The graduation season is upon us.
And the graduating population have had to endure a couple of arduous years, with the least of their struggles being adjusting to a new learning environment — lockdowns and all.
So it’s all the more important for Batch 2022 to celebrate this momentous milestone with portraits they can fondly look back on, years into their journey beyond university halls. Now while some of you may be excited to create images that’ll commemorate the occasion, we realize not everyone’s comfortable in front of the camera.
If you’re a photographer, graduation photos can easily add another $5k to $10k+ to your bottom line.
Best part? Most of your leads should be from referrals. The key is starting early and posting your portfolio work on Instagram, take advantage of the Instagram Reels algorithm that can score you a lot of views for free (see: Instagram Reels Tutorial). If you don’t have a solid graduation portfolio yet, consider doing a discounted or free shoot with a model to build your portfolio.
To help you get the most out of your graduation photoshoot session, we’ve put together 10 tips and ideas that’ll make for stunning graduation photos.
Before we jump in, I recommend starting with my guide on Portrait Photography Tips, which features a lot of tips that I wish I knew when I first started.
#1 Show Off your Attire
Let’s kick things off with something really easy — show off what’s under your graduation robe! A lot of people’s first instinct is to keep things in a more formal, all-stiff vibe when thinking about graduation photos.
But you can always have a little fun and add your personal style into the images by making sure you get a few shots of your graduation attire. If you’re out of ideas, men can never go wrong with a simple dress shirt and tie, while women can go for a scoop top. You can then tie everything together with you holding your academic robe over your shoulder and your cap on the other hand — keep things casual!
#2 Secure Formal Shots
I know we just talked about how you can keep things casual and fun for your graduation photos, but you shouldn’t forget to include a few formal photos in-between.
Because a) formal graduation photos are the only reasonable choice for a photo you’d like to physically display somewhere in your home or personal workspace, and b) they’re likely the ones that’ll end up on your LinkedIn profile.
So set up in a not-so-busy spot around campus and put on a proud and dignified smile befitting the ceremonious vibe of this major life event.
#3 Have Fun with Confetti!
Graduation triggers a mish-mash of emotions for just about anyone who’d gone through all the challenges, highs and lows of their university life.
So while it can be a bittersweet moment leaving behind your favorite campus buildings and many of the friends you’ve made, don’t forget that you’ve also accomplished such an amazing milestone!
And nothing can bring up a bright celebratory mood than blasting a confetti canon up in the air. Glitter can work, too! Fortunately, both work as super fun props for a graduation portrait session.
#4 Capture the Hat Toss
A little history lesson. The act of throwing one’s graduation cap is a tradition that originated over a hundred years ago. When naval cadets in 1912 were awarded official navy hats after completing their training, the graduates, no longer needing their midshipmen hats, tossed them in the air as a celebratory gesture.
This stuck around, and the obligatory hat toss photo is now a staple among almost every commencement exercise all over the world. It’s now a widely accepted act that signifies the graduate’s move on to the next chapter of their lives. It’s fun and a classic shot you wouldn’t want to miss for sure. You can also do it as a solo portrait or get your friends to do it with you!
#5 Add a Personal Touch to your Graduation Cap
Here’s an awesome way to make sure your graduation photos won’t be like anyone else’s; give your cap an artistic makeover! You can pretty much decorate your graduation cap however you want.
Splash it with your favorite colors, state your name and degree earned, adorn it with things that are important to you or just do a dumb pun for the sake of juvenile hilarity – all that matters is that you have fun with your design!
Photo by Ryan Hoffman on Unsplash
#6 Get a Close Up Shot of the Tassel
Just on the subject of caps, did you know that the tassel and everything it stands for originated around the 14th century? Back then, it represented a certain level of education, and its symbolism up to this day hadn’t changed much.
The turning of the tassel, usually from the right side to the left, indicates that the graduate had accomplished all their goals and have moved on from one level to the next. A close-up shot of your tassel in your graduation photos is always a nice touch to add.
#7 Pose with Friends and Family
You may forget your sines and cosines but never the friendships you’ve formed through the years.
That’s why it’s all the more important to share your life’s greatest achievement so far with people who have helped you push through your most challenging times.
Pose with friends and/or family! A picture of your friend group taking one last stroll around the campus is an awesome way to capture the bonds you’ve built inside the university halls. These shots always make for good memories to look back on for sure.
Photo by Albert Vincent Wu on Unsplash
#8 Go for a Classic Solo Portrait
The difference between your formal shots and a classic portrait is that you have a lot more room to let your personality shine through in the latter.
So when you already have shots of yourself, your family and friends in the books, it’s time for you to take the spotlight. The session’s about you, after all! Remember, this isn’t a formal shot so loosen up and give yourself a chance to do whatever feels natural. Think along the lines of a new Facebook profile picture and you’ll be just fine.
#9 Do a Sitting Pose
Speaking of keeping things casual, consider doing a sitting pose anywhere around the campus. It’s a classic graduation look. It looks very flattering. And it’s a very easy pose to pull off.
Try shooting a sat-down pose with a prop that means something to you if you can. Doing so is a super-easy way to get the shot feeling more fun and personal. Think sporting gear, a pack of energy drinks you used to mindlessly chug during midterms or a stack of textbooks you poured countless hours on!
#10 Rock the “Look-Back”
Yet another classic portraiture pose. You can do this with the cap and robe still on, or you can hold the robe over your shoulder and have the cap on the other hand. You then take a step forward as you look back on the camera for effect.
Like a sat-down pose, the look-back is again super flattering and anybody can pull this off. Done correctly, the look-back shot can serve as your “I did it!” shot, signifying your triumphant finish of a journey well-travelled, and the start of a new one.
We know from our guide on how to start a photography business that specializing in a niche is great, especially one that can bring in recurring business to help you make money as a photographer. Build a strong portfolio around senior photos, and I guarantee the graduation photos will roll-in naturally.