When we went to pick up my daughter at college it was the beginning of Senior Week. Along with the parties and celebration, there is the taking of graduation photos.

My daughter said that students can hire a photographer by the hour, and they go around campus, (and to monuments in DC if you are willing to pay extra) and take pictures of the graduate in their cap and gown. We saw tons of girls doing this…

Tons of girls.

We did not see one boy getting photographed for graduation.

My daughter said in the days before, she had not seen one guy getting his graduation picture taken.

Not one.

So my simple questions are:

  1. Do guys just not care about a professional picture in their cap and gown?
  2. Do parents of guys not care about a professional picture of their graduate in cap and gown?

I know for sure that I want a beautifully photographed shot of my daughter in her cap and gown. I also want the 8000 photos that I will take. I haven’t decided if I’m spending the extra money for the Lincoln Memorial photo op…but I know I want the others. But am I being silly?

Yes or no to a professional photo of your graduate?

57 thoughts on “Graduation Photos”

  1. My son did not have any professional photos taken. My daughter and her friends did photos together one Saturday. I’m not sure who took the pictures, but there were 4 boys and 4 girls in the group that did the pictures at all of the campus landmarks

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  3. Interesting post.
    My daughter did not have an official college graduation because of the pandemic. I tried to get her to buy a cap and gown to do our own pictures but she wouldn’t. Looking back I should have figured out how to get the cap and gown myself—then she wouldn’t have had a choice, lol.
    I could see my son wanting to run around campus taking pics with his friends but will have to wait and see. I could also see my son getting impatient with a professional photographer.
    If one was going to school in DC it would be awesome getting grad pics by all the monuments.

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      1. Valid reason. My kids never had an interest in anything formal- even senior year high school pictures and I have since passed on any of their photos to them for their own memories. I see no reason not to do it if it’s important to you. As to the dichotomy in boys/girls…no clue as to why that might be.

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      2. I think maybe men and women view memories differently. My female friends are much more likely to take pics of our outings. I have multiple pictures with friends displayed…my husband has none

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  6. That’s very interesting about the boys and the photos. I don’t think you’re being silly. This comes down to a matter of preference not right or wrong. Just enjoy whatever you do as I know you will.

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      1. Right? What’s the underlying? Is it simply preference? Or is it not “manly” to care about photos of graduation? Does it seem less cool to look like you might be emotional about something? Is it societal or personal?

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      5. My daughter and her female friends are all about the pictures. My daughter has already budgeted the monthly blow dry package at drybar because she wants to be camera ready. She’s thrilled about the accomplishment but she totally wants the glamour shots

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      9. For my five cent pop psychology…boys are still told not to be emotional, or show emotion. To take a graduation photo, formally, is to show that something like this, the pomp and circumstance of it, is important.

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    1. I guess on the day of graduation I want her to just be in the moment instead of posing because I want the perfect shot for my front hallway. If phots are out of the way beforehand, than it can be about celebrating

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  8. My son had a hard time standing still for grade 8 photos at grad… End of elementary was a big deal for me but he did not want to pose. At all. I suspect he’ll be the same at high school grad… 🤷‍♀️

    My daughter had her grade 8 grad online and was extremely unhappy about it. She would have expected photos but probably would not have insisted on professional ones.

    Everyone in my orbit is happy with my photos, no one insists on the professional kind. I wouldn’t want to spend the $ anyway, not that we have it, hockey absorbed it all. 🤷‍♀️

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  9. Our daughter that went to college did pay a friend of hers to take photos of her around campus in her cap and gown. The other two for their high school graduation pictures, our daughter wanted 3 changes of clothes and to have a girlfriend with her in some of the photos (she no longer speaks to this girl). $300+ Our son said, “What do I have to get to be in the yearbook?” He got the basic, one cap and gown and one suit. That’s it. $75.00 I think it’s more that the boys don’t care as much because obviously I would have paid for our son to have different shots. I even asked him if he wanted one with his golf clubs since he was on the golf team at school and he said no. One of each of them on the wall. The others stuck in a box waiting for me to put in their scrapbooks.

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  10. My daughter graduated in 2018 and I have beautiful photos of her. She did not have a professional photographer, but a guy on the swim team from the UK did a photo shoot with her all around campus. He is excellent at photography and has top grade equipment. My son, who graduated two years earlier did nothing. He even cancelled our graduation party. His graduation was scheduled prior to the end of his quarter. He was writing papers.

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      2. That’s wild. My daughters school has last day of class, and then senior week begins. Grades need to be in at the onset of senior week

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  11. It’s a spectacular moment, do what you need to do to preserve it. I took photos on my phone but I have to say every time I pull them up I get the chills. Bravo to all, it’s a huge accomplishment all around, including the parents whose support was vital to this achievement. Get the photo you want! Hugs, C

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  13. I’m trying to remember how it was done when my children graduated college. It’s easy to remember my youngest son. He called , asked if I wanted him to gets pictures taken, I said yes, then he sent me via email the proofs and I ordered what I wanted. That happened about a decade ago so it’s easy to remember. My oldest who is 49 I’m not sure… I know I ordered pictures, but I truly don’t remember how it was done, I believe the University of Florida just took them and sent me a package and I ordered whatever I wanted. Obviously, I took candid shots when both graduated. By the time my youngest graduated everyone had phones and I recorded the actual ceremony and posted it on my FB page. I kept a picture of each son’s graduation on my desk at home and my desk at school forever. When I moved into a senior community college pics went into an album. More current pics were on display. And now it’s just pictures of my grandchildren.
    My youngest grandchild is going into middle school next year. She has her own YouTube channel. My son just gave her his old phone and she’s thrilled . So now she texts me every day telling me how much she loves me. Technology has changed how we take photos and mementos. When my grandchildren were in preschool, once a year professional photographers came to their school and allowed family members to join the students and get professional family photos taken. So gone were my sons’ college graduation pictures and the grandchildren’s pictures replaced them. However, I have professional photos of awards both my sons have received in their careers. Those are now framed and also take previous coveted spaces.
    Each event takes precedence as our children grow up. Enjoy the pictures you get now. It’s a huge accomplishment and you can always add to her photos as you follow her newest journey! How exciting!

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    1. I love walking around my apartment and seeing pictures. Oddly, for Amazon prime day I bought one of those digital picture frames you can add to by email. Very excited

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    1. I was just saying to someone else…is it societal or internal? Is it not cool to be emotional or feel something like graduations? Like, how many grooms would really want the picture package if their bride didn’t want it?

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  16. I suspect boys don’t think graduation photos are “cool.” I don’t agree with that, but I probably felt the same way at that age. Which is why I don’t have any professional senior photos either.

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  19. I used to take pictures trying to stop time. I felt frantic to clutch past recollections, instead of living in the now. I in the long run understood that I need to take pictures not to look back, but rather with an end goal to commend the vitality of the present minute. Presently is all that we have.
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