And everyone seems to want to capture these moments for the ages --- or at least for the grandparents.

Photo Web sites like Ofoto, Snapfish and Shutterfly are crushed with business in the early days of November, which means Halloween is the most popular time to showcase pictures, beating out Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Last year, more than 3.1 million photos were uploaded to Shutterfly on Nov. 1 alone, making it the busiest time for the site.

“Grandparents just really want to see pictures of kids in costumes,” said Jeff Housenbold, CEO of the Redwood City-based company.

The company gears up for the holiday in advance by buying more storage — and there are at least 1.6 billion images parked there already.

Five tips for great Halloween photos from Shutterfly:

— Lose the “say cheese”: It’s hard to get a natural look when your children are grinning like a Cheshire cat. Instead, talk to them to get them to emote. Plus, the excitement and anticipation of gobs of candy will shine through.

— Stoop to their level, literally: Get down on one knee when you’re photographing little children, and get close. That way you can see their cute faces without zooming in, and the photos don’t look down on your pint-sized kids.

— Stay close to the action: The closer you stand to people mobbing a neighbor for candy the less shaky your camera work is, and that translates to a better quality photo.

— Keep the cameras rolling: Don’t stop shooting after the costumes come off.

Grandparents love anything having to do with the grandkids, even photos of them chowing down on candy.

— The Golden Rule: Nothing is more precious than a row of babies in their Halloween best. Prop up the pumpkins, teddy bears and little ones on a couch and get clicking.