November photo ideas can help you catch the bits of the month you want to keep: pumpkins by the door, your best friend in the mirror, and the book that went everywhere with you. These eight give your monthly recap or photo dump a place to start.
You can take every one on your phone. Keep this list handy through the month, and take a photo when something fits. A few blurry leaves and a table full of half-finished plates belong here too.
1. The pumpkins still on the porch
Take a photo of the pumpkins before they disappear for the year. Get the whole front step in the frame, with the doormat, leaves, and any little pumpkin that has rolled off to one side.
If they're at a friend's house or outside a café, ask before stepping onto the porch. You can also take a quick picture of one on your own windowsill. The setting gives you something to look back on beyond the pumpkin itself. That chipped pot beside it might be the part you love most later.
2. The Thanksgiving table, halfway through dinner
There’s a good chance someone will photograph the food before anyone sits down. Get one later too, when the rolls have made it around and somebody has gone back for more potatoes.
Stand back far enough to include a few chairs and serving dishes. The napkin beside your plate and the last slice of pie can stay in the frame. You can almost hear the conversation when you look at a table like that. Take a quick photo, then pass the rolls before someone has to ask twice.
3. A little pile of Polaroids
If you've taken Polaroids or printed a few phone photos, gather them on your desk or bed. Let a few overlap, and leave the envelope in the shot if you're still sorting them.
Add the ones from ordinary afternoons too. A coffee stop or a photo of your roommate can belong beside the big holiday moments. If you don't have an instant camera, print a few favorites from your phone whenever you have the chance. If you want somewhere to put them afterward, try a fall scrapbook made from everyday moments.
4. A wide mirror selfie with your bestie
Take this one before you leave, while you're both still deciding whether you need another layer. Stand back from the mirror so you can see your outfits and a little of the room.
Keep the phone in the photo. Let the tote on the floor stay there too. One friend can hold the phone while the other leans in, then swap and take a second version. Choose the one you both like. The wide shot gives you the jeans, the shoes, and the room where you got ready together.
5. Somewhere that feels like your hometown
This could be the street you walk down when you visit, the bench outside your favorite shop, or the turn you always recognize on the way home. Take the photo from a safe spot while you're stopped.
Include enough of the place to show why you know it. A whole block might say more than a close-up of a sign. Try the view you see when you're walking, with the shop windows and the leaves along the curb. “Home for a few days” can be all the caption you need. The people who know you may recognize it right away.
6. Throwing fall leaves from a distance
Hand your phone to a friend and ask them to stand several steps back. Keep the trees and leaf-covered ground in the frame, then toss a small handful of dry leaves upward.
Take a few shots as they fall. A little motion blur can suit this photo, so keep the version where you're laughing even if every leaf isn't sharp. Pick leaves that are clear of litter, and leave them where you found them. If you want more phone tips, read how to photograph fall leaves.
7. Your current reading setup
Take a picture before you settle in with your book. Include the chair or corner of the bed, your blanket, and whatever you're drinking. Leave room around the book so you can see where you spent that afternoon.
Use the light you already have near a window. If the room is dim, move closer to the light before you start rearranging everything. A closed book with its bookmark tucked inside works well. You'll remember the spot without having to pause halfway through a chapter to get the photo.
8. Your books of the month
At the end of November, gather the books you spent time with and take one photo from above. Put them on your bed or beside your reading chair, with the titles facing the phone.
Include the half-finished one if you want. This is your month in books, and you get to choose what belongs. Add a short note in your recap about the one you'd lend to a friend or the one you're carrying into December.
Save the photos you like in a November album as you go. When it's time for your monthly photo dump, you'll have a few moments waiting for you. Pick the ones you want to keep, add a line or two, and let that be enough.
