An artist created this spooky pumpkin photo using practical effects and lighting

Halloween is a holiday that can spark our creativity in different areas: decorating the home, carving pumpkins, or creating costumes. And of course, it sparks imagination in photographers as well.

Inspired by Halloween, Felix Hernandez has created a spooky photo of pumpkin on fire that looks like it just got out of a horror movie. As always, he used practical effects, lighting, and patience to achieve all the effects he wanted, and he kindly shares with DIYP some details about this spooky shot.

Felix did use some Photoshop to get the final image: it’s a combination of four individual shots, merged by using different blending modes. However, all four photos were shot in the studio, using practical effects and practical lighting. No digital effects were added – the fire, the smoke, and the spooky lights are all real.

This is the gear Felix used:

• Canon 5D MIII
• Canon 24-105 mm /f.4
• Manfrotto Tripod
• 2 Studio flashes: Paul C. Buff Einstein

Here’s how each of the photos was taken:

• Shot 1: with two studio flashes / blue gel for the background / orange gel for the pumpkin.
• Shot 2: Same two flashes with gels but now with a low fog machine.
• Shot 3: Same as shot 2, but with the top of the Pumpkin.
• Shot 4: Practical light / Just exposed for the fire burst / No studio flashes.

When the photos were taken, Felix merged the images in Photoshop and color graded the final image using Nik Collection. And this is what the final image looks like:

If Halloween inspires you too to make creepy photos like this, shoot away! But, just be careful with carving and fire. Make sure to check out more of Felix’s awesome work on his website, Facebook page, Instagram, Behance, and YouTube channel.