Winner and Finalists of Halloween Photography Assignment - #35

Lighting and angle really make this shot! By shooting at a slight angle the skull appears to be looking up where the light is coming from and is reminiscent of a "standard shot" used in film to show figures in caskets. Using a similar pose helps in this case by capitalizing on the idea already ingrained in the memory of the viewer. Using black and white also helps to add to the spooky feeling of the image. In addition, the skull is placed so that the eyes are on a rule of thirds line and the lack of any other item in the image helps maintain focus on the skull. The slight glistening in the eye sockets really finishes off the image by adding the suggestion of eyes, or a fresh skull.