie Nguyen set the tone: deep eye sockets, gold highlights, and bold florals that framed Skye’s face beautifully. The styling was completed with black tulle, a corset, and my favourite gothic props — candles, old books, a skull, and, of course, a pumpkin for that Halloween nod.
Lighting Setup
This image was all about atmosphere and contrast. I wanted to balance soft, flattering light on Skye with deep shadows and a bit of mystery.
Key Light: A Neewer Q6 600W strobe in a 85cm Phottix softbox positioned camera right, slightly above eye level. This gave me soft, directional light with gentle falloff.
Fill Light: A Neewer Q6 with a 65cm Phottix Softbox placed low on camera left, just to lift the shadows a touch without killing the mood.
Accent Light: A Godox AD200ProII with ADS200 Light wand behind my model aimed away from the background to create separation and enhance that cinematic look.
I also used my Telesin mini fog machine sparingly for depth and atmosphere — it catches the light beautifully, but the trick is not to overdo it!
Camera Gear & Settings
Camera: Sony A7R5 mirrorless
Lens: Sony 50mm F/1.4GM
Aperture: f/8 — enough depth of field to keep Skye and the props sharp, but still with some background falloff.
Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec (flash sync speed)
ISO: 200 for clean, rich tones.
White Balance: Custom set around 5600K, adjusted slightly cooler in post to enhance the blue gels.
I triggered the strobes using the Godox X3[S] trigger, and shot tethered so I could fine-tune lighting as we went.
Post-Processing
In Lightroom, I made minor exposure adjustments and lifted the shadows slightly, then added a subtle vignette to draw the viewer’s eye back to Skye’s face. The final touch was in Photoshop, where I softened the fog and added a bit of glow to the candles for that extra hint of atmosphere. I also did some colour toning with Film Pack 8 and Exposure 3.
Final Thoughts
This shoot reminded me just how much I love crafting dramatic portraits in-studio. It’s not about complex lighting — it’s about using what you have thoughtfully. Three lights, a bit of fog, and one amazing team were all it took to bring this hauntingly beautiful image to life.
Huge thanks to Skye Medusa for embodying the theme so perfectly, and to Jolie Nguyen for her masterful makeup artistry and for creating the floral headpiece.
