It Really Is Low Stress!

Great pointers on Graduation Photography, Sarah! Most of what I would say on this subject would probably be a repeat of what Sarah mentions about 'the big picture', lighting, posing, etc. I copied some of her poses, but also left some of the desicions up to my subject (my sister Annick), and my own creative genius (ha-ha). Models usually have terrific ideas for posing and props, and many times their ideas end up being some great ones you would never have thought of! Most turn out great, and reflect your subject's characteristics. For example, Annick spotted an old weed-sprouting farm implement to use for a prop, and since she likes old equipment, I took a photo of her standing behind it.

















An idea for grad photos of young ladies is to use your diffusing filter, or take the photo into your computer and turn it into a 'soft focus' photo. I used my diffuser on about half of the photos I took, and they turned out really nice, with an ethereal effect.

I like the clarity of this photo....












....but I like the diffusion of this one better!












This one, taken on the bank of the stream, also looks nice diffused.













I also took some of Annick standing in a group of three big trees. This pose looks good in full length, and also cropped.






























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Annick and Carol have very few pictures of the two of them together, so I took a few photos of them on the bridge.













In closing, graduation photography is not hard to do at all! Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning to take pictures of grads:

1. How does the grad feel? Make sure your subject looks and feels natural and comfortable in the poses you select. Taking pictures from different angles, and having the grad change something in each picture, such as arm,hand, leg, feet, head, or back position can make a good photo become their favorite!
2. Make it fun! This is a grat time to tell jokes and laugh during the shoot, and it also makes for fun memories! Take some photos of the grad doing something funny or slightly out of their character (eg. wearing sunglasses, being super-serious, laughing, acting theatrical etc.)
3. Use a third person. A sibling or friend of the graduate is a great person to have with you on the shoot. They can distract the grad so you can get perfect candids, they can get your subject to smile naturally (telling a joke, staring at him/her), plus, by having one or two more people with your grad-subject makes for wonderful group shots, which are perfect for their photo album or scrapbook!

Let us know if these pointers we've learned can help you with your photography! We'll be looking forward to the comments and questions!

Allison & Sarah

Editors