High school grad guide
Your high school grad photos, planned.
A little planning turns grad photos from one more thing on the list into an afternoon you enjoy. Here is what to decide before the day.
Before or after commencement?
Both work, and they give you different things.
- BeforeThe photos are ready for the grad party, the announcements and the thank-you cards.
- AfterThe pressure is off, the diploma is in your hand, and summer light lasts all evening.
Weekday evenings are the easiest to line up when family is coming along.
What to wear.
The regalia covers most of your outfit, so the parts that show are your collar, your legs and your shoes. Plain colours photograph better than busy patterns, and shoes you can walk across grass in will save your afternoon.
Bring a few bobby pins: a cap that sits properly makes more difference than anything else. If you plan to decorate your cap, check what your school allows first.
A second outfit is worth it. Regalia photos are for the wall. Photos in your own clothes are the ones you will actually post.
Who to bring.
Family photos work best in the first part of a session, so parents and grandparents can head home while you carry on with friends or on your own.
Graduating with your best friends? One shared session gives everyone group photos and portraits of their own, and it is a much better afternoon than doing it alone.
Make it yours.
Bring the thing that says who you were in high school: a team jersey, an instrument, an award, or the sweater of the school you are heading to next.
Pick the light.
The hour before sunset is the most flattering light of the day. Golden hour, explained shows why.
If it rains.
We go ahead in the rain and bring matching umbrellas for everyone. The weather plan has the details.
Keep reading.
- High school grad photos: a relaxed session of your own, with family and friends in it.
- Family in your photos: bringing parents, siblings and grandparents into part of a session.
- Grad photos with your dog: how to bring the dog and still get the shot.
- Prom photos: a session before the dance, for you, your date or your whole group.
Ready when you are.
Tell us your graduation date and who is coming. We come back with availability and a price.
Guelph Grad Photos is an independent photography business. We are not affiliated with any high school or school board.