The end of May signals several life shifts including a huge milestone for seniors (both high school and college). 

Graduation.

While many seniors have already taken their themed and personality shots, the ultimate graduation photo –the one with their cap and gown on graduation day is a must.

Although most schools do arrange for a photographer to record the ceremony for prosperity’s sake, the pictures you will want will have to be snapped by you.

So we’re sharing a few tips to help grads to look their picture-perfect shot AND a great checklist to make sure mom and dad to THE perfect photo for the fireplace mantle.

For the graduate:

1.   Get the robe out before the big day. Make sure it’s pressed and isn’t too short (or
too long!) Nothing is worse than a wrinkled robe that doesn’t fit right and it will show up well in the pictures too.

2.   Wear comfortable shoes, but remember they will be photographed too. This isn’t the opportunity to pull out the Ugg boots unless it’s snowing outside.

3.   Wear something with pockets so you can bring your camera, Kleenexes, makeup essentials (for the girls like lip gloss and powder) and breath mints. We also suggest that the mod.compact camera pouch and strap is the perfect accessory for the big day and comes in several styles that any grad will be excited to wear!

4.   Think about the hair. Many graduations are lengthy and even if you have them indoors, nerves can induce sweating. Consider looks that don’t require upkeep, but still will look good after many hours. No matter how the graduate chooses to wear their hair, test it out with the cap to make sure there aren’t any unforeseen beauty emergencies.

What a great gift for the grad to keep up with the camera and look good too!

For the photographer (mom or dad):

This checklist from Scott Wyden’s blog, a photographer in New Jersey is a great reference. His tips are so easy enough that anyone can click the magic shot on graduation day.

As a side note, you don’t need a DSLR to take nice graduation photos. A digital camera or a well-skilled Iphone photog can do a good job. Just make sure to use the highest-resolution option, so you can print it up for the wall as well as post to Facebook.