Graduation portrait photoshoot tips

Its that time of year! Graduation season is in full effect and I wanted to share some fun posing ideas and tips to make the most of your graduation portraits. Lets get started!

Tell a story.

Graduation portraits should be fun, celebratory and tell a story. A story that shares information such as where the subject is graduating from. Make sure the school logo shows on their gown, and greek letters show on their stole. Capturing details such as their cords, medals or pins shares their personal achievements. Take pictures in front of relevant and meaningful buildings and backdrops. These are all things that the graduate wants to remember in the years to come, so show it all off!

The cap throw.

The cap thrown into the air, or at the camera is another fun, celebratory story telling portrait for graduation. Remember to set your shutter to continous shooting mode. This way you will capture the shot properly. Don’t be afraid to try it a few times to make sure its great. I tell my subjects to look at the camera in one series, and another where they look at their cap. I also like to get low when taking the picture. The more choices, the better. Remind your subject to smile while they are in the process as well. Make sure their arm is NOT blocking their face in the shot. I find if they turn to the side a little and throw with the arm that is not in front is very helpful.

College graduates throwing their caps into the air, or at the camera.

BREAK UP THE COLORS.

The gown can look heavy and overtake the subject. I think its important to take a traditional portrait of your graduate in their gown but also to play around with the look too. Showing their dress, arms, etc can help break up too much of one color and show more lines. This adds interest to the overall image. Below are examples of breaking the gown up a bit by posing with it off the shoulders, or behind the hip. Carrying it over the shoulders is also a fun option.

Make a statement.

Pictures carry power. Simple poses like these can add to the variation of graduation portraits you hand over to your client in the end. Have fun and don’t be afraid to try new things out!

Portrait of college graduates popping champagne in front of fountain.

To see more examples of graduation portraits and behind the scene glimpses from my James Madison University photoshoots, head over to my instagram and watch the reel!

New Jersey Family Photographer | Keepin' it casual

For each home session I do, I try to get a sense of what my clients want to capture and then simply go with the flow. I mean, going with the flow but with some direction when needed! For this shoot, we wanted to capture real-life moments but also some nice “casually-formal” portraits too. I’m not sure if “casually-formal” is a thing, but I’m gonna roll with it. I utilize the aspects of the home that I find appealing to my eye for backdrops and also ask my clients to tell me what they love about their own home. Its super helpful and gains me insight into what they may or may not realize they envision from their session with me. For example, when asked what they loved about their yard, the garden and colors in the last image featured was a favorite spot for this mom of three. In the end, you get natural, relaxed portraits that also hold a bit more meaning to those who will-in the end-cherish the pictures most.

To see more like this, head over to my instagram page!

New Jersey Family Photographer | Backyard Shoot

Another “at-home” family portrait session to help inspire your next photoshoot.

The premise was “Home for the Holidays.” The goal behind the pictures was to create a unique holiday card base on the “Home for the Holidays” idea but also not making the pictures feel set in holiday mode. This way we kill two birds with one stone: we get the card done but we can also display classically timeless family portraits that translate year round. Not just during the holidays. When I did this session, we were in the middle of the pandemic- it was summer 2020. So the meaning behind HOME was so much more. This was where they spent the majority of their time. When they look back on these pictures, they will see exactly where they were at that time and feel the love.

To check out their sunflower photoshoot, head over to my instagram page!

New Jersey Family Photographer | Equine Portrait Session

If you know me, you know I love to shoot with horses. They are so majestic. Its like watching a piece of art move across the land. So obviously, this was basically one of my favorite days everrrrr.

To make sure I achieved my vision (honestly, I didn’t have a set vision other than the lighting) I made sure to schedule the shoot about 90 minutes before the sun went down. I told the girls to wear whatever they felt good in and that was it. The horse, the girls and real life basically took control after that. I was just there to photograph what I saw. Thankfully, their mom was a pro- horse wrangler and helped me get the positions or angle for the best, magical light. But otherwise it was a take it as it comes kinda session. I think we captured that special bond between the girls and their horses!

To check out another equine style photoshoot, head over to my instagram page!

Jersey Shore Family Photographer | LBI beach shack vibes

Here’s a twist on a beach shoot.

