February 5, 2020

When to Take Your Graduation Portraits

Graduation is around the corner and seniors everywhere are looking hourly at the countdown to finals. College quads will soon be filled at all hours of the day with seniors in their caps and gowns and photographers capturing their graduation portraits. The weather is getting warmer and undergrads are starting to come outside. In all this chaos, how do you know when to take the best graduation portraits? Here are some tips!

Do it early!

The earlier you do it, the better! Doing it earlier affects every part of your session.

You’ll get cherry blossoms and other flowers before they turn green!
There will be less people on the Quad! Less students hanging out because it’s a little colder, and less competing graduation sessions because few people book that early!
You can send the photos out to family much sooner! You’ll even have time to mail them printed copies with invitations to your graduation (grandmothers LOVE this!!)
You’re not going to fit it in among all your final projects and tests when the stress is highest!
If it rains during your session, you have more options and better flexibility in picking rain dates!
Your friends are all going to be comparing their photos to yours because you’ll get your photos first and set the bar!

I can’t recommend enough getting an early portrait session. If you’re worried about the cold, we can always spend some time in buildings to warm up. An hour outside getting beautiful photos will definitely be worth it in the long run!

When you take your portraits early, you can get cherry blossoms!

Pick the right time!

Any experienced photographer will tell you to do your session in what we call golden hour: the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset when the light is gorgeous, warm, and flattering! Every year, I see student photographers taking portraits during the middle of the day when their seniors have harsh light on their faces and unflattering shadows.

Although experienced photographers are masters of light and have techniques to shoot during the middle of the day, it’s best to avoid this problem altogether and shoot when the light is most flattering. This means morning sessions and evening sessions. Not only will you look better, but there will be less people on the quad! Win win situation!

I’m ONLY offering morning and evening sessions this year to ensure that you get the best light for your session! If you’re having trouble fitting those times into your schedule, let me know and I’ll be happy to work with you!

When to book

Book as early as your photographer will allow! If your photographer has a VIP list where they send out the dates to people who expressed interest early, get on that list! My own VIP list comes out this Friday! The people on it will have first access to my spring dates and will be able to book a full week before everyone else. Book as early as you can so you can get the best date.

Also make sure that you book a rain date if your photographer has a lot of sessions. This can either happen right at the beginning of the booking process, or you can choose one as you get closer to the session. Some photographers shoot through the rain, but I’ve seen purple gowns stain white dresses and I don’t want to risk it for my seniors!

Get a photographer that will help you prepare!

The best advice I can give you is to find a photographer that will help you prepare for your session. Find one that has done senior portraits before, and bonus points if they’ve done them at your school. They should give you advice as to what to wear, when to book, when to shoot, and what to do before, during, and after your session. There are TONS of photographers out there, so make sure you find the one that best fits you!

As of February 2020, I’ve photographed 44 JMU seniors on the quad in 3 years. I’ve booked sessions two months in advance of graduation all the way up to a few days before. We’ve had sessions with dogs, teammates, best friends, moms, significant others, and the seniors by themselves. I’ve photographed sessions in the morning, evening, freezing cold, wind, and warmth. There have been sessions where we were the only ones in sight. I’ve also done sessions where the entire school was out enjoying the day and we have to wait in lines with other photographers to take photos at popular spots.

In every session, we get photos of the senior with the major JMU landmarks (J-Maddy statue, Burrus Fountain, Wilson). We also always get photos just of the senior showing off their personality. After all, this is about their excitement for the next chapter in their lives. We find beautiful light and backgrounds, and we have fun. In the end, you get a whole gallery of images for you to show off to your friends and family.

My 2020 seniors will also get a full guide to having the best graduation portraits! It will include tips on how to prepare, how the session will go, and what you can do with your photos!