Guelph Grad Photos · Campus locations

The spots every Guelph grad should have.

Six places on the University of Guelph campus that are worth the walk, what each one gives you, and when the light is actually on your side.

A session covers three or six of these, depending on your package. You do not need to memorise the list. Pick the one or two that mean something to you, tell us on the day, and we will build the route around them.

A University of Guelph graduate sitting on the Gryphon statue with autumn trees behind

01 — The one everybody wants

The Gryphon statue

Red and gold, at the Gordon and Stone entrance. It is the single most requested spot on campus, and it is the photo that reads instantly as Guelph to anyone who sees it.

  • Best forThe photo you send your family first
  • Works withSolo, couples, and groups
  • Watch forQueues on convocation days. We often start or finish here rather than fight the middle of the afternoon
A University of Guelph graduate in cap and gown sitting on a bench in front of the Johnston Hall clock tower

02 — The classic

Johnston Hall and the clock tower

The building on the front of every brochure, and the one your parents will recognise. Ivy and limestone behind a black gown is about as traditional as a grad photo gets.

  • Best forThe formal, framed portrait
  • LightSoftest in the late afternoon, when the front is out of hard sun
  • TipBring the hood on for these. It is the shot it was made for
A University of Guelph graduate in a graduation hood and gown standing under the stone archway of the Portico

03 — The quiet one

The Portico on Johnston Green

The stone archway that survives from the 1874 farmhouse, standing on its own in the middle of the green. It frames a person beautifully and it is almost always calmer than the front of campus.

  • Best forPortraits where you are the whole photo
  • Works withSolo and pairs. Groups get tight under the arch
  • LightOpen shade under the arch all day, which is the friendliest light on the list
A University of Guelph graduate in a gown with a red and yellow stole on the tree-lined Alumni Walk

04 — The one you walked every day

Alumni Walk

The tree-lined brick path through the middle of campus. It gives depth behind you instead of a wall, which is why so many of the photos people actually print come from here.

  • Best forWalking shots, and anything that needs movement
  • SeasonExtraordinary in October. Green and generous in spring
  • Works withEveryone. Groups spread out along the path rather than bunching up
A University of Guelph graduate in cap and gown standing in front of the campus entrance sign at the stone gates

05 — The one that says where

The entrance sign and stone gates

At Gordon Street. The only shot on this list with the university’s name in it, which is exactly why it is worth five minutes even if it is not the one you frame.

  • Best forThe announcement post. Nobody has to ask where you graduated
  • Watch forTraffic behind you. We work the angle so the road stays out of it
A University of Guelph graduate in cap and gown standing in front of the library building

06 — The honest one

The library

Not the prettiest building on campus, and that is rather the point. If you spent four years in it, it belongs in the set, and grads are usually more attached to this photo than they expect to be.

  • Best forThe one that is actually about your degree
  • BringSomething from your program. It works hard here

Somewhere else in mind? The residence you lived in, the field you played on, the greenhouse, the Arboretum. If it is on or near campus and it means something to you, say so when you book and we will work it into the route.

Longer packages cover more ground. Signature visits three of these and Premium visits six, and the walking between them is included in the session time.

Before you come

Run through the checklist.

Gown, outfits, and the handful of things worth sorting before shoot day.

Grad session checklist →