strange request. They want me to photograph their house and make it look haunted.

[bribrius]

I think im going to turn it down. I can imagine me putting hours into this and I have a feeling they wont want to pay for it or at least enough to equal what I put in it. Told them I could probably do it but it isn't as simple of just snapping a photo, going to get more involved and probably multiple shoots and some work to get it right. I haven't said yes, exactly, or no just left it on the table for now. When I tell them to start taking down the decorations they might change their mind. Only reason it came up is they saw some of my other photos, one in particularly, and wanted me to make their house look "haunted" like that in bw.

its a old two story colonial type.

sounds like fun, but at the same time Im trying to put a limit to working too cheap or at all. im just a hobbyist. I have done very little pay work.

anyone else ever have a strange request like this? This a Halloween thing or???????????????????????
what do you charge to photograph a house? They just want outside pics.

 

[Trever1t]

always take the money first. Be up front with them, snap off a quick sample perhaps but don't invest time before receiving payment.

 

[bribrius]

always take the money first. Be up front with them, snap off a quick sample perhaps but don't invest time before receiving payment.

I actually don't even know where I would start to quote, or ask for. This is a big unknown for me. 1-4 days and hope for a dark cloudy stormy night. :lmao: id have to do it at night, cars moved, dim light in windows. decorations and American flag taken down, longer grass would help but wrong time of year for that. This could become involving. Wonder if they realize HOW involving.

 

[Trever1t]

you're vision of the haunted house sounds awesome but maybe that's not what they're wanting? Charge by the time.

 

[bribrius]

sorry for putting it in off topic too guys. I thought it belonged here because I had doubts I was taking this, im not a pro, and this doesn't seem like one of those pro jobs. it isn't like baby photos or a magazine photo more of just freaky. wanted to know if anyone else had run into this and what they ended up doing.

 

[bribrius]

you're vision of the haunted house sounds awesome but maybe that's not what they're wanting? Charge by the time.

well they for sure want it to look haunted, would probably be excited over the blur of a potential person jumping off the second story or ghost in the window. Why I said this was a strange request. time and money are another matter. i have doubts they are going to want to pay me to do this right I think they just want it. And im not a pro so this would take me longer. Course if they call a pro out at night i doubt it would be cheap. Thanks...

This stuff is big around here with some people. we have one of those ghost hunting teams in a nearby town. I went to a lecture on after life spirits in our world last year held locally and another held by a medium on psychic abilities. Both had full seats reserve only. The Halloween spook walks through the woods they charge for in a few places. some people are into this, not so much me...

The people in question are the type (though I didn't see them at the lectures???) but more so of the electric Halloween animated headless zombie etc.
They play Halloween music through a outside speaker on Halloween put it that way.

 

[Trever1t]

Where are you located, Ossining?

 

[bribrius]

Where are you located, Ossining?

no. maine. home of Stephen king.

 

[Trever1t]

LOL :mrgreen:

 

[Scatterbrained]

I can see this. Get a young girl or two with black hair, get them some tattered white gowns, BAM! instant horror film ghosts. Have them move through some long exposures. . . . . . a fog machine, some blue gelled lights. . . . .

 

[bribrius]

I can see this. Get a young girl or two with black hair, get them some tattered white gowns, BAM! instant horror film ghosts. Have them move through some long exposures. . . . . . a fog machine, some blue gelled lights. . . . .

actually I bet you would be much better at this than I. im the solid concrete photo kind of guy remember? This would be right up your alley.

I didn't even think of the blue gel or fog machine (wonder what that would cost) I did think of long exposures and tossing a dummy off the second story with a couple flashlights taped to it. Ghost faces in the window, that kind of thing. I have some different color flashers and a strobe I was considering playing with. Would take me a long unprofessional time to figure out what works.. Part of my hesitation. im going to think on it and talk to them again.

 

[Scatterbrained]

Figure out how long it takes for someone to "half register" during a long exposure (figure a full moon night at iso 100 f/16) then have a creepy looking figure "ghost" into the image somewhere foreboding. Some chilled fog moving across the ground. . . .

If it's a colonial era house (something we have no shortage of here) maybe get a revolutionary war re-enactor for your "ghost". It can all be done in camera; light painting the house, placing the ghost, using the fog machine. The issue is you'd need a long enough exposure and you'd spend several hours getting everything right. Add to that the hiring your "ghost", a fog machine, and anything else and the cost will escalate quickly. The question becomes three fold; can you coordinate a shoot like that, do you want to coordinate a shoot like that, and would they even be willing to pay in the first place? (I'm guessing probably not, but you never know)

 

[bribrius]

yes, not really but I don't hate the idea if they cooperate and let it be done right, prolly chump change as people willing to pay call pro photographers. :smileys:

 

[bribrius]

yeah, not happening, i don't think they want to put too much into this. And i just left the house, doing this would be a biatch. Flowers and decorations everywhere, flower beds, flags, cars, a streetlight directly in front of it turning the front of the house orange. i don't even know what id do with the streetlight. Even windowsill flower pots with pretty little flowers growing all over.
Nice dark cloudy rainy night, figured id take a look. i took a couple snaps, and just looking at them in camera i was thinking "no way".
i really couldn't figure out how to get around that streetlight either, short of maybe taking a gun and shooting it out.
And one of them told me they didn't realize it was so involved. Doesn't sound good from that end.