Thanksgiving brings memories of family, food, and fun. Extended family gathers together for the best pumpkin pie – and if you’re lucky – deep fried turkey, and mayhem as they play the dollar game (a.k.a. Left, Right, Center). Where are your best photo & video opportunities? Wherever emotion is found, the camera should be as well.
Thanks for giving us turkey
Capture the taste
Doesn’t totally make sense, but you can try to capture the feeling of that scrumptious meal through your photography. A 360º video walk-around of the turkey is probably going to be a bit boring. It isn’t a supermodel after all. But, a well-lit photo (sans flash) of the beautiful bird dripping with fat, filled to its delectable limits with cornbread, apple, walnut stuffing, can really get mouths watering.
Mmmm, my mouth is watering already
How and why do you capture that photo without the flash? You do it without the flash because the photo will look flat and emotionless with the glaring light of the flash. But how do you do it, especially if it’s being served in the evening?
Capturing the shot without the flash probably isn’t a big deal if you are blessed with a DSLR camera, but for those of us without the money or inclination for a DSLR there are creative options. Ambient light is your friend, so crank up all the lights in the room, light candles if you have to, just don’t set the bird on fire!
Now, the next step is key, don’t press the shutter. What? When taking photos without the flash, your camera will leave the shutter open for a long time. Pressing the shutter will slightly shake the camera. Ideally you’ll use a tripod. But, I live in the real world of 15 somewhat patient adults and 27 starving children. No time for a tripod. Set the camera on the table, on books if you need to, turn off the flash, and use the timer. That way, when the camera takes the photo, it was not shaken at all.
Best of all, take a practice shot before the turkey comes out, so no one has to wait while you set up. I know, it’s probably not realistic, but worth a try. Photojojo has a really cool bottle cap tripod which works in a pinch as well.
Capture the Sound
If there is anything going on with relevant audio, you’ll want video. That impromptu football game between cousins who haven’t seen each other since last Thanksgiving. Photos can be cool, but the winning touchdown is definitely better appreciated in video.
The nice thing about this video clip is the personalization. It’s not just some random people playing football. You know who is playing and when. I especially enjoyed the instant replays. Someone taking photos probably wouldn’t be lucky enough to happen to catch the shot of the dad crashing behind the shed. The sound is what really makes that scene enjoyable.
The other great thing is the location of the cameraman. Had the camera been on the same level as the players, much of the play formation would have been missed. Although it’s tempting to get in on the action with extreme pans and zooms, unless you are well trained in doing smooth movement, it can induce sea sickness in the viewers.
What about the Dollar Game? Nothing’s better than watching intoxicated 50 year olds chant “Four, four, four!” Or whatever number they were hoping the dice would give them. What about the end-of-evening song round the piano? Definite video moment.
Both the Dollar Game and piano playing take place in one spot. Perfect time to use a tripod or steady the camera on a pile of books. Trying to hold the camera steady for more than a minute isn’t usually possible. In these days of HD camcorders without optical stabilization, camera shake is greatly accentuated (i.e. nauseating).
Capture the Joy
There’s something about joy in photos, that video just can’t touch. At least not without the skill of a professional. The magical look on a baby’s face as she runs her fingers through her hair – her fingers that were just deep in pumpkin pie.
That welcoming hug, as you see cousins you haven’t seen in a long time. Somehow the emotion is better felt through a photo, than watching video of the hug.
Try and zoom in to avoid all background clutter in the room when you take photos at Thanksgiving. If possible, set your camera on portrait mode. It will automatically blur the background a bit, making your subject stand out.
Thanksgiving joy
Scenes to Avoid
- Anything while people are eating. No one looks good with their mouth full.
- Family squabbles
- Random candid photos with a zillion people all over the room. Unless well cropped, it’ll probably be boring to look at later.
- Video of anything without motion (think Grandma sitting on the couch asleep). That would be a much better photo.
What to Do with Your Photos and Video
Now that you captured 100 photos and 1 hour of video on Thanksgiving Day, what are you going to do with it? Don’t just slap the photos and video on Facebook, YouTube, wherever. Personalize them. Tell a story with your media. Then you can share it. Recapture the joy through your storytelling and then invite your family to join in the history of the day. This can be done through simple movie editing or a simple photo slideshow.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy capturing the emotion of the day. Remember, if there’s important sound or motion – shoot some video. And be thankful for the opportunity our digital equipment gives us to delete all the bad shots!
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