10 Must Take Pictures on Thanksgiving

Nov 17

Thanksgiving always sneaks up fast, and between cooking, hosting, and trying to keep everyone fed….the day goes by fast!

Here are the 10 Thanksgiving photos I always tell friends and family to snap to help preserve special moments for the day that will help tell the story of Thanksgiving 2025 for your family.

1. The turkey coming out of the oven. That moment when someone's pulling it out, oven mitts on, steam rising. Pure Thanksgiving right there.

2. Little hands helping in the kitchen. Kids mashing potatoes, stirring gravy, or "helping" roll out pie dough. Even if they're making a mess, especially if they're making a mess.

3. Grandma's hands. Whether she's peeling potatoes, setting the table, or just holding a coffee mug. Those hands have made a thousand Thanksgivings happen.

4. The sneaky taste-tester. Someone stealing a bite of pie filling or swiping a roll before dinner. Catch them in the act.

5. The table before anyone sits down. All that food, all that work, just sitting there looking beautiful for about 30 seconds before everyone digs in.

6. Everyone around the table. Don't pose it. Don't make people stop eating. Just capture who was there, plates full, mid-conversation.

7. Someone laughing. Not a forced smile for the camera - an actual, genuine laugh. Wait for it. It's worth it.

8. The kids' table. If you've got one, document it. They won't be little enough to sit there forever.

9. The football watchers (or parade watchers). Whoever's camped out on the couch, half-watching the game, fully in a food coma.

10. The aftermath. Empty pie plates, dishes stacked in the sink, leftovers being divvied up. This is the part you'll forget, but it tells the whole story.

You don't need fancy equipment. You don't need everyone looking at the camera. You just need to pause for two seconds and capture the people you're grateful for.