We’ve all seen the usual “summery beach photoshoots.” Trust me, I love a summery beach photoshoot. I also love a fall, winter and spring photoshoot on the beach. The Jersey shore is ideal for all the beachy photoshoots with the neutral tones of the sand, surf and sky. BUT, when my client said she wanted to try something different at the beach- I was ALL IN. The concept was to be more lifestyle, surfer-ish and very colorful. We spent most of our time on the strip of LBI, NJ for this. There are tons of funky store fronts from Surf City all the way to Beach Haven so we were getting hit with non-stop inspiration. The image featured above, was like hitting the jackpot . A custom build surf BENCH and chair, that we could sit in?! Um that was a no brainer. The bright mural painted by a local artist sealed the deal on making this Jersey Shore beach photoshoot a dream come true for both my client and I.

Looking for a different idea for a beach photoshoot? Head over to my instagram page!

New Jersey Family Photographer | Formal Holiday Session

Here’s a fun idea for a holiday photoshoot, my friends….a black tie inspired “end of the night” look. That end of the night vibe comes across thanks to the styling of the big brother with his undone bowtie and unbuttoned collar.

A shoot like this can take place virtually anywhere; your dining room, the kitchen, studio backdrop, any park or cool tone stone building. Since these guys live a bit far from me, we opted to meet in the middle at a local park. The setting had plenty of features that would add a bit of elegance (stone, arches, fountains and statues).

In the end, the holiday card that I designed read “Extravagant love is never wasted. Wishing you only the best this Holiday.” It tied the whole look of the shoot into a fun, different holiday concept that I’m pretty sure was unforgettable for the folks receiving the card.

To see a studio portrait session with a formal, fashion twist head over to my instagram page!

New Jersey Family Photographer | warm fall home session

When my client contacted me for this shoot, she said “I love my home in the fall, there’s such a warm and inviting feeling I get at this time of year. Can we set up a shoot sometime in late October?”

Yes! Yes I will be there.

When I showed up and saw her doorstep with all of its Thansksgiving-home-for-the-holiday feels I was ready for a pumpkin spice latte and a seat by her outdoor fireplace. That fireplace isn’t featured in this post, but guys- it was fabulous. Aside from securing the look and feel of her vision, I also wanted to make sure the story of this core family came across. Three boys and their mom and the personalities that go along with that. We mixed posed, yet laid back portraits with real life moments. Throwing the ball in the backyard, climbing trees and dogs jumping in the pool. You might not see that here, but yes it all happened!

Looking for more fall vibes for your next photoshoot? Head over to my instagram page for inspiration.

New Jersey Family Photographer | New Home photoshoot idea

When my client contacted me to tell me she wanted to have her holiday card concept also work as a “we are moving, here’s our new address” card, I was up for the challenge. We shot in the unfinished attic because it had a raw look, was also pretty neutral in color and had tons of natural light. The lines and angles also interested me. The family dressed in neutrals and bundled up to give off a wintery “hoiday” feeling. Next time you are looking to try something different, don’t be afraid to think outside of the norm. Maybe you have the perfect attic too!

Need more inspiration? Head over to my instagram page!

New Jersey Family Photographer | 80s retro photoshoot inspiration

This is super fun, right?!

The concept here began about a month before the shoot. My client wanted to do something different for her holiday cards, and thought a late 1970’s early 1980’s retro-vibe would be so cute. Thats when the planning and styling began…In order to pull this off we needed the right things to tell the story. Retro rollerskates, skateboards, colorful jackets and a boom box make this shoot extra. And I love extra.

When it came to designing and printing the holiday card, I chose a retro 70s-80s font. We used some lingo from back-in-the-day for the cards wording.

Coming into your holiday photoshoot with an idea is never a bad idea. Run it by your photographer or if you are the photographer, run it by your client. Prepare and gather the story telling items and then roll with it. These are the things that set your card apart from everyone else, and also are what make a photoshoot that much more fun. I’m sure the kids will never forget this day!

Want to be inspired? Head over to my instagram page!

New Jersey Family Photographer | Mystic, CT lifestyle shoot

I don't really write much in my blog.

I try to let my pictures express the feelings of each shoot. But in this case, I feel it's important.

This session is considered a "lifestyle" shoot. Which is sort of like when you look back on the memories of YOUR life. There are things that stick out....traditions, favorite times, that feeling you had when you were happy, in that memory you have saved IN your heart. It might just be your daily routine, or bed time reading books, snuggled in bed. Maybe its Sunday mornings, when you and the family walk down to town, grabbing special treats or going out to breakfast.

These lifestyle shoots capture those favorite moments you want DOCUMENTED.  So you can look back and actually reLIVE those moments that your memory etched into your soul. 

Here is a lifestyle shoot done in Mystic, Connecticut. A typical "special" Sunday morning....

To see more from Mystic, CT head over to my instagram page!