Thanksgiving is over, and leftovers are piled in the refrigerator. Visiting family members have come and gone, leaving this popular November holiday in the past. But wait - what do we have to remember it by? The tummy-aches from over-eating will subside shortly, and the decorations are already being changed from fall colors to bright greens and reds. Our own memories will fade until all we remember is that there was a Thanksgiving that year, but not much else about it. How do we make sure that we can remember the details of all the fun and happiness we have at these family get-togethers? The answer is easy - photos. No, I am not referring to the selfies posted on Facebook into an album you'll never going to go back through that's titled "thanksgiving2k16." I'm talking about tangible photos - the ones that have been printed and are in an album for you to pull out and enjoy whenever you like. I'm talking about forcing the grandkids to squish together while a proud grandmother whips out her new camera to capture how tall little Jimmy is and how cute Sarah looks in that hand-knit sweater. Honestly, you'all thank me later.
It isn't just at Thanksgiving that we should be sure to point, click, and print. We should be doing this year-round, but we spend so much time making sure others see our Instagram feed as envy-worthy that we forget to make actual memories and record them.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, but Christmas is coming up. Here's your chance to capture the moments worth remembering.
An idea for your holiday photos: Try going pose-less. Sure, making sure we get the whole family together and lined up makes for one great photo, but we would love to have pictures of the family dog eating off the new baby's high-chair, wouldn't we? Take candid shots - the more random, the more likely you are to get a laugh-worthy photo.
One last tip: Print, print, print. Leaving those photos on your camera roll means you aren't very likely to have those photos forever. We forget the importance of our holiday photos due to the passage of time.
So, this season, and for this coming year, remember to keep track of the big moments by pointing, clicking, and printing. And when your aunt, uncle, parent, grandparent, or anyone else asks for a picture, say yes.
Happy Holidays!
