Guidance for our Graduates

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Hey grads! We are so grateful that you chose us to capture this HUGE accomplishment in your life. We took some time to put together some tips that we’ve gathered over time from past sessions. The following tips are just suggestions; remember that this session is about you!

We’re just here to help you along the way (:

Past Grad Photos :)

Preparing for your session:

Get the sleep you need and take care of yourself! If there is one day to get that 7-9 hours of sleep, it should be the day before your session. Take the time to hydrate and rest so that you feel energized and ready for your photos! Make sure to drink and eat something before your session as well! You don’t want to be moving around and posing on an empty stomach.

Give yourself the time you need to get ready. Try not to get ready for your session at the last minute! Prep as much as you can the night before your session. Make sure to put time aside to do your hair, makeup, and clothes in addition to your commute to campus!

Get to your session early! We would hate to rush your session because of unexpected traffic or lack of parking. If you get to the location early, you’ll have time to do some finishing touches and relax before we begin!

What to Wear?

We always tell our clients to keep it simple. We are there to take photos of YOU, not the clothing!

Colors should be light and should contrast with your robe and stole! Because most robes are a darker color, it definitely helps to have lighter clothing underneath as a base.

We usually try to avoid any polka dots, imagery, stripes, or patterns on clothing for these photos.

You can definitely bring a bolder-colored outfit for your photos! Remember you can add an outfit change to your session so that you can use this as your second outfit.

Please make sure to iron or steam AND hang your clothing the day before to prevent any wrinkles in photos.

Make sure that you remove your stole from the package and iron it before your session! It will definitely have lines from the folding.

We recommend putting everything on before your session to make sure the colors go together! As always, message us if you have any questions or need some help!

For the Girls (:

Shoes: If you are going to wear heels in your photos, we recommend bringing a pair of flip flops. We do A LOT of walking on campus; bringing the additional pair of shoes will help with time and your comfort!

Makeup: Show us your best work or keep it natural! Both will look beautiful in photos. We just recommend testing your look in natural light before the session so that you can see what your face will look like. You can do this by facing a window and applying your makeup. In photos, light will bounce off of your face so it looks a bit different compared to real life.

Hair: Choose a hairstyle that you feel comfortable with! If you want nothing distracting from your face, then put it up; if you want to be able to play with your hair in photos, keep it down! For hair inspo ideas Emilie LOVES looking on Pinterest.

Clothes: If your clothing is a light color, please make sure you wear underwear that is the same color or lightly colored! We do not want your underclothing to be visible in your photos!

For the Guys (:

Hair: We recommend getting your haircut a week or a few days before your session. We also wouldn’t try anything new; just stick to something you are comfortable with so that you’ll for sure feel good during your session.

Facial Hair: Please trim and groom yourself before your session! If your mustache and/or beard is a part of you, don’t get rid of it! Just make sure it is presentable.

Couples:

It can definitely get awkward being in a public space and taking intimate photos together. Beforehand, think about what you are comfortable and uncomfortable with during sessions.

Communicate with each other! What do the two of you want to do during the session? Are there certain poses one of you wants for sure? Remember- message us for ANYTHING!

Accessories:

Jewelry: Please feel free to wear whatever jewelry you’d like to compliment your outfit.

Electronics: Yes! We will be walking a lot, but please keep your smartwatches at home! If needed, we can help hold your electronics for you.

Glasses: If you wear glasses, they will glare in photos. If you are able to, we would appreciate you removing the lenses, wearing your contacts, or just taking them off real quick for photos. Of course, we will make it work if they are an essential part of your personality.

Props?

Stoles and cords: Bring all the stoles and cords you have! We will incorporate them ALL. We want to document your achievements!

Graduation cap with tassel: Don’t forget this! We’ll be taking photos of you wearing it, throwing it, and without it.

Calligraphy board: You could definitely bring a calligraphy board with “Class of 2025” on it, some sort of letter to your parents, etc.

Textbooks: Got a favorite class or a class that you HATED? Bring those books and we can find a way to incorporate them!

Grad school gear: If you are going to grad school you may choose to bring something to showcase the next chapter in your life.

Flowers: Flowers always look beautiful in photos. Keep in mind that a bouquet always looks better than a single flower.

Champagne: These photos are always fun! If you’ve never popped a bottle of champagne before, don’t worry! We have instructions for you.

Confetti: We are a huge fan of confetti in photos but are also environmentally-friendly photographers. If you plan on incorporating confetti in your photos, please make sure they are biodegradable/earth friendly; otherwise, be prepared to take some time to pick up after yourself.

Additional things:

Small towel or napkins: It can get hot! Bring something to pat yourself down in case you sweat. You could also bring a powder pat on your face to make it less shiny.

Water: Hydration is super important! Bring some water if you can!

Hand Mirror: Definitely optional, but phone cameras don’t always let us see ourselves the way mirrors do.

Your smile (: