Tips for taking good Thanksgiving photos

Here are some tips for achieving some good Thanksgiving photos.       

• Make a list that includes what equipment you’ll need, as well as batteries charged, lenses cleaned, individuals and groups to be recorded, plus shots of decorations, food preparations and table settings to name a few.
• Another preparation plan is to practice holding the camera steady, pressing the shutter with your finger on the release and your thumb under the camera. As you close the “C” you’re less likely to tilt or shake the camera. By keeping both eyes open during framing, you may catch movement that can be avoided as you trip the shutter.
• Turn on lights, open curtains and blinds to use as much natural light as possible.  If you must us a flash, bounce it off a light surface, drape a thin handkerchief or tissue over it or use a transparent container to diffuse the flash.  Ask folks wearing glasses to slightly tip them downward to avoid the flash reflection bouncing back to the lens.
• Most shots are taken at eye level. By standing on a stepstool or stairs, you create a different view of the table or activity, which will also generate more interest in your photos. If there is a large mirror in the room, see if you might be able to capture what it shows for a different view.
• Close-ups of yummy food or trimmings are good, but for people I’d suggest taking 2 or more pictures (possibly one unannounced) so if one or more blinked or moved, you can clone their better picture into this one.  Also consider leaving more space around the subject or group to allow for straightening without cropping some of their body out of the picture, for resizing or cropping to a different size ratio, or to have space for adding a caption. 

I hope you have a great day and give thanks.