How to get the most out of your grad shoot

Every semester, thousands of students gear up to walk across the stage, ready to finally trade their textbooks for their diploma. This time is a whirlwind of final exams, celebration dinners, and the long-awaited graduation photoshoot! If this sounds like you, keep reading to get the best tips for how to get the most out of your grad shoot.

Plan Ahead

The best way to get grad photos you’ll LOVE is to plan your vision ahead of time. This means thinking about your outfit, favorite poses, and preferred spots on campus before your session. We love to help our clients through this process, and are happy to provide inspiration as needed. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Attire: Your cap and gown are the star accessories here, but we recommend planning out your outfit well in advance of your session. Consider the activities you may do during your session, like tossing your graduation cap, popping champagne, or climbing onto landmarks, like USF’s Marshall Student Center bulls. Planning your outfit ahead of time ensures that you’ll be comfortable and confident on the day of.
• Poses: Chances are, you’re better in front of the camera than you think! Still, if you’d like some extra ideas, we recommend creating a Pinterest board with your favorite poses and inspiration shots. Try searching “graduation photoshoot poses” or “grad shoot inspiration”. We’re happy to review your ideas and help incorporate them into your session!
• Location(s): Although most graduates choose to have their sessions around the most iconic campus landmarks, we are open to any campus locations that stand out to you! Did you spend a lot of your college years in the library or student center? Did you have a favorite place to sit and eat lunch, or a special spot you always visited on study breaks? Let us know and we will work with you to plan the best session for your vision.

Track Your Time

We recommend arriving to your session a few minutes early. This will give us time to talk through your vision, get to know each other and take a few test photos to loosen up - don’t worry, everyone's a little nervous at the beginning! We really focus on the experience: getting you comfortable throughout the shoot and making the most of our time together.

Our Standard package offers an hour of photoshoot time and one location. One hour seems like a long time, but we keep the session full of energy - and time flies when you’re having fun. Moving between locations and changing outfits can take some time, so for those who’d like a little extra peace of mind that you’ll capture everything you’d like to do during your session, consider upgrading to our Deluxe package, which includes an additional half hour of photoshoot time.

Book Early

Most graduates take their photos from mid-April to early May for spring graduates or mid-November to early December for fall graduates. Although campus is beautiful at this time, it can also be busy! We recommend booking early and securing your session for about mid-semester, when the weather is nice and the crowds are small. The best part? You’ll have your pick of session openings, blooming flowers and can choose your ideal photoshoot date and time.

If you’re seeing this close to graduation, don’t worry! We still have limited Fall 2024 dates available. Reach out to us here to book today.

At the end of the day, your graduation shoot is a way to commemorate all the good memories you’ve made in school. If you follow these steps, you’re sure to get the most out of your photoshoot experience. We can’t wait to capture your graduation memories!

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