When you think Graduation Photos, you probably think “High School”

I can absolutely forgive you for thinking about high school seniors when you see the phrase “senior photos” – but that’s not all it can mean! There are so many landmarks in your educational career that are marked by a graduation, and not all of those are high school. Obviously, high school graduation is pretty time-locked, happening in the spring each year with very few exceptions. But beyond high school? Graduation happens at various points in the year, and ALL of those milestones are important!

Winter graduates exist, and I see you!!

If you’re graduating with your bachelors, masters, or doctorate, I totally 100% understand that you might be a winter graduate! And whether that’s because you’re graduating after taking an extra semester, whether it’s the natural development of your degree, or whether there’s some other niche reason you’re a winter grad – it’s still worth celebrating. That’s ESPECIALLY true if you feel “late” with your graduation.

Feeling late, and BEING late, are two very different things. And I know that in the “self love” era, we talk about how everyone is on their own journey and that those things take different amounts of time for different people… but that doesn’t mean that the societal pull to do things FAST isn’t still real. It’s VERY real.

But if you’re graduating a little bit behind the schedule you’d originally planned, celebrating with a graduation photo shoot can HELP with that feeling! It can make it feel real, even though your graduation ceremony might be a bit smaller than the spring version. Small is just another word for “intimate”, right? More time to celebrate YOU!

It doesn’t matter what level of education you’ve completed, it deserves to be celebrated and remembered!

I ALSO know that when you’re going through your second, third, or even fourth BIG graduation, they start feeling a little… less exciting. I mean you’ve already done it once, or twice, or… thrice. And once you’ve sat through those ceremonies, and put on the garb, it can kind of start feeling more like a production than it does something meaningful and deep about your accomplishments as a human.

But it still IS deep and meaningful. I mean, it’s the culmination of all of your efforts for YEARS. And if you’re graduating non-traditionally… think about everything you’ve been through to get where you are. It’s so much. If you’re a parent, if you’re caring for family – if you’re a non-traditional learner… all of those things can make it feel like you didn’t go fast enough, you were held back, or you should have been able to accomplish more, sooner.

And that feeling is real! I mean, I’ve been in the “I didn’t do it soon enough” camp before. I get it. But just because the feeling is real, doesn’t mean it’s what’s really going on. I mean, you did AMAZING things! While caring for other humans! While caring for yourself! And that? That deserves to be celebrated.

Don’t worry if you’ve not planned ahead

If you had some less-than-celebratory feelings about your graduation, and you didn’t plan ahead to have a graduation session… you absolutely still have time to work that celebration into your schedule. And if you do, you’ll come away with a set of photos you can look back at forever. Photos that show off your accomplishment, and that highlight the joy and pride that come with doing something amazing.

Even if it feels like this graduation is just a stepping stone – maybe you’ve gotten your bachelors, and you’re headed into a masters program. Maybe you’ve gotten your masters, and you have a position lined up to seek a doctorate. There’s nothing wrong with looking at your graduation this winter as a step in your larger educational journey. But if we don’t celebrate those steps, we miss out on enjoying the journey! Just because there’s another milestone coming – or maybe even actively underway – doesn’t mean that this one is any less important. You deserve to remember it. To look back, and know you did everything you could do, and even if the timeline didn’t match your plans… you got where you were going.

We can celebrate wherever makes the most sense to you!

I know in winter it might not feel like an outdoor session is quite the vibe… but we can make it work, I promise! Not only do I have a studio we can use for whatever kind of session will help you remember this winter graduation milestone, we can also take advantage of spaces on your campus that have been meaningful to you during your time there! Whether you’re going on to get another degree at the same institution, or not, there are likely places that were meaningful to you. A bench where you first met your best friend. The lecture hall where you fell in love with your academic area all over again because of that one professor who really GOT your passion. The café where you crammed before exams, or the stacks in the library where your thesis is published in print. Any, or all of those places can be used for your session! We can work in the details that meant something to you – and will CONTINUE meaning something to you, when you look back at the photos from your session in twenty years’ time.

If you’re graduating this winter, reach out, and let’s make sure it’s a celebration to remember!

Maybe this graduation, for you, isn’t one that will come with a party, or graduation announcement cards, or a big to-do with family. Maybe your family kind of just expected it of you, so they’re not celebrating in that special way that makes things feel real.

But you can make it feel real for YOU! So, if you’re graduating this winter, let’s talk! We can create a session that highlights your achievement, and if you want to, it can even involve your favorite people! The people who supported you, or who YOU supported while you were working through your degree. After all, your degree is about more than just a piece of paper, it’s about accomplishing something amazing, learning, and being cool humans. And being cool humans… that’s ALWAYS worth celebrating!