Every graduation needs to be documented, and one of the best ways is to keep them in photos. As one of the most important chapters in life, graduation surely needs to be celebrated. However, you don’t have to hold a big party to celebrate the special moment, you can do it by simply taking special photos with your loved ones. Instead of taking the usual and boring graduation photos, you can try to find some inspiration from a lot of creative and unique graduation photo ideas in this article. After all, a photo means a thousand words, right?
When it comes to graduation photos, adding some ideas to enliven your photos would be an excellent idea. You don’t really need to use complicated or difficult photos that require many props. Just create a simple one with a great pose and composition, then voila! You’ll have your own unforgettable graduation photos.
However, if you’re running out of photo ideas, read this article to the end because you will find 20 graduation photo ideas that are worth trying.
What Types of Outfits Should Be Worn for Graduation Photos?
When it comes to graduation photos, the type of outfits that should be worn depend on a few factors such as the formality of the event, personal style and preference, and cultural or religious customs. Here are some general guidelines for graduation photo outfits:
- Formal wear. For a more formal graduation ceremony or event, formal wear such as a suit, dress, or gown is usually appropriate. It is best to choose classic, neutral colors such as black, navy, or beige.
- Semi-formal wear. For a semi-formal graduation ceremony or photo shoot, dressy separates such as a blazer and dress pants, or a dress with tailored elements are a good choice. Colors can be a bit brighter or bolder, but still neutral.
- Casual wear. If the graduation ceremony or event is more casual, comfortable and relaxed clothing such as jeans, a blouse or t-shirt, and sneakers may be acceptable.
How Many People Should Be Included in Graduation Photos?
It depends on personal preference and the space available for the photos. Graduation photos can feature just the graduate, or can include family members, friends, or significant others. It’s important to consider what will make the graduate feel comfortable and happy in the photos.
The focus should be on the graduate and their accomplishments, so keep the number of additional people included in the photos limited to what works best for the graduate and the occasion.
BEST Graduation Photo Ideas
Graduation is one of the once-in-a-lifetime moments that is very memorable for most students. This event is a place to celebrate their hard work in completing a thesis which is quite a tiring process. Some people celebrate by capturing graduation photos as a reminder of the good times and full of struggles they have gone through well. If you are one of those people who likes to capture precious moments in your life, such as graduation, then you better take a look at our BEST graduation photo ideas below. And thank us later!
1. Blow The Confetti
Confetti is a sign of celebration. That’s why there is nothing wrong with blowing confetti on your graduation day. You can capture the moment when you blow the confetti after the graduation ceremony finishes.
The bokeh effect of your photo creates a beautiful result of a photo with confetti. Also, you don’t have to think about the pose for your graduation photo since this idea is already perfect. Make sure you close up the set to your face to have an amazing capture!
2. Cheerleaders: Pyramid Formation
You can take this one of the most energetic graduation photo ideas with your cheerleader’s squad. By making a pyramid formation, everyone will know that you are a cheerleader member at school.
Also, you can save this cute picture and tell your kids in the future about how happy and proud you are to be part of the cheerleading squad. For the outfit, you can wear casual shirts or perhaps your cheer uniform if you like, because doing this pose in your graduation dress can be challenging.
3. Ruff Moment with Your Pet
A graduation is a moment to celebrate with anyone, including your furry friend. Well, pets are also part of the family, right? To make it easier to take a graduation picture with your pets, you can do this pose by taking the photo from your back. So, your pets do not have to see the camera.
Oh, don’t forget to get a graduation cap for your pet with a paw character printed on it to match the celebration vibes. In addition, you can decorate the cap to express how you feel about graduation as well.
4. Time To Go Back Home
For the settled students, creating a graduation photo idea like this will be such a heartwarming one, because you will remember how hard it is to leave your hometown to study at your favorite college. You’ve been leaving your comfortable room, parents, and childhood friends in order to pursue your bright future.
Therefore, it’s a great idea for you to take a picture like this one. Bring your suitcase and throw away the cap as a symbol of your college time has come to an end. Moreover, don’t forget to make sure there is no train coming through the railway anytime soon. Truly a quick graduation photo that you can remember forever.
5. Flashback
This one perhaps becomes one of the most simple yet meaningful graduation photo ideas that you can do effortlessly. Well, you might need to hold your tears because it will bring a slight flashback to your childhood memories.
On your graduation day, you can bring your childhood graduation photo back from kindergarten or elementary school. Alternatively, you can also compile your graduation photos from junior and senior high school to capture the awesome progress you’ve been through. That way, you can see how much you changed as a person.
6. Best Friend Forever, Graduating Together
Isn’t it lovely when you and your best friend can graduate together from college? Although you two take different majors, it doesn’t make you two have a gap to do everything in your life.
