GUIDE
Our kids' great-grandma comes to Thanksgiving, and we have almost no pictures of all the generations together. How do we get one this year?
By the seenow! teamLast updated:
Decide on the shot before Thursday: who stands where, which chair great-grandma sits in, and when. Take it early, before the meal, with a phone remote or a feature that adds the photographer, so the person holding the camera is in it too. Then write everyone's names on the back of the print.
WHY
Why this happens
Holiday photos happen in the gaps: kids at the kids' table, someone carving, a cousin asleep on the couch. A picture of every generation in one frame needs everyone in one room, facing one way, at the same minute. That almost never happens by accident, and the person who would organize it is usually busy cooking.
There is also the photographer problem. In a four-generation photo, the parent holding the phone is one of the generations. If you are behind the camera, the photo is missing a link, and asking a stranger is not an option at a family dinner.
And a great-grandparent's time at the gathering may be short. Many older relatives arrive for the meal, play a game or two with the kids and head home before dessert is cleared. If the photo is planned for "after we eat," it can easily slip to next year.
HOW TO
What you can do starting today
Plan the shot like a seating chartNo app needed
Before Thursday, pick the spot with the best window light and a comfortable chair for great-grandma. Put her in the middle, seated, with her child and grandchild standing behind and the great-grandkids in front or on her lap. Tell everyone the plan in the family group text, and ask them to arrive a little early.
Take it before the meal, while everyone is freshNo app needed
Right after arrivals and before anyone sits down to eat is often the calmest window. Keep it to two or three minutes and a handful of frames. Then take a second, looser shot of great-grandma playing cards or a board game with the kids, which may end up being the picture you love most.
Get the photographer into the pictureNo app needed
On a Pixel 9 or later, the camera's Add Me mode takes one photo with room left for you, then has someone in the group take a second one with you in it, and stitches the two together. With an iPhone and an Apple Watch, the Camera Remote app shows the camera view on the watch and fires with a 3-second timer, as long as you stay within about 33 feet. Otherwise, prop the phone on a shelf and use the camera timer.
Source: Pixel Camera Help: Take high quality photos on your Pixel phone or tablet (Add Me) / Apple Support, Apple Watch User Guide: Use Camera Remote on Apple Watch
Print one and write the names on the backNo app needed
Order a print for great-grandma and one for your own box. The National Archives suggests lightly writing identifying information on the back of a paper print, and writing on the sleeve or envelope instead when the paper will not take pencil. Avoid ink and markers. Add the date and four names, oldest to youngest. In 30 years, someone will be glad you did.
WITH SEENOW!
Doing it with seenow!
seenow! is a family app for short videos, about 2 seconds each, shared in a private group. The posed photo is a job for the phone camera, but seenow! can keep a few small moments from the day.
- Take a 2-second clip with the seenow! camera of great-grandma dealing cards or a great-grandchild on her lap. The seenow! camera can record with the front and back cameras at the same time, so you can be in the clip with them.
- The clips from the holiday weekend come back in that week's recap video, made automatically, which you can play for great-grandma the next time you see her.
What seenow! can’t do
- seenow! is not for a planned group portrait, and it cannot print photos. Take the four-generation picture with your phone's camera.
- Photos you already have on your phone cannot be posted to seenow!, only ones taken with the seenow! camera.
Core features are free.
POINT
Things to watch for in this situation
Ask great-grandma first
Some older relatives do not like how they look in photos, or tire quickly when asked to pose. Ask her ahead of time, let her choose the chair and the cardigan, and show her the picture before it goes to the whole family.
Don't turn the meal into a photo shoot
One planned photo is a gift. Ten minutes of "one more, look here" is tiring for a great-grandparent and for toddlers alike. Take your few frames and put the phone away.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What if great-grandma can't stand for the photo?
Seat her in the middle and arrange everyone else around her at her level, with adults kneeling or standing behind the chair. A seated center often looks warmer than a straight line anyway.
Should we hire a photographer?
You can, but it is not necessary for one good picture. A steady surface, window light and a remote or timer get most families a photo they are happy to frame.
What should we write on the back of the print?
The date, the place and each person's full name and how they are related, such as "great-grandma." Use a soft pencil near the edge, or label the sleeve instead.