November 16, 2011 12:36 PM
Thanksgiving: family photo tradition
In 2009, I posted A Very Curtis Thanksgiving, which showed our family photos taken that day and explained that we have a tradition of taking our yearly family photos on Thanksgiving Day. While this has gotten a little more tricky as kids have grown up and left home - and married sons need to put their wives' families first - I plan in advance to find a window of opportunity when everyone will be here.
My daughter Samantha and SIL Kip and six grandchildren are also with us. My goal is to get a picture of the entire family, a picture of Tripp and me with our unmarried children, a and a picture of each family (Samantha and Kip, Ben and Anna, Josh and Hattie).
We decide on a color in advance. Photographers recommend this with large groups so the attention is on the faces. For the same reason, no patterns - just solids.
So who takes the picture of the whole family? Well, I do - kinda. My camera has a timer and I invested in a tripod. I practiced learning to use it.
Each year - because we've lived in different places - I think of a place where I can set up a good shot. Before the big day, I set up my tripod and camera to see how the shot will work.
As soon as everyone has arrived, we set up the shot, I click the timer on my camera and run to join the family before it goes off. We take at least 10 shots and this way. I have to be careful not to make this such an ordeal that my family will hate it.
As it is, while my family originally acted like they were humoring mom, now they look forward to it.
Once the whole family shot is done, someone takes a picture of Tripp and me and the kids, and then I take pictures of each off-shoot family.
One note: you have to make up your mind in advance to accept less than perfect. You just have to look for the best picture - which will become our official Christmas picture.
Our official 2010 Family Photo:
2009:
2008:
(Tripp was very ill that year with the knee surgery/MRSA, so we were indoors)
2007:
I also do one other shot, but it has to be done very, very fast because it's when dinner is just about to go on the table. I have the camera set up on the tripod or a ladder at the foot of the table, make sure everyone is in the shot, set the timer and run down the table (while everyone stays focused on the camera rather than their silly mom/grandma running down the table).
2004:
2006:
2009:
We do five or six of these and I don't even look at them until later because we're all ready to eat and the food is ready to be eaten.
I wait until the next day to crop and add whatever limited fixes I know how to do. That's because I only want the photos to help us remember. I don't want the process to encroach on the experience (ever been to a wedding where you waited over an hour for the reception because of the drive for perfect photos?)
Anyway, if you decide to give this a try, it would be great fun to publish pictures of my readers' families' Thanksgiving. Send me yours if you want to share! I also love to have pictures to inspire me as I write.
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Comments
Thanks for showing your family pictures. My girls had so much fun picking out the members of your family that we actually got to meet. They want to do something like this too. Now I need to figure out if my camera has a timer before Thanksgiving.
Posted by: Jane Duquette | November 16, 2011 4:50 PM
My only question is where do you get a table that big? It looked like you had all matching chairs! My extended family gathering always end up with kids tables and mismatched sets.
Posted by: Diane | November 16, 2011 5:40 PM
Aww. that is so cute! Tell them I said hi!
Posted by: Barbara | November 16, 2011 8:05 PM
Well, our kitchen table has four leaves and I think we have 14 chairs. When those pictures were taken, we also had a dining room table and chairs and so when Thanksgiving came we would put the tables together - by continuing through an archway or wherever we could find a long enough space.
this year I sold our dining room set because I decided we didn't need it when we moved. We need to seat 18, but I have a side table with that unfolds to be wider, so I will push those two together and use a piano bench and a couple odd chairs that we have around.
The important thing is that we all sit together. I really don't like the kids at a different table :)
Posted by: Barbara | November 20, 2011 9:05 PM
