It’s the Spring – are you GRADUATING??

I know it doesn’t look like it yet, because it’s still super cold, but… spring is coming! (Like, “Winter is Coming” but less ominous.) Spring is absolutely on the horizon, and we’re going to get there quicker than you think. And that’s okay, especially if spring comes with celebrations for you this year!

Which is my weird little segue into saying: CONGRATULATIONS, SOON TO BE GRADUATES! Whether you’re graduating from high school, getting your undergrad, or moving to the next stages in your academic career, you’ve done amazing things, and I’m proud of you from afar. Which might sound weird, but it’s still true! You got through it, and that’s a big deal, no matter what stage you’re in of your academic process.

If you haven’t scheduled your senior photos… there’s still time!

One of the things that comes with graduating, and CELEBRATING the fact that you’re graduating, is senior photos. And you might think it’s a little late to be talking about senior photos, since most graduates have them taken in the autumn before their senior year of high school.

But… not everyone is on that schedule, and if you haven’t already had your images taken, there’s still time!! And they’re DEFINITELY still worth having done. Plus, if the graduation you’re celebrating is in the high-education-realm, then now IS the prime time to schedule your graduation session! Or at least, we’re coming up to it, since you’re likely going to receive your cap and gown shortly.

Remind You can still use them for graduation announcements, even if you’ve missed the yearbook deadline! that the session will be ALL about them!

No matter what level of education you’re graduating from, you can still use senior photos for your graduation announcements, even if you’ve missed the yearbook deadline! I know yearbook committees at high schools needed the photos for those several months ago, and it might feel like you’ve missed your opportunity altogether, because like… why get senior pictures if you can’t use them in the yearbook? But you haven’t missed out on the benefits of a session, even if the yearbook is out of the question!

And if you’re graduating from your undergrad program, or from a masters program – or any other professional training, by the way, you can have graduation photos taken for ANY of those – then there are all kinds of other ways you can use your photos!

First of all, there’s graduation announcements, which definitely need a great picture of you, celebrating everything you’ve accomplished. But there are other reasons! Some graduation ceremonies include slideshows with images you’ve sent in, others have a printed booklet – you might have parties after your graduation where you kinda need to have some pictures printed ahead of time.

Remembering this milestone is POWERFUL

But even if you’re looking at all of those reasons and thinking “I’m not having a graduation party, I’m not going to send them to people, so what’s the point?” I still think you should have a senior photo session, and not just because like… I offer them here at Jessica Strobel Photography and so I think everyone should get pictures for everything.

Graduation is a HUGE milestone. And we’re living in super weird times – where it feels weird to celebrate anything. It can feel small, and strange, given everything going on in the world. What’s graduation, in the grand scheme of things? It’s an easy perspective to fall into. But here’s the rub – you’re LIVING your life. In these times. And you deserve to be able to celebrate your milestones even if they feel small.

You’ll want to be able to look back in ten years, I promise!

Regardless of everything going on in the world, you’re going to want to look back on this time in your life, no matter what you’re graduating from. You’ll want to look back at your high school graduation, your undergrad, or your professional qualifications. Twenty years from now, you’ll think to yourself, “I was so young” and you’ll want to be able to look back at it, and smile a little knowing-smile having lived another million little celebrations since then.

Documenting our lives can kind of feel like it’s all about sharing. And the social media driven world we live in now supports that mindset. We take a picture of our lunch and pop it onto Instagram, so that other people can see what we’re doing. But that isn’t the only reason to document what you’re achieving. Document it for YOU. Keep track of your wins for YOU. Celebrate those moments… for YOU. Not to prove anything to anyone else, not to share on Instagram, but so that future-you can look back at now-you and smile that little smile.

They’re WAY cooler than a selfie!

And if you’re sold on documenting your life in a way that helps you celebrate later… you might be thinking “okay but like, I can just take a selfie, it’s not that serious.” But it IS that serious, and I’m gonna tell you why!

Seeing yourself through a photographers’ lens is a very, VERY different way to see who you are. It shows you things about yourself that you wouldn’t have noticed – and it can include all kinds of things that AREN’T just… you, holding your camera. It can include celebrations of the people you love, who’ve helped you get where you are. It can include your favorite interests, and be focused on the things you enjoyed most on this journey. And those kinds of things? Well, they just don’t go into a selfie very well.

Plus, selfies aren’t usually a part of a separate, magical hour or so that has been set aside intentionally to celebrate you. They’re normal – you take selfies every day, right? I mean, we carry little cameras (that are pretty damn powerful now, to be honest) in our pockets all the time, so we’re constantly documenting. But it’s a different kind of documentation that your graduation deserves – it’s not just documenting. It’s a true celebration of your achievements, and selfies just… don’t do that. Senior photo sessions involve preparation, and focus. And that’s a big deal!

Get your Senior Session on the Calendar

So if you thought you were a little behind when it comes to getting your senior photos on the calendar, I hope I’ve changed your mind!! I would love to talk to you about creating a session for your graduation celebration, no matter whether the images will be shared, or kept to yourself. Because no matter how you plan on using them… senior photos are worth it!