Ghost photoshoot is a creative photography trend that depicts people wearing white sheets over their heads, usually paired with sunglasses. They tend to pose in everyday or unusual settings. Although it carries the atmosphere of the spooky Halloween season, the final results are more funny, playful, ironic, and sometimes even stylish.
The trend originated during the pandemic around the year 2020. Many creators adopted the trend on TikTok and Instagram as it requires minimal props. This article will give you some practical tips on doing a ghost photoshoot yourself.
The Viral Trend Explained
As I have stated before, the trend gained traction during the pandemic. People were interested in doing photo-shooting experiments with minimal, easy, and low-cost props. The ghost photoshoot is a perfect fit for short-form video formats. You can create before-and-after transformations, slow-motion walking sequences, or sync with visuals or music. Since it does not fit only into one category and overlaps with the spooky, artsy, and funny, it has wider potential. It easily transcends into the vintage, cottagecore, or goth aesthetic. 
Why It is Popular During Fall & Halloween
The autumn season naturally has moody backdrops like fallen leaves, empty fields, or mornings filled with mist. It is also the season when the Halloween culture revives. The ghost photoshoot is an easy DIY costume for any spooky and fun-themed party. Unlike the more elaborate costumes, the sheet is cheap, simple, and easy to recognize.
But you can generally turn your ghost photoshoots in several different directions. Besides the fall and Halloween shooting, you can also try the fashion-inspired sexy ghost, gothic, moody, or vintage aesthetic ghost. But the list is not final. You don’t have to shoot with one person. You can do a couple of shots and capture them while dancing, holding hands, or doing certain activities. There is also the possibility of using your pet for the shooting.
Your ghost photoshoot can follow a specific theme. You can capture action or motion, make a specific color the main theme, adapt the concept for a holiday, or make it minimal/abstract by focusing on clean backgrounds, shapes, shadows, and fabric folds.
Materials for Ghost Photoshoot
You will need a couple of essentials for the ghost photoshoot. But the props are minimal, affordable, and DIY-friendly. You might already have them at home.
White Sheet or Fabric
The plain white sheet is the foundation of the final look. Ideally, choose one made of lightweight material that drapes easily or flows when you move. Besides using sheets for the bed, which are usually made of cotton or linen, try lace, sheer fabric, or patterned cloth. Curtains are usually made of such materials. The only disadvantage is that they are usually way too long, and you will need to cut them.
When considering the size of the sheet, a twin or full-size sheet will work fine for one person. You need a fabric that is long enough and will cover you from the head to the toe (ideally 150×200 cm or 60×80 in). Only this way can you create a floating effect at the bottom.
If you are very tall, opt for a queen or king sheet that is around 200×250 cm or 80×100 in. If you need the sheet for children, choose a sheet with 100×150 cm or 40×60 in.
Each person will need their own fabric for a couple of ghost photoshoots. But if you want to get a fabric large enough to cover two people, shooting and striking poses might become trickier.
Sunglasses & Accessories
The glasses will give you that cool, almost cartoonish accent. Some other accessories you can use include hats, scarves, jewelry, shoes, or boots that match the theme. For example, wear combat boots for a goth style, heels for a sexy ghost photoshoot, or sneakers for a casual and funny style.
Camera or Smartphone
It is up to you which one you want to use. If you only shoot and want to make a video for TikTok or Instagram, the smartphone will be enough. When shooting, try the portrait mode, which lets you blur the background.
Otherwise, choose the DSLR or mirrorless camera that better controls the focus and depth of the field.
Tripod & Timer/Remote
If you are doing the whole ghost photoshoot by yourself, you will need the timer or remote control so you don’t need to rush back into place.
Optional Props
To create a certain atmosphere, you can add pumpkins, candles or lanterns, flowers, books, fairy lights, or neon lights. If you are shooting outside, check to see if there is an interesting light art festival or installation. It can provide more experimental lighting conditions.
Choosing the Perfect Location
The location of your ghost photoshoot can set the right mood and complement your initial intention. You can shoot outdoors or indoors. If you choose outdoors, try to stay away from harsh light under direct sun. Look for golden or blue hour, night shots, or cloudy weather.
Outdoor Spots
Parks and fields are suitable for a fall ghost photoshoot. The grass, trees, and autumn leaves create a nearly cinematic vibe.
Graveyards are ideal for setting the Halloween tone.
Abandoned buildings, with their cracked walls or broken windows, create a haunting aesthetic that looks best in black-and-white edits.
City streets and lights can bring out the humorous vibe of the ghost living an everyday life.
Beaches or lakes, especially with strong winds, can create a dreamy, dark mood.
Indoor Setups
The living room gives a cozy space and portrays the ghost as living and doing everyday things.
A bedroom filled with messy sheets and combined with fairy lights is best for a sexy ghost photoshoot.
A studio with lights and a backdrop is more suitable for fashion-inspired and dramatic ghost portraits.