Having a graduation photo idea with your best friend like this will tighten your friendship as well. Don’t forget to tell the world about the majors you two graduated from, too! Just grab a mini chalkboard with your field written on it!
7. Squad in a Frame
This is a very simple yet unforgettable graduation photo idea. You just have to gather with your squad while all of you are still wearing the graduation costume, and take a picture holding a big frame together.
Instead of leaving it plain, you guys can bring accessories like confetti, and flower buckets. If you want to spice up the frame, you can edit it later based on your preference. You better put the “class of” to show what year you graduated.
8. Lovely Doll for Graduation Photo Props
When you feel like taking a graduation photo with friends or family is too common, why not bring your favorite doll or toy to take a picture together on your graduation day?
Especially if the doll is one of the best companions when you were working on your thesis with those endless sleepless nights. Take some cute poses with funny faces and don’t forget to frame and hang them on the wall once you print them.
9. Decorated Graduation Cap
It is very suitable for you who love to decorate something to be unique and one of a kind. After the graduation ceremony is done, why don’t you decorate your graduation cap as the props for the graduation photo idea?
You don’t have to do something difficult or complicated, just look back and the photographer can focus on your back, especially on the decorated graduation cap that you made. To make the outfit in tune with the cap, you can wear your graduation robe once again.
10. Throwing Paper Graduation Photo
When you think that you are done with college and graduation day, this photo can be the best idea to describe your feelings, right? So, you can take inspiration from this graduation photo idea for your big day.
Throwing all the papers of your hard work, looking at the camera, and smiling widely as you want to express how proud you are of all of your efforts. You better wear the graduation robe and choose your thesis paper (not the original one of course! as props for this photoshoot.
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11. Superhero Behind The Graduation Dress
This is such a one-of-a-kind pose and prop that you can do on graduation day. You can wear your favorite superhero costume inside the graduation dress. Because when you completed college, it is time for you to reveal your true identity!
Being a superhero for your environment is the best thing you can do! Nonetheless, it will be nice to do this photoshoot after the ceremony ends. So, you don’t bother to get back on your dress.
12. Rainbow Theme Graduation Photo Idea
Our next graduation photo idea is a fun and colorful graduation photo idea to cherish the big moments of your kids. Yes, this idea is suitable for your kids’ graduation from school. A rainbow backdrop, which describes how colorful their life is, brings a positive message to remember how their future will be.
Also, don’t forget to let your kids strike a unique pose as they want. But, they better grab a mini chalkboard and write their wishes on it. It will be a lovely graduation photo that will always steal your heart.
13. Dad and Daughter Graduation Idea
Let’s dress up your daughter as the mini you, in order to celebrate your graduation together. And then, taking a picture together like this one will be something you will always remember.
You can recreate this graduation photo idea again when your daughter graduates from her school, too! It is like bringing back a memory from one moment to another in the future.
14. Different University, Same Goals Graduation Photo
Yes, you can gather your squad and bring your graduation cap to be worn when taking a photo like this. Once you graduated from high school, each of you will probably go to different universities.
So why don’t decorate your graduation cap based on the university you’re going to, like this one? It will be fun and exciting to do together! Instead of arranging the shoot on graduation day, you better take photos after the ceremony. That way, you can buy more time to capture precious moments with your friends before they are all split up to pursue their dreams.
15. Cheers Your Graduation Cap
A typical yet the most favorite graduation photo idea! Cheers to your graduation cap to the air together with your friends. This kind of photo is perfect for you and your friends who don’t really like to show your face but still have a meaningful message behind it.
You can bring along any certificates or certificates of appreciation that you have as accessories for this photo session. Also, we recommend choosing a place with a background that contrasts with your graduation robe so that it creates a stunning capture.
16. Smile Together Graduation Photo
A simple pose with your squad, sharing the wider smile since you just graduated together. Being one of the most unforgettable moments you’ve ever had, taking a photo like this with your friend will be a wonderful memory to have.
You can do this classic graduation photo idea in the ballroom, backyard, or even studio. Although it is an effortless pose, the moment and vibe are still in the air. Make sure you grab your degree certificate and have your graduation robe on while doing the photoshoot.
17. Graduation Balloon
Foil balloons with customized messages can be one of the greatest graduation photo ideas. You can customize the message like the sample or make another one based on your preference.
Nonetheless, we recommend “GRAD” as they are easy to grab while you are posing with your back to the photographer. But again, since it is your big day, you can tell whatever you want to the world.
18. Squad with The Balloon
Balloon and your best friend are always good ideas for graduation photos. Share your best smile while holding the balloon together with your best friend right after the graduation ceremony finished.
You can pick some of the golden-colored balloons that depict golden opportunities that await you in the future. Alternatively, colorful balloons will also make an awesome pair for your graduation, emphasizing the bright future ahead. Once you see the photos again when you grow older, you know you will miss that beautiful moment.
