Graduating is a milestone ceremony that can take place for any individual at any age. And whether it’s celebrating the end of high school, a training program or undergrad/grad school, a popular way to mark the occasion is to book and plan out a special photoshoot.

Since the focus is fully on you (or a loved one you’re planning this for), the photoshoot is a collaborative effort between the photographer and the graduate to make the experience comfortable, memorable, and truly self-expressive .

Here are some tips for photoshoot preparation for graduates of all kinds!

COMMUNICATE YOUR INTENTIONS AND VISION

When you think of a graduation ceremony, you’re probably picturing something very specific and traditional. Orchestrated celebratory music playing, some polite clapping, and possibly caps being thrown into the air!

What’s cool about graduation photoshoots is that the vibe doesn’t have to follow any certain path or tradition. Since this is a portrait photoshoot, it ends up being a mix of both the subject’s own personality and intentions, and the photographer’s artistic style and expertise. That means, it’s best to plan ahead of time to figure out what kind of photoshoot it’s going to be!

For example, let’s say you want a no-nonsense photoshoot with your senior cap and gown, and some headshots to get the ball rolling on your career. That sounds easy enough on paper– but if you were to hire us at Ginkgo Lens, we would still have to get to know you through a phone call (or our questionnaire), figure out what type of backdrop or location we’ll be using, and plan out the technical aspects like what lights and lenses we’ll be utilizing.

An actor’s headshot is going to look totally different from an accountant’s headshot, and a playful personality is going to beget a totally different setup from a more serious one!

*This client chose to go for a more traditional route, while also getting professional headshots for the start of her career!*

That’s why we encourage clients to book us in advance– not just for timing reasons but to let us get to know them, make notes, come up with ideas and incorporate the full scope of emotions that the client is looking to express about themselves.

So take heed, well-intending parents and guardians: if you’re gifting a graduation photoshoot to someone you love, don’t spring it on them as a surprise! Let the graduate be a part of the planning process so the final product is 100% who that person is.

*This client was stoked about graduating after “crushing it” at grad school. We translated this literally into a funny, cathartic scene!*

DECIDE ON A LOCATION

Depending on the vibe, you’ll want to do your graduation session in one of three places:

1) Outdoors (think beach, forest, downtown)

2) Indoors (think home/lifestyle, a studio, or a reserved location such as a restaurant)

3) Against a backdrop (with us, we use our travelling studio to bring the lights and camera to your own home!)

*This client looks striking against the trees on a woodsy coastal trail!*

Each option has things to consider, so it’s important to talk to your photographer about what you feel is most important to express about your graduation and yourself. Do you want a dramatic, smoke-filled portrait in your cap and gown against a dark color backdrop? Or maybe you want to walk amongst rolling waves on the coast with your loved ones? Could it be that you want to be surrounded by cherry blossoms, with your eyes accentuated by your favorite flowers and spring hues?

If you’re a visual learner, we suggest creating a Pinterest page! This is an easy way to figure out what type of photo vibe you have an affinity with, as well as ideas for poses, props and colors we can incorporate. If you see photos on our portfolio you like, you can add those to your Pinterest page as well!

FIGURE OUT THE HEADCOUNT

How many people are going to be in front of the camera? Will there be any pets? Any disabilities, sensitivities, family feuds, or other details everyone involved should be mindful of?

These should all be discussed as soon as possible during the planning stages with your photographer. Sometimes photoshoot locations don’t allow pets, and sometimes backdrop sessions at your home may not work with a staggering amount of people– you don’t want an aunt or uncle to be cut off of the backdrop!

For a personal package, like our People Oak Package, we often work with families of 8-12 and schedule ourselves up to 90 minutes for the experience. Sometimes with big families, it helps to build the session into the day before a planned dinner or party. For a smaller photoshoot such as a seasonal Mini, we don’t recommend more than 4-6 subjects as those are timed photoshoot sessions. Those are always outdoors, and you can check out our Minis package or subscribe to our newsletter for more informational

One other popular option for larger groups is to combine the photoshoot with the graduation party! For these occasions, Event packages are the way to go as they don’t have a set amount of photos per package, and can include add-ons like a pop-up portrait station or second photographer. This might be the natural way you want to show the world your graduation, and that’s totally great!

CHOOSING YOUR OUTFIT(S)

Higher tier packages allow you the option for wardrobe changes, and this can let you build more photo styles and moods into the session!

