The OG Purge Shoot.
And now we have arrived at the OG Purge Shoot—the one that started it all.
This was the very first Halloween session the girls put together, and when they brought the idea to me, I remember thinking, “Oh, this will be fun.” Little did I know just how much fun it was going to be!
This group was HUGE, and everyone showed up ready to completely commit to the theme. The masks were on point, the props were on point, and the whole look had that creepy Purge movie energy. It was one of those shoots where everyone could really step into character and act out the part for the camera instead of simply standing there and posing.
We found the perfect location in the industrial area of downtown Washougal, right around the train tracks. The gritty surroundings gave us exactly the kind of atmosphere we needed. Add a huge group of women dressed for the Purge, creepy masks, dramatic poses, and a camera—and we had ourselves one heck of a Halloween shoot. The girls even made TikToks while we were there, which made the whole experience even more fun. Everyone was completely into it, and honestly, they all looked bomb.com.
But one of my favorite parts of this shoot was the morning itself. We photographed everything around sunrise, and we ended up with absolutely gorgeous weather. There's something about catching that early morning light in an unexpected, gritty location that makes the images feel so much more cinematic. This will probably always be my favorite Halloween shoot—not only because it was the first, but because of the energy everyone brought to it. The group was having fun, the weather cooperated, the location was perfect, and everyone was willing to really get into character. That's what I love about Halloween photography. You don't have to take yourself seriously. You can dress up, get dramatic, play a character, and create something completely different from your everyday life. And honestly, Halloween is always the best excuse to get sexy, get a little wild, and do a photoshoot. The Purge Shoot will always hold a special place in my Halloween photography memories. It was the beginning of some seriously fun and creative sessions—and I'm so glad the girls had the idea to bring this one to life.
