3 Tips for Amazing Graduation Photos

Welcome to Tuesday Tips, a new section of my blog dedicated to helping you take better photos of your own friends and family.  Look for more tips and suggestions each week, from graduation photos to flower photography!

If you’re excited to capture some amazing pictures of your favorite grad, use these quick tips to turn up the degrees of excellence on your photos!

#1 – Avoid the super bright sun.

Many graduations occur in the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky. This means squinty eyes and harsh shadows. Before you get everyone in position, take a few seconds to scan your surroundings. Make sure your graduate isn’t looking directly into the sun or that their face isn’t half in shadow. If you’re doing a DIY cap-and-gown photo shoot, try shooting in the evening when the light is softer and more flattering! Open shade also a great photo op. Look for trees or use the side of a building to give you some cover.

#2 – Angle the body.

Shooting a portrait straight on can make your subject look bigger and more aggressive than they are in real life. Ask your graduate to bring one shoulder closer to the camera, so her body is at more of an angle. If you’re shooting multiple graduates, have them link arms or put their arms around each other.

#3 – Give your grad something to do with their hands.

Taking photos is a lot like public speaking…people don’t know what to do with their hands, so they let them dangle at their sides awkwardly. Ask your graduate to hold their diploma. Female grads look great with hands on their hips and male grads can put their hands in their pockets or hook their thumbs in their pockets. You can also have your grad lean against a wall or fence. Use these ideas to put some wow factor into your graduation snapshots. Your images will graduate from mug shots to glamour shots in no time and earn honors from friends and family!

To see more of my work, visit my Events and Milestones Portraits page.  Or contact me about all your Goshen County  or Southeast Wyoming photography needs!

–Teresa