a college graduation portrait session

You might be wondering how a college graduate portrait session goes? Or, you’re here to see a collection of photos from past college graduates. Either way, here are all of the details for you to prepare.

Let’s start from the beginning…. Because I am taking photos OF the college graduate and tailoring the session to THEIR experience, all communication will be through the grad and myself. Parents, if you are paying for the grad session and would like to be informed of the details, I’m happy to share. But please let the relationship between myself and your son/daughter grow. It makes the biggest difference when the day comes that they’re in front of my camera. Trust me.

1. The booking process

So you know you want me, Kayt Zirkle Photography, to capture your college graduation portraits! YAY! I’ll start by saying Graduation portraits were absolutely NOT a thing when I was in college. Today… everyone and I mean… EVERYONE, is taking college graduation portraits. It’s important to book your photographer early.

Booking with me is a simple process. When my calendar opens, you’ll choose a package that you’re interested in and there will be a link that takes you to Calendly. From there, you’ll choose your date by entering your full name and email.

I’ll send you the contract and payment details the same day. You have 24 hours to pay the 50% non-refundable deposit and sign the contract. If that is not completed within 24 hours, the date is released.

My available dates for grad sessions move quickly! It’s important that I work with grads who are absolutely, without a doubt, ready to book me.

2. Payment Process

At the time of booking, you will pay a 50% non-refundable deposit. The remaining balance is due 1 week before your session date. Everything is processed through my CRM (Client Relationship Management system). And, you can use a credit or debit card.

3. The Planning Process

Now that you’re all booked, it’s time to start thinking about outfits and locations on campus. Graduation portraits are unique in that they showcase YOUR college experience. Maybe you want to go to the building majority of your classes were in, or, where you met your best friends! The campus is a personal place for different reasons and everyone’s relationship with different landmarks is unique – THAT is what makes your session YOURS.

You will receive a questionnaire about 2 weeks before your session date that asks all of the important questions to be sure your session is tailored to your college experience.

I’ll also send you a session guide that will give you outfit inspiration!

4. Day of your session

The day is finally here! I’ll send you a reminder to bring a bag of all of the important things. I’ll be in communication with you throughout the planning process so nothing will feel like a surprise.

I will email you the exact time to meet (based on the weather and sunset that day) about 5 days in advance. Typically, it’s around 6pm at the GMC. However, we may have a different plan based on the answers in your questionnaire.

Your session will take anywhere from 10-90 minutes depending on the type of session you booked. We’ll get you feeling comfortable in front of the camera. I’m kinda silly so I’ll do some poses with you. And the good news is that I’ve seen just about everything you can imagine. Nothing you do will be weird or awkward to me. Promise! I’ll give you direction, prompts, and poses depending on YOUR comfort levels. You hired me, the professional, for a reason!

5. Sneak Peeks!

I’m excited, your excited, I bet your family is excited! I deliver 5-10 sneak peek images within 72 hours. It will be in your online gallery. You can share the link with family or download the individual images.

6. Full Gallery Delivered

Your full gallery will be available on your online gallery within 14 days of your session, unless otherwise noted. Those images are for you! You can print them, share them on your socials, or send the link to family and friends! They will be high-resolution images without any watermarks with my logo.

And that’s it! It’s a simple process but I’ve been doing this long enough to really solidify the system to make it as stress-free as possible. There are so many other things you can focus on. Specifically your last semester at Sonoma State! Enjoy it!!