~Motion Memory Blog~
It’s graduation season and most of my clients who want graduation pictures are “first-time buyers” of photoshoots. Even if you’ve been part of family pictures, mini sessions, or a wedding, graduation pictures come with their own challenges. So, here’s my quick and dirty advice on how to get the most from your shoot!
Picking the place is generally easy, especially if you’re a Tech student. My high school students typically spend about fifteen minutes at their actual school before moving on, but Tech students spend upwards of 90% of their time roaming to various campus locations.
Timing is less obvious. You may have heard that our photographers’ favorite time to shoot is “golden hour” – the hour before sunset or after sunrise. While this is an amazing time of day, there are plenty of shots we can get that won’t be affected by the harsher light. Because our sessions can run two and a half hours, I highly recommend that we start no less than two hours before sunset. Keep in mind that if we’re somewhere like Burgess Falls, “sunset” is usually about an hour before official sunset time.
I’ve probably found a ton of great photo locations around your campus, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ve gone to school there for the past several years. If you have any locations that are special to you, let your photographer know!
This is a no brainer, yet I feel the need to say it: make sure to bring your cap and gown. Make sure that they’re kept wrinkle-free on the ride over. Oh, and bring whatever regalia you’ve been decorated with!
Bring a change of clothes! Your cap and gown are the stars of the show, but you don’t want dozens of pictures where you look exactly the same. Wear something nice underneath and bring a change of clothes to mix things up! Maybe even bring that extra “out there” outfit?
Lastly, some of you have a best friend with four legs. They’ve been there for you throughout your journey. I’m always happy to include your fluffy friend in pictures. If you want to bring your animal, though, make sure to have someone there to take the animal away while we finish the shoot (or at least to keep them under control).
Almost every photographer has a series of poses, walks, and tasks for you to perform during your photoshoot, but I’ve never had a client who hasn’t also done their research. If you have any shots that you would like to at least try, make sure your photographer knows! We’ll do our best on the day of the shoot but sending them in advance is even better!
The number one thing that my clients say at the end of a graduation photoshoot is how exhausted they are! There are some things that you can do to make it easier on yourself though. First, bring a friend (or family member) to help you with props, clothes, ideas, etc.
Wear a pair of comfortable shoes! Even if you want to have special shoes for the pictures themselves, you’re going to be trekking across campus. You don’t want to do that in heels!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a breather. Let’s sit down and plan what’s next while breaking out the bottle of water.
Communication is the key to success! Touch base with your photographer a couple hours before the shoot to finalize where to meet and how to identify everyone. You can leave it at that, or we can develop a general idea of how we’ll break down your photo session.
Make these photos personal! Tell your photographer about any places on campus that are important to you. Remind your photographer about special poses or locations that you want to hit. Even suggest trying a different approach to the shot you’re already taking. And by all means, make sure to remind your photographer about the “must have” picture that your mom wants.
Finally, tell your photographer when you don’t understand what you’re supposed to be doing. I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable, so make sure I know if something isn’t right. And of course, feel free to let me know if you’re just not “feeling it” with any particular shots.
For the same reason you brought more than one outfit, make sure you’re not overdoing another aspect in your pictures. Sometimes we abuse a pose or facial expression, and it gets stale. Sometimes my clients bring a special item (and boy is there a variety), but don’t put that item front and center in every picture, even if it’s your adorable dog. Finally, remember to actually change your outfit, not just bring it.
Your school probably has an endless supply of beautiful trees, columns, buildings, and signs, but you didn’t stay on campus for four years straight. Let’s go downtown, to your favorite local park, or to your home.
Before anything else, just remember to have some fun. That sounds cliché, but I’m being serious. Laugh at things! Make funny faces at the camera. Throw a few punches when you’re feeling stiff. These are often the best images! Feel free to bring something outlandish – something to do with your hobby, your extracurricular activities, or just a crazy outfit!
Finally, go exploring your campus. See a rock, climb it. See an alleyway, go down it. Is the stadium open, let’s go inside! You won’t regret it!
-Shawn