It’s graduation season, which also means that it is graduation PHOTO season. I think I took over 10,000 photos (collectively) of people at my school last year. Graduation photos are a great way to countdown to being done with school, celebrating your college journey and looking forward to what is next in your life. After spending probably too much of my last semester of college following people around with my camera, getting glitter and champagne all over myself and my camera, and making enough money to pay for an entire post-graduation cruise, I wanted to share my top tips for taking the best graduation photos, as well as a bunch of photos I’m really proud of/really like. I hope everyone I took pictures of is cool with the fact I’m using them in this post. I think you all look fabulous!
So here are some of my favorite pictures I took last year, as well as some classic poses to spark some inspiration, instructions on how to take certain pictures, and overall tips to make your graduation photos the best they can be!
To begin, I used my DSLR camera with a 18-55mm camera lens. That is pretty standard for a digital camera. I kept mine on the “Manual” setting so I could change the aperture, ISO and shutter speed depending on lighting and movement in the picture. I took photo 1 (twice) so I know how to play with the settings, but the auto setting works too! I totally recommend using a DSLR camera for graduation photos, but these can also be done with an iPhone if you’re looking for just a few casual shots in your cap and gown. “Action shots” like confetti and champagne pictures may be hard to master on an iPhone, but it can still be done.
There are 5 main things you want to think about when taking graduation photos: place, position of the sun, props, poses and personality. (The 5 P’s if you will)
1. Place
Place: This seems like a no brainer since most times you’ll just be taking pictures around your college campus. But I think its important to get some very signature landmarks from your college campus. Make sure you ask the person where some important places are that they want pictures at. Last year I even went to my twin brothers college for pictures (to give our parents) and also to the local baseball stadium in my college town for one of my friends.
2. Position of the Sun
Position of the sun: The has to be the top advice I can give you when you’re taking grad photos. THE MIDDLE OF A SUNNY DAY IS THE WORST TIME TO TAKE PICTURES. You’ll be squinting the whole time and the shadows are just too harsh. Golden hour is the best time to take photos and happens twice during the day: when the sun is rising and when the sun is setting. When I booked photo appointments with people I tried to stick to these times (which involved waking up early and skipping dinner to take photos). But it’s worth it! Everyone looks so good in this lighting and it makes the pictures effortlessly look so much better. The only exception to this rule is when it’s overcast outside. That can be some of the best lighting! Even pictures in the shade can be super flattering too. But if you remember from this post, try to take your photos when the sun is rising or setting. Here is a great website that can help you figure out when golden hour is where you are.
3. Props
1. Your camera should be set to a very high shutter speed so the images aren’t blurry
(ex. 1/1000 or higher)
2. Open the bottle and have the person put their thumb partway over the top of the bottle
3. Have them turn slightly so you don’t get champagne all over your camera
4. Tell them to shake the bottle and smile and try to look at the camera too.
5. IT WILL GET MESSY
Props: Props are such a big part of grad pics! Whether that is a chalkboard with your next destination written on it, a ‘thank you’ sign to mom and dad, a furry friend, a bottle of champagne or something you used in college over and over again, I encouraged everyone to bring something personal with them for photos. These pictures are more personalized and help make each graduate feel unique and different.
4. Poses
1. Make sure your shutter speed is very high (ex. 1/1000 or higher)
2. Make sure your camera is on continuous shooting
3. Have the person hold their hands high to their face and look into the camera
4. The smaller the confetti the better!
5. You’ll have to do it a few times!
1. Shutter speed should be high so the cap isn’t blurry (ex. 1/1000 or higher)
2. Make sure they hold it to the side of them and with the front facing towards the camera
3. It should be a light toss right above their head
4. Have them look up at the cap or at the camera
5. You will probably have to try a few times
Poses: There are a lot of classic graduation poses I had each person do when I was taking photos (most you will find in this post). I think its important to give instruction to people when you’re photographing them, especially if they don’t know how to pose or what they should be doing. So do a little research before each shoot and bookmark some classic poses you can have them do, so they’re not just standing there smiling awkwardly.
5. Personality:
Personality: Have fun with it! Grad photos are supposed to be fun and personal and whatever the person who is graduating wants them to be. A lot of people came to me with really unique ideas and different things they wanted to highlight about their college experience. I advice you to try to capture some candids of your subject and try to get them to laugh (most everyone looks good when they’re laughing). Some people get camera shy so cracking a bad joke or make goofy faces just to lighten things up. When I take photos of people I really like to hype them up because they start to feel more confident!
My parting advice:
- Check for fly away hairs, bunched up clothing, food in teeth, etc…
- Continuous shooting is your friend!
- Check your settings every time you change a location (lighting changes at every place)
- Try to not have people in the background.
- Don’t be afraid to show the people their pictures while you’re taking them! After all, they know their angles best.
- Using a flashdrive or Google Photos is best way to transfer photos
Congrats to everyone who is graduating this year!
Thanks for reading! xx
Love these tips! And the photos you used as examples are great!
Thank you so much!