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19. Black and White Couple Photo
Is there any sweeter moment than graduating from school together with your partner? All of the efforts are paid off now. To celebrate the beautiful moment, this photo can be your inspiration for graduation photo ideas with your loved one.
You two can face each other. Then, bend down until your lips meet for a kiss. Apart from this pose, you can bend over, and then your face is turned towards the camera. The silhouette, cute pose, and the clothes both of you wear, of them, should feature perfectly on the wall.
20. Balloon and Flower Bouquet
Classic, simple yet still meaningful for yourself. This graduation photo idea can be the best thing you can have. Balloon, a bouquet, and you standing alone with your graduation dress are what you are waiting for.
To make all the props you bring match, make sure the colors are at least similar. Show how happy you are with a wide and warm smile to let people know that you can do college and graduate from it successfully.
21. Friends-themed Graduation Photo
After spending many years at college together, saying goodbye to your friends after graduation is definitely not gonna be an easy thing to do. There are tons of memories that you have passed together, both joy and sorrow. Before pursuing your dreams and careers, make sure you create a special and memorable photo together with your friends.
We recommend having a photo shoot where the Iconic photo of Friends the series is the awesome inspiration. You can wear the graduation robe and cap as a symbol of your graduation together. Then, change the look into casual outfits to create a cheerful memory before each of them takes a different path to chase their dream.
22. Backside Graduation Photo with The Squad
When the usual group graduation photos have become too mainstream, why don’t you try to do something unique with your friends by taking a photo from the backside, complete with your graduation robes and caps?
While taking the photo, just imagine yourself ready to face the future of your professional career, while still holding on to the bond between you and your friends. You can take it by posing the back to the photographer while holding hands on the back together. Without a doubt, it would be a great heartwarming photo to keep forever.
23. Freestyle Graduation Photo
A great graduation photo must describe the feeling of freedom, and a photo like this one can be one of the most recommended graduation photo ideas. It depicts the freedom you get after a long way to get the title you’ve been dreaming of.
Find the perfect photo spot like a football field, take off your high heels, wear your graduation robe and cap with pride, and finally jump as high as you can! As a result, you will be super thrilled to see your facial expressions and also your friends’ hilarious poses.
24. The Last Photo At Campus
There’s nothing more precious than taking a graduation photo in front of the main building of your beloved university. Since graduation day will become the last day that you’re there, it also means that you’ll be taking the last photo of yourself on campus.
So, when it comes to the search for the best graduation photo ideas, make sure you don’t skip this one, ok? You can pose smiling while throwing your graduation cap as a symbol of graduation. In addition, it will be best to bring a mini chalkboard or cardboard that says “I am Leaving”.
25. ‘I’m Done’ Graduation Photo
This photo perfectly describes the feeling of relief after graduation from college, in a cute and positive way of course. If you just can’t wait to welcome your future or to reach your dream career paths, then you might want to have a graduation photo like this one.
Carrying a giant board that says “I’m Done!” has a deep meaning, and the photo will undoubtedly become one of the most memorable photos to hang on your wall at home. You can either pose by walking with your back to the photographer or simply face the camera with a smile.
Final Thoughts
Those junior, senior high school or college students are definitely looking forward to the time when they can graduate to continue their dreams. Most of them also used this moment as a way to express happiness and relief after undergoing grueling examinations and thesis defenses. No wonder they want to capture these precious moments by taking pictures.
For those who have a circle of friends during school, taking photos with friends is an absolute thing to do at graduation. Meanwhile, those who are close to family will prefer family photos with mom, dad, brothers, sisters, and even their pets! We also recommend capturing your own photo where you can appreciate all the hard work you have put on.
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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What time of day is best for taking graduation photos?
The best time of day for taking graduation photos depends on the location and the desired lighting. For outdoor photos, the golden hour (1 hour after sunrise or 1 hour before sunset) is ideal for soft and warm light.
What is the best way to share and display your graduation photos?
Graduation photos are a cherished memento of a special moment in one’s life, and there are several ways you can share and display your graduation photos:
- Social media. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are great ways to share photos with friends and family. Simply upload your graduation photos and share them with your followers.
- Photo prints. Print your graduation photos and display them in a photo album, picture frame, or wall collage. Photo prints are a physical keepsake that can be passed down for generations.
- Online photo sharing sites. Sites like Flickr, Shutterfly, and SmugMug allow you to upload and store your photos online. You can then share the link to your photos with friends and family.
- Graduation announcements. You can use your graduation photos to create custom graduation announcements to send to friends and family.
- Personalized graduation gifts. Create personalized graduation gifts for your friends and family, such as photo mugs, phone cases, or canvas prints featuring your graduation photos.
- Graduation slideshow. Create a digital slideshow of your graduation photos and display it at your graduation party or share it with friends and family online.