Here’s a surprising fact: most of our graduation photoshoots have a change of clothes incorporated into the session! The cap and gown ARE important to the milestone, but it’s more like a uniform than something as personally-picked like a wedding dress. So it makes sense that our clients want to do some photos and poses in their ceremonial garb at the start or end, and also include clothes that are more comfortable or elegant. Sometimes, we mix the cap and props into both setups so there’s a thread of continuity. And sometimes the clients just want photos clear of graduation motifs to celebrate themselves as they are!

This is the perfect opportunity for detail shots that harmonize with the close-ups and group shots.

For Mini sessions and certain situations like Sprout packages that have a large headcount, wardrobe changes are either something we advise against or we advise the client to be VERY mindful of time. When the clock starts on the photoshoot, we can’t stop it for a 15-minute outfit change! So if we’re wrangling grandparents, wiggly pets, and husbands– it might make more sense to do one outfit and throw a cap/gown over it.

For more information about clothing, check out our other post: How to Choose Clothing for Your Photoshoot!

And this might be obvious, but if your hair takes longer to style you should save the cap and gown for the very end! Unless we’re building hair and makeup artists into the budget, the only hair care we have on hand is usually hair spray and plastic combs.

CONSIDER: PROPS BEYOND THE CAP

Some clients are more than happy with their photos being prop-free, with some cap tosses and their diploma to show off. That’s awesome, but what about YOU reading this who has a flair for the dramatic? Or what if you have tools of the trade that you’ve grown to love as much as your friends?

*This client wanted to showcase just how much reading and researching went into getting her degree!*

Be it engineering tools, work uniforms, bubbles or dramatic smokey haze, props are an important element to communicate with your photographer BEFORE we lock in a location. If you want a beach session and dramatic smoke, that could be challenging with elements such as wind and sun. If you have a large prop such as a hard case or medical dummy (yes really!), it might be a hassle to plan a session at the top of a mountain trail!

We say “might” because while special effect props (smoke, glitter, bubbles, etc) work best in controlled spaces like a studio backdrop, we can find a way to make it happen if the discussion starts early. So again, share any and all ideas you have as soon as you book your photographer!

A NOTE ABOUT PROPOSING DURING GRADUATION PHOTOSHOOTS

If you’re reading this and dating the graduate-to-be (or you know someone who is), there’s a small chance that somebody involved thinking about proposing during the photoshoot. While we LOVE shooting proposals, and as the photographers we have no control over what you do, we do have some suggestions and requests:

-If you’re utilizing a Mini Session, DO NOT do a proposal. That’s simply because if it’s a Mini, there won’t be enough time for a photographer to capture the coverage that makes people happy. These are booked back to back and a tight 15 minutes, so if you do propose during one of these sessions we won’t be able to give you the full experience, and will have to cut off your happy moment when your time is up. It’s always better to do these as their own shoot, and definitely give us a heads up!

-Next, consider if a proposal is going to take away from the graduation celebration itself. Sometimes everyone involved is ok with a proposal during a celebration like this, but it’s important to read the room as much as you can. Are you (or is someone you know) going to end up making the moment less special and self-empowering for the graduate?

-If you’re going to go for it, clue us in on your plan ahead of time! If you’re popping the questions during a session, it’s always good for us to know in advance. We don’t want to miss a beat if you pull out a ring, and we definitely want to be the perfect position to capture everything!

- Last, some locations do not allow proposals and have a fee if you’re spotted dropping to one knee - so it’s not a bad idea to double check!

We love doing proposal and engagement photoshoots, so personally we’ll always suggest making them their own special occasion. You can take a look here at our portfolios and here for our special package bundles, and check out our other post about couples sessions - How to Prepare for, and What to Expect from, a Couple’s Shoot

FINALLY - BOOK IN ADVANCE!

Most likely your graduation is taking place during spring, so keep this in mind: that’s when photographers like us are at our absolute busiest! With peak weather setting in, you want to reserve a date and time early so you’re not competing with maternity, engagement and proposal sessions.

To summarize:

Communicate! How can we express your personality through your session?
Pick a location that fits your vibe
Decide if this is a solo experience or a family affair
Pay attention to your clothing
There are more props than just a cap and gown!
Book in advance

If you’re planning a shoot with us and have any questions at all, please reach out!

Serving Monmouth County NJ, Middlesex County NJ, Bergen County NJ, Ocean County NJ, Mercer County NJ, Hudson County NJ, and NYC. Willing to to travel.

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How to Prepare For, and What to Expect from, a Graduation Photoshoot

Alex and Arielle Prekop