Everyone wants to look great in photos. And when taking your UVA graduation pictures, it’s especially important to look (and feel) your best! That’s why — after photographing more than 1,000 UVA students — we’re giving away a few of our favorite tips to help you take the best grad photos possible!

 

1. Schedule Your UVA Graduation Pictures Early in the Morning

We know it may sound crazy to tell college students to be awake, dressed, hair and makeup done, and on the Lawn by 7:00 am on a Friday. But trust us: it’s WORTH IT! For starters, as natural light photographers, we’re obsessed with capturing our grads in the best light possible. And nothing will make your UVA graduation pictures more high-end and beautiful than the dreamy light just after the sun has risen over the Rotunda.

 

 

Secondly, if you’ve ever hung out on the Lawn in the early evening in the Spring, you know that it can be packed. When you look back at your UVA graduation pictures in years to come, we’re guessing you don’t want to see people throwing the frisbee (or 5 other grad sessions) in the background! Especially when our grads schedule their sessions earlier in the year (like March or early April), we often have the Lawn to ourselves! That’s why we offer a $50 discount to grads who schedule their sessions earlier in the year (more on that here). But don’t worry, if you’re NOT a morning person, we still have plenty of early-evening availability!

 

 

2. Bring Props

When we say props, we hope you don’t cringe and flash back to your highschool senior photoshoot, with your trombone or your skateboard in-hand. UVA graduation pictures tend to be filled with much cooler props 😎. The most common prop that our grads bring (by far) is champagne! Whether popping it, spraying it, or taking a group swig before that 10:00 am exam 😂, you can’t go wrong with a few bottles of Andre.

 

 

But of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative. We’ve captured UVA graduation pictures with decorated caps, UVA basketball gear, grad school sweatshirts, and so much more. And of course, the best prop of all is your furry best friend! If you have a dog that you want in your grad photos, feel free to bring them along!

 

 

Although sometimes, the best prop is one that you don’t have to bring: the fountain!

 

 

3. Plan Your Outfit in Advance

It’s no secret that everyone wants to look great in their UVA graduation pictures. For a feminine look, a flowy dress cropped just above the knee has always been the most popular look 👗. However, rompers, form-fitting dresses, and even floor-length jumpsuits are also a great look! We typically see either white or a soft pastel. And we recommend avoiding darker colors and busy patterns. But of course, let your personality shine!

 

 

If your photoshoot will be a group session, we recommend coordinating outfits days (or weeks) in advance. This will give everyone time to buy a new outfit if they need one! All-white is a classic, and you simply can’t go wrong. Especially when everyone’s dresses feature different materials and cuts, you can still get plenty of variety! Coordinating within a color-scheme can also look incredible. Think pastel blues mixed with white and the occasional pop of sage or lavender!

 

 

For a more masculine look, slim-fitting pants, a dress shirt, and a blazer is the most common look we see. If you want a more formal look, a full suit and tie never hurt! But a lot of our guys opt for a more casual feel, going with dress pants and a blazer that compliment each other, rather than match perfectly. Remember, you can always dress down a blazer by taking it off for a few shots, but you can’t dress up a shirt without a blazer!

 

And of course, no matter how you want to dress, don’t forget your cap and gown 🎓

 

 

4. Bonus Tip! Book Your UVA Graduation Pictures with UVA’s #1 Graduation Photographers!

We know that claiming to be the #1 of anything is a seriously bold claim. But we have the numbers to back it up! Since 2016, we’ve captured UVA graduation pictures of more than 1,000 grads. And of those grads, more than 95% told us in a follow-up survey that they’d hire us again!

 

If you’d like to learn more, or even book your UVA graduation pictures with Hunter and Sarah Photography, click here!