Each October, Cold Spring family gets creative
When Matthew and Dina Pace Shackelford visited Babies R Us in October 2011, it produced not only a delightful Popeye-themed family portrait celebrating the birth of their first child, Hudson, but a tradition.
Family and friends each fall now receive an annual family Halloween portrait.
“We replaced our boring December holiday cards,” Dina explained.
Each photo is produced in an afternoon on a shoestring budget using props and materials from around the house — with occasional help from Photoshop.
The cast expanded in 2013 with the arrival of Asher Shackelford. The card that year, based on The Wizard of Oz, also starred Dina’s maternal grandmother, Tisbe Tagliaferri.
Dina’s mother, Denise Pace, appears in the 2017 tribute to Grease.
Emma Luna, the Shackelford dog; their cat, Crunch Monkey; and Denise Pace’s dog Darla have also been part of the show.
While most of the photography is done at the Shackelford home, the 2019 “Pirates of Cold Spring” was shot on the sloop Clearwater.
With all the sad news surrounding us every day it was such a joy to see the charming Shackelford family pictured over the years in their Halloween costumes. It made me smile.