Graduation season is finally here, and I recently had the pleasure of taking my own photos. On a college budget, hiring a professional photographer for my photos was a little out of my price range. My roommate and I set out to take our own pictures with each other using her camera to cut down on costs and make sure we can take our time running around campus and shooting pictures. I highly recommend doing this if you’re low on cash and are able to borrow a camera nearby. Here are all the tips I learned from taking my own grad pics:
- Don’t just take grad pics!
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During my photoshoot, I decided to take the time while we had a professional camera ready to take some professional headshots. Headshots are really important in the context of websites like Linkedin to create a great first impression. By bringing a button up shirt and finding an appropriate area with lighting, I was able to kill two birds with one stone and take the perfect photos commemorating my graduation as well as advance my professional profile online.
- Get the perfect champagne picture
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Champagne pictures are hard to successfully do, and I definitely learned how to do them the right way. I recommend bringing two bottles of champagne, and maybe an extra one if you plan on doing that shot with someone by your side. In order to get the perfect champagne photo, make sure not to pop the cork too early so that your bottle still sprays as much as possible. Additionally, you’re going to want to cover half of the cap with your thumb and shake as hard as possible in order for the champagne to shoot out and get your perfect shot. Be very careful, however, since champagne is sticky and tends to get everywhere. We used a zoomed in lens to make sure we could spray wherever and not hurt the camera. Also, champagne can stain graduation gowns pretty badly, so make sure that you are spraying away from yourself.
Original photo by Amanda Lara Rossini-Hein - Try out some unconventional areas on campus
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Royce Hall and the Inverted Fountain are iconic photoshoot locations on campus, but try out some new locations to make your photos truly stand out. I decided to take some photos outside of Kerckhoff and at the top of Bruinwalk, which ended up being two perfect locations that have pretty background and showcase UCLA. The best part about taking graduation photos yourself is that you’re in no rush to get all your photos in, so make sure to go around to different spots and find some cool new backgrounds to try out.
Original photo by Grace Goodwin - Bring a film camera
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Bringing a film camera just makes sense for something as nostalgic as graduation. Film itself is a great medium for timeless yet emotional photos, and having a disposable camera on hand during this photoshoot is a really fun way of differentiating your photos and getting a vintage look. Film overall is really fun, and dedicating a whole disposable or roll of film to the day could be worth it to get some unique shots or candids.
Original photo by Bella Bruyere - Pack appropriately for the shoot
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I didn’t expect to be walking all over campus, and I was super happy that I had brought a pair of flip flops to switch out my heels during the walks to different locations. Some things that I wish I could’ve brought with me would be some snacks, since you don’t want to have something like a hungry stomach rushing you to take the perfect photo. I also wish I had brought some more of my makeup to do touch-ups, as I ended up getting a little sunburnt and that definitely showed up in some of my photos.
I had a ton of fun doing this with my roommate, and I really recommend taking your own pictures too! It’s a great learning experience if you like photography and you end up with some fun memories commemorating your time in college. Best of luck shooting your pictures and congratulations to the class of 2023!