12 Perfectly Spooky Photoshoot Ideas

Do you wish Halloween were year-round? Are you a fan of horror or the supernatural? Whatever your interest is in the spooky and spectral, there are tons of great ideas to kick off your spooky photoshoot. From the mildly eerie to the shockingly spooky, we’ve got you covered with 12 perfectly spooky photoshoot ideas.

Finding the right spooky setting can really push your project that extra mile when it comes to gasp factor. Thankfully, Peerspace, the world’s largest online marketplace for rentals, has got you covered. Peerspace provides an impressive catalogue of rentals across the country that represent a wide variety of different locations. Getting the perfectly spooky venue for your shoot should be a priority, and Peerspace’s search engine allows you refine your search with keywords to narrow down the listings to exactly what you’re looking for. On to the list!

1. Vampire’s lair

Classically spooky, vampires are a favorite among horror and sci-fi fans alike, and the thought of fanged vampires is sure to fascinate audiences. What better way to evoke the blood-sucking qualities of a vampire than by transporting your audience straight into the monster’s lair? If you happen to be in the San Diego area, we have the perfect photoshoot location for you. This blood-colored one of a kind moody lair will certainly provide the ideal backdrop for just such a shoot.

2. An old-fashioned haunting

Old Victorian homes are an ideal atmosphere for a spooky photoshoot idea. Their timeless architecture is strongly associated with the distant past, and with the lives of people who are no longer present. The creak of floorboards, endless small rooms, and intimate interiors are sure to bring spooky vibes to your shoot. In New Jersey? No need to go far—you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for in this beautiful Victorian home in Bogota.

3. Otherworldly intrigue

Looking to do something spooky with style? Take advantage of an interior space with intriguing and mystical objects, lots of houseplants, low-light, and dimly colored walls. This spooky setup is bound to invoke curiosity as well as elements of the unknown. The Jupiter House in New York provides just such a setting, with its dark blue walls, lush indoor plants, and choice decorations.

4. A churchly haunting

For one, the Holy Spirit already inhabits churches, so you’re off to a good start already. Like the Victorian mansion, the church presents us with another connection to the past and another opportunity for a spooky photoshoot idea. Dress your subjects as bygone clergy members and get them to drift between the pews like phantoms. There are many great churches in the Boston area, but this classical example is not only perfect for this shoot but ready to be rented.

5. The Parisian catacombs

If you haven’t heard of them, the catacombs are far below Paris and lined with real human bones. Nothing says spooky like real human remains from a time long ago. While you may not be able to pull off this spooky photoshoot in the actual catacombs, you can always bring the catacombs to you with a greenscreen. If you’re in the Portland area, this green screen studio is the perfect canvas for your catacombs nightmare.

6. Favorite dramatic TV crime shows

If you’re a fan of the CSI franchise, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Someone goes out for a jog or leaves the club, and ends up not making it alive into the next scene. Well, bring your favorite CSI Miami victims back to life with this fun and spooky homage to the dead who make each episode possible. Happen to be in Miami? Look no further than this glammed-up club backdrop, which will allow you to put your favorite victims right back in the context that preceded their demise. 

7. Child’s play

As we’ve learned from Stephen King’s IT and The Shining, the vulnerability of children and childhood activities can be used to create a truly spooky atmosphere. One of the spookier spooky photoshoot ideas, this theme proposes to transform a children’s space into a ghastly backdrop for your shoot. To give you an idea, check out this children’s treehouse in the Salt Lake City area, which can easily be enhanced and altered to meet your spooky theme.  

8. A farmhouse horror

Farms can certainly be spooky places. The association with animals, butchering, and rural and remote areas, conjure up scenes of horror that we’ve seen played out in newspapers and on the big screen. The ramshackle and rustic wood exterior of farmhouses is enough to give some people the chills. Take advantage of the structures and create the perfect spooky backdrop for your photoshoot. Are you in Atlanta? You may want to check out The Grant Park Farmhouse with its battered wood exterior.

9. Cabin in the woods

Continuing the theme of spooky photoshoot ideas that have rural settings, a cabin the woods can both embody a romantic ideal and a horrible nightmare. It’s because we have both positive and negative associations with a rural cabin that it becomes a terrific setting for a spooky shoot. You can really convey an atmosphere of secluded isolation, losing your subjects in a haunted wood. This handcrafted tiny house in Dallas may not be rural, but it can certainly be used to give an impression of it in your shoot. 

10. Grim matron

When we think of where ghosts appear, we most often imagine them haunting the place where they died or the spaces they inhabited in life. When it comes to spooky photoshoot ideas, we suggest designing your shoot around a particular property and focusing on the identity of its former inhabitant. You can engineer the set to reflect the life and activity of the ghost who haunts the property, which will add another dimension to your ghostly subject. If you’re in New Orleans, this historic mansion will present you with a great location for this homage to a particular specter.   

11. Charon’s passage

For myth lovers out there, this is among the top spooky photoshoot ideas just for you. Famous for being the ferryman who delivers recently departed souls to Hades, Charon allows you to take to the water to re-create your version of the classically spooky myth. Pump some fog on the water and shoot at dusk, and you’ll be able to evoke the ghastly mythos of Hades’ ferryman. In Charlotte and looking for a lakefront to shoot on? Look no further than this beautiful cottage on Lake Wylie.

12. Dimly lit industrial space

There’s a reason a lot of music videos are shot in industrial or warehouse spaces. The open area and concrete floors allow you to transform the environment. However, in this case, you’ll want to keep the space bare and queue up the dramatic lighting. Industrial spaces naturally give off a chilly atmosphere that’s perfect for a spooky shoot. If you’re in Chicago and looking for an industrial space, make sure to check out this professional film set and warehouse in Melrose Park.

However you’ve decided to engineer your spooky shoot, you should check out the tons of other great listings on Peerspace for inspiration and a possible photoshoot location.

Find unique photoshoot locations on Peerspace