Why You Should Hire a Photographer for Group Grad Photos
Congratulations, classes of 2020! If you’re graduating this year, naturally you must be feeling a whole tangle of emotions: excitement, for leaving; trepidation and uncertainty, for what lies ahead in the future; sadness, because not only has this year’s ceremonies been either postponed or cancelled outright, but also you won’t see your friends every single weekday anymore (unless you’re going to the same university or college later). Parents, I’m sure you’re also feeling your own mixed bag of emotions; I felt the same way watching my children graduate too!
However you’re feeling about this momentous event in your life, it’s nice to look back and reflect on them in photographs. Imagine trying to look through your Instagram and failing to find those pictures! That’s why when it comes to certain grad photos, such as groups (albeit while practicing social distancing all the while), it helps to have a professional photographer on standby. Here are a few excellent reasons to hire a photographer for group grad photos.
You’ll look timeless
Photographs of moments like grad are meant to last—they’re not the quick snapshots everyone takes and then posts on to social media. Moments like these are very far and few in between; you only graduate from high school once in a lifetime. Even if those years of your life aren’t the best (not every teen’s life is all peaches and cream), at least once they’re taken you can look back and reflect on how far you’ve come since those days.
With all of that in mind, the thing a professional grad photographer can do that you can’t is capture you in the moment. By hiring a photographer, you won’t be the one taking the photos; someone else will take that responsibility from you and allow you to be present within the present. You’ll also have the chance to dress in a timeless way, rather than dated.
Parents want to be present in the moment
Grad is the moment when parents realize their kids are maturing into real life adults; it’s a happy/sad day for them especially. They’re proud you’ve come this far, and now the real journey of life is well on its way...maybe college/university will be next?
Whatever the case, it’s important for mom and dad that they share this day with you. They’re feeling as emotional as you are...let them show you they care! A photographer can capture everyone in the family in photos, as opposed to asking mom or dad to take them, and then ending up with incomplete family photos. Grad is too special to leave family out of the picture. Having everyone who supported you in your journey in a photograph makes for a much better time for everyone involved.
Creative opportunities
Some of the best photo ops for grads have been taken during candid moments! There have been laugh-out-loud expressions, ice cream trucks, fun at the playground, and more. The grad students I’ve had the pleasure of meeting are so creative, especially when it comes to posing for photo ops. If you’d like to see some great ideas be sure to check out my Grad photo gallery.
A photographer has organizational skills
Grad groups are a little on the tough side to photograph if you’re a parent. Everyone is distracted; not having a plan the day of can also lead to disaster (i.e. having terrible photos or no photos at all!!). As a professional photographer I understand the benefits of being organized and having a plan of action to follow through on. I’ll typically go over this plan with those organizing the photo session beforehand, but I’m not afraid to be spontaneous if there’s a wonderful photo opportunity the day of either.
Adhering to 2020 social distancing guidelines
Grad is different this year. Like I said, some ceremonies for schools have been cancelled or postponed until later this year due to COVID-19. That being said, if you and your friends know you haven’t been infected, none of you have traveled to hotspot areas, and you’ve all stayed inside and quarantined when needing to, I think it may be safe to say you can come back out...but, we still have to remain cautious, and calm.
We still don’t know anything about COVID-19, but by practicing social distancing while celebrating this milestone, I can guarantee you that your moments can and will be captured for life without creating risk to you or your loved ones. Besides, life itself never waits. That applies to this year, too.
Perhaps I can help with grad photos?
I’ve had the privilege of taking group grad photos for the following schools. If you’re a teacher or parent in need of a photographer, know that I’ve been able to help with all of these wonderful grads.
Terry Fox
Burnaby Mountain
Gleneagle
Centennial
Charles Best
Langley Fine Arts
Riverside
Heritage Woods
Abby Sr.
Westview (Maple Ridge)
Contact me if you have any further questions about my services! I look forward to meeting the classes of 2020!
Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Photos by Cheryl and a clickable link back to this page.
