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!