Moody corners or hallways where you capture the shadows create images with mysterious and cinematic vibes.
Bathrooms and mirrors can add a surreal touch to your photos.
How to Prepare for a Ghost Photoshoot
Some essentials to consider before the shooting:
Cut or Not?
If you don’t want to ruin the sheet, use sunglasses; otherwise, feel free to cut the holes for the classic ghost look. Alternatively, you can use a market and draw them as well.
Makeup & Accessories
Use dark lipstick, eyeliner, or jewelry. Hats, chokers, or boots can also greatly change the mood of your shooting.
Clothing
Choose black or dark clothes. You can also get a white long dress and just put the sheet on your head.
Best Camera Settings
Shutter Speed
- Use 1/250 or even higher and faster speed to freeze the movement correctly. For example, if you are shooting, running, or jumping ghosts.
- Experiment with slower speeds around 1/30 or 1/60 in combination with a tripod to get motion blur in your photos and create the “floating” effects.
Aperature
- An f/1.8 – f/3.5 can get you blurry backgrounds and artsy-looking portraits.
- An f/5.6 – f/8 will produce sharper images, ideal for group or outdoor shoots.
ISO
- Keep it low around 100-400 if you shoot under daylight or in a studio.
- Bump it up indoors or at night, where you don’t have a lot of light resources around you.
In addition to natural light, you are free to use additional light sources such as fairy lights, candles, lanterns, LED panels, LED swords, ring lights, and colored gels.
Ghost Photoshoot Poses
Classic Standing Still: an iconis pose in which the ghost stands tall with the sheet falling down. This pose works well in open fields.
Sitting on Stairs or Benches can strengthen your photos’ lines and shadows. You can produce images that tell a story of ghosts hanging out or at home.
Walking or running will create motion blur, primarily when shooting with slower shutter speeds. The ghost can walk down the street, run in the field, or ride on the road. It can also spin around, and you can get a better twirling look.
Funny or creepy poses: Ask your ghost to sip a coffee, read a book, take selfies, or skateboard. Alternatively, the ghost can crouch in a dark corner, stand at the end of a hallway, or lean in doorways.
Editing Tips for a Ghostly Effect
This guide to doing a ghost photoshoot will end with a couple of tips for post-processing after the shooting. I plan to do more in-depth tutorials for the in-depth tutorial in a separate article.
Filters
- Use soft and muted filters.
- Apply fade-out contrast for a misty look.
- Try sepia or desaturated tones for a more timeless, vintage feel.
Black and Whtie vs. Warm Fall Tones
Black-and-white will make the photo more dramatic, creepy, and old-fashioned. It is ideal for abandoned houses or graveyards.
Warm fall tones create a seasonal ghost vibe with deep reds, oranges, and browns.
Apps for Beginners
VSCO: great for filters that create moody and vintage effects.
Snapseed: The app is free and ideal for beginners. It allows you to make many changes with brightness, shadows, saturation, details, curves, colours, lens blur, and vignette, as well as retouch and transform or apply available styles.
Lightroom Mobile gives you more control over your edits, like the color grading.
Dazz Cam is a retro app with many vintage cameras that can produce interesting film textures or nostalgic effect-like images with just one click. (Images in this article were taken with it and I also used Adobe AI generative fill to change the backgrounds or in some cases Hypic AI expand.)
Adding Grain or a Vintage Film Look
Grain will make the photos more old-fashioned and retro-looking, but also more ghostly, as if they were closed in the past.
You can add subtle scratches or dust overlays. Editing apps tend to include them.
You can try to lower the clarity and increase dehaze or soften the highlights so the picture looks more ethereal.
Quick Workflow Tip
- Desaturate slightly
- Add grain or fade shadows
- Apply a warm or B&W filter
- Finish with a light leak or film overlay layer to get the best ghost aura
Final Thoughts
My guide for doing a ghost photoshoot is not comprehensive. The rest lies in your hands. You have the chance to make it as unique as you want. There’s no need to mimic the trending videos you see online — instead, express your own sense of humor, fashion, and unique aesthetic.
You also don’t have to stick to one mood. Make more shots. Some can be funny, some darker, or even cinematic. The same applies to the location. If you don’t want to go outside, make the most of your house and its every corner. Or use AI features and play with the backgrounds.
The editing process can also contribute to your signature. It is up to you to choose your own direction and tones. Editing is that moment when your ghost story comes truly alive.
You can also try to fit the seasonal vibe, but you can also ignore it and come up with your own seasons, special days, or themes, such as Ghost Landing Party, Ghost Coffee Run, or Haunted City Walk.
Last but not least, have fun with it. The trend is about creativity and not taking yourself too seriously. Sometimes, the silliest ghost shots are the best ones.
If you enjoyed experimenting with the ghost photoshoot and want to keep exploring creative ways to take mysterious, artistic portraits without showing your face — and without hiding under a sheet — be sure to check out my previous post, “13 Photography Pose Ideas Without Revealing Your Face.”
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