[DaveintheGrave]

I'm kind of late posting these pictures, mainly because I'm always disappointed with the small amount of good pictures I get. I never seem to have time on Halloween night to take all the pics I want and most of the night shots just don't turn out very good. Halloween 2014 was GREAT, and all the TOTs seemed to enjoy it all, but my pictures just don't do it justice. Next Halloween I'm bound and determined to use a tri-pod and get some decent shots.
So, a lot of these are from setting up on Halloween day and then the rain cut us short Halloween night which kept me from getting night shots of a lot of my props. Several of the props I had displayed aren't even in the photos.
But, these will give a pretty good idea of what my yard looked like.
Here is a link to the Photobucket page which also has a few short videos of some of my props:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DaveNTracy/library/Halloween 2014?sort=3&page=1

Thanks for any comments!

 

[DaveintheGrave]

 

[The Halloween Lady]

Dave I love your wolf and trick or treaters so sooooo much! Is your rocking granny new? She is absolutely terrifying!!! I think the grave yard looks great and your night pics turned out pretty darn good. In fact everything looks pretty darn good. What is the lighted skull and hands? I can't seem to locate it in your pics.
By the way your house is beautiful!

 

[Muffy]

Dave...you got so much new stuff since I last seen your pictures.......you been busy! It looks great...sure wish I could get those projects done like you.

You will be so happy with your photo's when you get a tripod, all my night stuff came out so clear after I got one.

 

[hallorenescene]

dave, I love your haunt. I got a scare out of your wreath. that's pretty cool. I see you have a couple of props I've always wanted. the witch girl and the skeleton vender. I got a kick out of the trick or treaters. especially the one in costume. your grandma in the chair looks real. it is a prop, right? very cool looking. the cemetery and lighting is wonderful. and I see you have a gutter ghost. I have one too. it comes in real handy in my haunt.

 

[scareme]

Your place looks awesome! I know what you mean about not having time to get good pictures. I'm usually still setting up as the first toters arrive. It gets so busy so fast I don't get time to get any good pictures. I thought I had it covered this year when my daughter told me she had taken some pictures. The next morning I checked the camera, and she had taken three. Three! I asked her about it and she said, at least I took three. I just can't win. You have some really good pictures here.

 

[Tsalagi_Writer]

Your place looks awesome. I love all your decorations.

 

[matrixmom]

I love the skelly tot (always a fave) and the rockin granny. That wreath is great too!!

 

[oaklawn Crematory]

The skelly greeter is definitely very cool !

 

[Abunai]

Great job, Dave!

 

[thenightmarefamily]

I have the same problem with my pictures, i get so busy running the haunt that pictures are the last thing on my mind and i usually don't remember until after closing time. This year, just like SCAREME, i had my oldest daughter take pictures through the night and she did take alot of pictures but just about all the night shots were to dark and nothing showed up.

Your yard display is great!!!!!!!!

 

[DaveintheGrave]

Thanks for the kind compliments, everyone. I really appreciate them!
It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has trouble getting enough good pictures.

Halloween Lady--Thanks! My Rocking Granny isn't really new. I think I originally built her about four or five years ago. But she hadn't been displayed much up until now and she went through three motor changes over the years before I finally got her working to my satisfaction. And I took a tip from Diabolik to build the platform for her chair to keep it from "walking" forwards or backwards while she rocks. So now she's good to go an she was a big hit!
The lighted skull and hands is mounted way up high at the peak of my house inside an attic window. It's a prop I bought a Walgreen's years ago called "Benny Bones". You are supposed to stake his head and hands in the ground, but I came up with the window idea. He looks a lot better in person, as the lights slowly fade on and off. This prop used tog get ALL the compliments and it's probably the simplest thing I display. Isn't that always the case?

Muffy---Thanks a lot! Well, I guess some of it is new. I can't remember how long it's been since you've seen all my props. Really, I have TOO much stuff!

hallorenescene--Thank you! That wreath I made many years ago as part of the "Scary Christmas" prop contest here on the forum. It's really a copy of the "Nightmare Before Christmas" wreath displayed at Disneyland. It has hung in our upstairs bonus room since I built it, but this year I told myself I need to finally put that thing on the door. I'm glad I did.
Yea, the witch girl is pretty creepy looking. I got her dirt cheap at Big Lots a few years a go when everything was 90% off. The Skeleton Vendor I got from a Wal-mart.com sale. I think it was only $29 if you can believe that.
Yes, my Rocking Granny is not a real person. But, Halloween day many cars slowed down or stopped trying to figure out if she was real or not. She was definitely the hit of the yard this Halloween.
That Ghost---I guess it's similar to the gutter ghost. I bought this one at Walgreen's two years ago. The head has a color changing light in it, but I think it's sound activated because it hardly ever came on. I had it hooked to a reindeer motor that was mounted up in the tree that would slowly raise and lower the ghost. Similar to my "Spider Lifter" mechanism. I plan to write up a tutorial for it soon.

 

[Cloe]

Great job with everything. Have to admit your house is just as admirable as the decor! And oh how I would kill for a front yard like that. I had a lot of problems with all my night shots this year too. Used a better camera and my daughter took them with a tripod but still so many were too dark or spotty from spot lights and such. I'm trying to talk one of my kids into some sort of photography class. I see so many excellent photos on here and just wish I could figure it out as a lot of things are a one time only chance.

 

[mikeerdas]

Dave, I really love your trick-or-treating skeleton family; *especially* how they're posed as if they're walking--very creative and not something I recall ever seeing anywhere else. Great job! Is this new to your Yard Haunt or something you've done in the past?

 

[DaveintheGrave]

Thanks a lot, Mike! No, I've had the trick-or-treating skeleton family for quite a few years now. For the first few years it was just Dad and kid. Then a few years ago I added Mom.
I originally got the idea from a similar prop WormyT had made for her yard many years ago. (I don't know if you've heard of her, but she used to be a member here and is one of the few well-known early haunters.)
But, the idea to paint them in colors and the Tigger costume on the kid is all my idea. (Tigger is a recycled costume we bought for my son, but he never wore.)

 

[13mummy]

Everything looks amazing!! Great work!! I'm very envious of your witch and skeleton with the cauldrons.

The Ouiji board prop you made me is still a big hit with the TOTs.

 

[weeping angel]

I remember and love your ToT skelly family. While looking at all the pictures, I was getting that happy family-friendly haunt feel.

And then I saw the lit up skull and hands...is it peeking out of a street manhole? Holy heck, for some reason, it really creeped me out! Even creepier now that you shared it's up in the attic window.

Great job!

 

[DaveintheGrave]

Thank you, 13Mummy! I'm glad to see you are still around and I'm happy that the Ouija is still working great. It does have a lifetime guarantee, you know.

And thanks, weeping angel! Yes, I try to keep the yard fairly kid-friendly. A mixture of kid-friendly and creepy, I guess. I'm just not into the gore thing.
Funny about the skull and hands. That attic window has always been the perfect spot for it!

 

[Hilda]

LOVE it! Ohhhhhh I can't begin to list all the props I covet.
At first glance, I was thinking, Wow you have a really big dog.. and THEN!!!!!! I remembered the werewolf!! Exquisite.

Rocking Granny. A favorite.
I absolutely love the wreath. I could go on and on. Thank you for sharing your fantastic yard haunt with us.
As you know... I love your ToT skellies.

Thank you and Merry Creepmas.

 

[Paint It Black]

We like looking at photos anytime! The wreath looks great on your front door! I have always loved your colorful tot'ers.