Key To Pictures: A list of Thanksgiving Photo opps

This is the first year we will be hosting Thanksgiving at our house. I'm excited, it's going to be nice, easy-going and relaxing. I like to keep things simple and the older I get it seems the simpler I get as well! But when it comes to taking pictures, I still feel compelled to capture it all. It's almost as if I didn't take a picture of a circumstance or event, it never happened.

My parents were so good at documenting with pictures. I feel like I have such vibrant memories of my childhood thanks to all the pictures they took. I loved Thanksgiving growing up. We took turns spending it with my Mom and Dad's families. They still get together every year but for the last 15 or so years I haven't been able to join them as I've always lived way too far away. So it's fun for me to go back and look at the pictures to remember that special day.

So to help you capture the memories of Thanksgiving I thought I would give you a few ideas of what to take pictures of!

1. The kitchen while preparing the feast.
2. Who is involved in preparing and cooking.
3. The Fall leaves outside.
4. What the kids are doing while the feast is being prepared.
5. The table setting.
6. The centerpieces.
7. The kids table.
8. The feast once it's all prepared before people start digging in.
9. People eating. (maybe not mid-bite though, as that tends to be rather unflattering!)
10. One big group shot.
11. Everyone lounging on the couch after dinner.
12. The dessert spread.
13. Everyone eating dessert.
14. People going back for leftovers later in the day.

If you are lucky enough to have multi-generations at your Thanksgiving feast, take the opportunity to get some precious shots of grand kids with Grandparents and great-grandparents. I treasure the photos I have with my grandparents. Instead of doing the typical, "everyone sit on the couch and look at the camera" shots, try taking some action shots of them interacting. Have grandma and grandpa read a book to the grand kids or play outside together while you take some pictures. The pictures will turn out so much better if you some some emotion. (see the last photo on this post)

Here are some inspiring Thanksgiving pictures I found I pinterest: