How To Take Better Photos on Graduation Day
You have made it to your high school graduation! It’s the day you have been waiting for for twelve years! Your son or daughter has worked so hard and it’s time to celebrate! So of course you want to take photos of the big day!! How can you make sure you get the best possible photos even though you may not be a professional photographer or have the budget to hire one?
I know that there are times in life when you can’t splurge for a photographer to take photos for you, and that’s ok! However, I want to make sure you know how to take better photos on graduation day without using a professional. With these helpful tips, you will have beautiful days of graduation day whether you’re using a point and shoot camera or just your smart phone.
Find the Light
You don’t have to know the ins and outs of lighting to find good light. You just need to look for even light or open shade. The best light is natural light and can be found next to a window or outside. If you go outside, look for what is known as open shade, which is a spot just out of the direct sunlight. Look at your son or daughter’s face when you place them in the spot and check to make sure the light on their face is even and they are not squinting.
Three’s a Crowd
Try to find a spot with less people! This one may be difficult as graduation ceremonies are crowded but try to find a spot with a blank background such as the building and not the crowd of people. This way, there will be less distractions behind your subjects. If you can’t find a secluded spot, zoom in! Make sure to get some tight shots that will cut out some of the people or distractions in the background.
Tell a Story
Take lots of angles and lots of different shots to tell the story of this special day. Things such as close ups of the cap and tassel, your senior’s hands round the diploma, smiling at the camera shots and more! Capture candid shots throughout the entire day such as getting ready to putting on the gown to walking across the stage and more. Don’t forget to toss the hat! That always makes a great photo and captures the feeling of the day perfectly. If you plan to put these in an album later on, it will tell a fun and engaging story of the entire day.
Take Photos of Everything and Everyone
You will most likely be sitting far away during the ceremony, so there’s no need to use flash on your camera. You can take a few pictures of your son or daughter walking across the stage and getting a diploma. Just know that there’s a professional photographer on stage taking a really good photo of the moment.
Take photos of your senior all dressed up before he/she senior puts on the cap and gown so you have variety in your photos. Be sure to get in the photo with your senior! You helped get your son or daughter to this point in life and you should be celebrated too! Moms and dads don’t get in enough photos so take lots of photos with you in them! Take photos of your grad by his or herself! Be sure to get formal photos of the graduate. And take photos of your grad with his or her friends! Make sure you get those good friends who are celebrating this day as well!
With these helpful tips, you will have beautiful photos, now matter which device you use, now that you’ve learned how to take better photos on graduation day! I love shooting high school seniors, so if you’re looking to book a session with me, email me via my contact page!
