Ghost Photoshoot Trend (Sheet Ghost)

A ghost photoshoot is a fashion shoot where the model is a ghost. Someone puts on a plain white bedsheet with two eye holes cut out, adds sunglasses and everyday clothes, and poses like a model in an ordinary place: a park path, a porch, a field, a quiet street at golden hour. The photos usually go up on TikTok as a slideshow or a quick beat-synced edit.

The joke is the contrast. The costume is the cheapest one there is, the kind a child draws, but the ghost photoshoot treats it like an editorial cover, with careful angles, an autumn mood and props such as a coffee cup, a tote bag or a phone. The sheet also hides the face, so nobody can tell who is under it without a caption. That makes the ghost photoshoot trend easy for shy posters, and the result reads as a seasonal greeting more than a selfie.

The ghost photoshoot spread because it costs almost nothing and looks good anyway. A flat sheet, a pair of scissors, a friend with a phone and an hour before sunset are enough. Since the costume is the same for everyone, the creativity goes into the setting, the poses and the edit.

It also arrives on a schedule. The ghost photoshoot trend has come back each autumn since 2020, and brands and marketing agencies list it in their Halloween guides. Friends and pets widen it further. In 2026 Google searches for "ghost photoshoot" were close to zero until October 4, then rose through the month and reached their highest point so far on October 17.

The ghost photoshoot started on TikTok on September 10, 2020, when user jackjanson88 posted still images of himself dressed as a sheet ghost on empty pathways. According to Know Your Meme, the post earned more than 272,000 likes and 977,000 views in six days. In the comments he named the cover of Phoebe Bridgers' album Stranger in the Alps as his inspiration. The video was set to "Oh Klahoma" (2017) by Jack Stauber, which became the trend's sound.

Copies came within days. On September 13, 2020, usernamecole posted his own ghost photoshoot, and katyya posted a version with sunglasses that passed 1.3 million views in three days; sunglasses have been part of the look since. By September 16, videos under #GhostPhotoshoot had more than 523 million views, and Know Your Meme added an entry that day.

The ghost photoshoot also drew an argument. On September 22, 2020, journalist Taylor Lorenz shared examples in a Twitter thread. Some replies said her picks left out creators of color, and some linked people in white sheets to the Ku Klux Klan. Lorenz said the trend had no racist roots and described the long history of sheet ghosts, while other users said she downplayed that Black creators had started it. Know Your Meme records both sides.

The ghost photoshoot came back in 2023, when a dog version by @nolatheiggy reached 29.5 million views, and it has returned every autumn since.

1. Sep 10, 2020TikToker jackjanson88 posts the first sheet ghost photoshoot, set to "Oh Klahoma" by Jack Stauber.
2. Sep 13, 2020katyya adds sunglasses; her version passes 1.3 million views in three days.
3. Sep 16, 2020#GhostPhotoshoot passes 523 million views; Know Your Meme adds an entry.
4. Sep 22, 2020A Twitter thread by Taylor Lorenz starts a debate over who was shown and what white sheets suggest.
5. Aug 22, 2023@manny_boo's "Sexy Ghost Photoshoot" with friends begins a 2023 revival, passing 4.6 million views in two months.
6. Sep 24, 2023@nolatheiggy's ghost photoshoot with a dog reaches 29.5 million views in three weeks.
7. Sep 4, 2026A besties version by @masonholmes71ff opens the 2026 season, with 312,700 plays by October 8.
8. Oct 4, 2026US searches for "ghost photoshoot" start climbing; @goldenboyreign posts a golden retriever version.
9. Oct 7, 2026Bluebear's weekly trend list adds "Things We're Ghosting."
10. Oct 14, 2026New Engen lists the ghost photoshoot first among 2026's Halloween TikTok and Reels trends.

1. Cut two eye holes in a plain white flat sheet, put on sunglasses and pick an outdoor spot for the hour before sunset.
2. Have a friend shoot a burst of photos for each pose: on a bench, leaning on a fence, mid-stride, holding a coffee or a phone.
3. Post your ghost photoshoot on TikTok or Reels as a slideshow or beat-synced edit, with "Oh Klahoma" or a Halloween sound.

• Know Your Meme: Ghost Photoshoot (added Sep 16, 2020)
• Know Your Meme: What Is the Ghost Photoshoot TikTok Trend? (Oct 17, 2023)
• New Engen: Halloween TikTok and Reels trends (Oct 14, 2026)
• Bluebear Creative: Social media trends this week (week of Oct 7, 2026)
• MakeViral: AI ghost photoshoot template, with 2026 TikTok examples
• MakeAiPhotos: Ghost photoshoot ideas (Oct 3, 2026)
• TikTok: ghost with sunglasses trend

Updated Oct 18, 2026

• Oct 18, 2026Page added with dated sources.