Perhaps not everyone is as interested in photographing and chronicling every bit of food that goes into their mouth as I am. Please consider that the Thanksgiving holiday, like no other, does focus on food. Many families have tried and true staples that are a must at the dinner table each year. Usually these concoctions have a family members’ name attached to them; Aunt Lenoa’s Tomato Aspic, Grandma Esther’s Beet Borscht, or Sally Jo’s Holiday Ambrosia.

Cindy’s Squash Casserole

Typically these “delicacies” (the term is used very lightly here) are only served because it is a tradition. When you get right down too it, nobody truly likes them. Everyone feels forced to eat them. The ordeal of preparing them is usually passed around to the most unwilling participant. But without these family recipes the holiday would be dull.

Mama Janea’s Brussel Sprouts

I take great joy in knowing that in years to come my direct descendants will be making Eddie’s Wild Rice Casserole whether they want to or not. I smile when I think that there will be an argument presented that the recipe should be altered to use fresh mushrooms instead of the slimy ones in a jar. They may even engage in a discussion that any old box mix of wild rice can be used. But there will always be one in the family to insist that these deviations from the “family recipe” not be allowed or tolerated. So the Feldmans of 2075 will prepare the dish, take their no-thank-you bite and move on to the really good stuff served at the meal.

Rosie’s Crabby Cucumbers

I propose that photographing the food is just as important as photographing the family. I know, it’s wacky! So what? The following article provides tips on how to capture your creations and put them in their best light.

digital-photography-school.com/top-5-tips-on-how-to-photograph-food

So snap a few shots of those ginger snaps, capture your corn pudding for posterity, flash your foigras, immortalize your Indian Summer Soup, blast your Brussel sprouts, post Aunt Polly’s pudding.

Madelyn Marchant

Happy Thanksgiving.