Giving thanks

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada.  A day when many people gather with family and friends and take time to be thankful.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.  - Melody Beattie


Most of us have many stories to tell about holidays and family gatherings.   Family pictures are often part of telling the stories so I thought that this would be a good day to share some photo tips for family gatherings.

Photo Tips for Family Gatherings

Family gatherings provide lots of times for group pictures and special moments.
As with all photos, remember to:

• Identify the subject
• Compose your picture to draw attention to the subject
• Eliminate distraction

Here are some ideas for things to photograph at family gatherings:

• Try to get a full group shop - double check that you can see all faces.  If you don't have opportunity to get everyone in one shot, be sure that you get everyone in individual or small group pictures so you can put them together to tell the story.
• Take multi-generational groupings.
• Photograph things like special food, unique traditions or the annual sport challenge that make your celebration special for your family.
• Mix it up - combine candid photos  with ‘scripted’ shots that you organize.

Celebrate the stories of your family and friends today and be grateful for your time together.

Mary Elizabeth