It’s that time of year again – Tommy Trojan smells like champagne, long lines are queuing at Mudd Hall, and every other graduating student is asking about grad photos to clutter Facebook feeds. It’s graduation photo season.
I’ve gotten quite a few questions about grad photos as of late and I can only imagine more will appear in my inbox as USC’s 2017 Commencement nears. I’m not resting my laurels here, but more so trying to disseminate this trove of information I no longer need but sits in my head unused.
So here’s yet another guide – and if you’re reading this, I’ve actually published it for once (I have a Joshua Tree camping and car owner newb guide neglected in a corner of my draft folder).
Disclaimer: This guide is tailored to students at and photographers working out of the University of Southern California, but may also apply to elsewhere at other schools. I am not responsible for any facts or advice that may be bad due to changing times. These experiences were gathered from the 2014, 2015, and 2016 USC graduation photo seasons.
Any questions or concerns can be directed to techguychen@gmail.com.
- The Cap, The Gown, and The Sash
- Planning the Shoot (for the graduating student)
- Planning to Shoot (for the entrepreneurial photographer)
- Quick Tips
If you’re reading this and haven’t purchased or ordered your cap, gown, and sash, read no further and get that taken care of now.
If you’re reading this and haven’t sent your sash in for embroidery and want it embroidered, read no further and get that taken care of now.
Every day that passes can easily multiply your wait time until you can get it back for grad photos or Commencement itself. As a result, either you show up with no sash to your shoot or you show up without the embroidery you want.
I rented my cap and gown through the USC Bookstore / Herff Jones. It was around $60 and includes a tassel with the USC seal on a charm. You are asked to return the gown (you are allowed to keep the cap and tassel) at the end of the day of Commencement in various bins located throughout campus.
Alternatively, there’s a bulk purchase of caps and gowns going on the USC Free & For Sale Facebook Group and there’s a claim they have the same sheen as the Herff Jones gowns.
I haven’t personally seen or compared the sheen of the material and you likely won’t get a tassel with the USC seal from that purchase, but it is cheaper and you do officially get to keep your purchase (cap and gown).
I bought my sash from the USC Bookstore for $49.99 (yikes, I just reread the price sticker) and it came with “CLASS OF 2016” and “USC”.
The brand is Pride Sash so you can probably try to find it sold elsewhere as well.
There are lots of places to get embroidery done, but as you move into late April and closer to Commencement, you run the risk of 1) higher prices, 2) the embroider no longer taking orders, and 3) not getting your sash back in time for shoots or before Commencement.
I can recommend Greek Escape on Figueroa, Patsy’s Embroidery Digitizing on Vermont, and Lana’s Embroidery on Fairfax. I had mine done at Lana’s because I went too late, but I’ve had friends go to all three with good results and friendly service (minus Greek Escape if you’re too late).
In terms of what to put on your sash, you can use mine as an example. Throw on whatever special titles you have (magna cum laude, etc) and show off what’s made your Trojan experience, but keep in mind you don’t want to overload and any embroidery over the pockets will seal them – I sealed my right pocket with “B.S. Computer Science”. What do you need pockets for? For holding your cell phone during Commencement. Definitely not a flask or anything.
You may also want to discuss with other graduating students in your orgs to get a logo into an embroider more economically – they charge extra for new designs they’ve never seen before (i.e. designs they don’t have templates for).
Don’t forget about the back of your sash as well, which goes behind your neck. I’ve seen “Fight On!”, “FTFO!”, and “Thank you Mom and Dad!” like mine.
I don’t think it ran me more than $40 for the six things.
Some things to think about:
-Champagne (be mindful of the mess you make)
-Balloons spelling out 2017 (I had a rather cute/hilarious shoot with a group that had this)
-Sunglasses
-Cigars
-Class notes
-Sparklers
-Sparklers lighting class notes on fire
-Something that expresses you (microphone, keyboard, CPA exam book…)
Some things to avoid:
-Confetti (don’t be that person)
-Currency bills (I kid you not I’ve done a shoot with actual money being thrown)
That’s about it – don’t be that arse who leaves Facilities Management Services a mess to clean up or the next shoots with a bad background.
Honor cords, special tassels, and medals are all good – celebrate and flaunt them as you want because you’ve worked your ass off to earn them.
But please keep in mind, at a school like USC where we’re reminded scholarly is one of our five traits, not everyone involved in your shoot may have the cords or medals to flaunt. So it’s fine to show off your awards in individual photos, but you may want to avoid stepping on any feelings in group photos (or cause judgment to be cast on your friends by their parents when they stalk the photos on Facebook and ask “Hey, where’s your [xyz]?” It’s a sucky feeling.).
The best time for shoots is just after sunrise (before the sun is above surrounding buildings) and just before sunset. You can figure out these times using suncalc.net – don’t base your shoot times just on sunrise and sunset times from Google.
The sunset shoots come out the best, with the “golden hour” lighting ever so soft yet bright and with a halo effect from behind. You can Google about the differences in shooting times (sunrise vs sunset photoshoots).
The closer to Commencement, the longer the lines will be at the popular locations.
As the last day of classes arrives, USC will also begin fencing the fountains to inhibit the Senior Fountain Run (assume they will start April 24th). So any photos around fountains will be marred by an ugly fence in the background.
The same goes for the two weeks leading up to Commencement – chairs, tents, and barricades will start going up as well.
Most of all, avoid shooting the weekdays before Commencement – it’ll be pure hell on earth because everyone is doing them last minute and everyone and their uncle (literally) will be in town as well.
Pro-tip: Consider post-Commencement shoots. Campus will literally be a ghost town, but scheduling may be harder if there are graduation trips in store.
Popular locations you may want to suggest to your photographer include (in no particular order)
1) Tommy Trojan
2) Alumni Park – facing Doheney with Youth Triumphant Fountain in the background
3) Bovard – Bovard entrance
4) Bovard – arches on either side of the main entrance
5) Alumni Park – Doheney Library in the background
6) Alumni Park – Youth Triumphant Fountain in the background
7) Steps of Troy in TCC – lower half
8) Steps of Troy in TCC – upper half
9) Academic college campus (Bridge/Hoffman, Epstein Plaza, Leventhal, Music Quad, Cinema School, Fisher)
10) Mudd Hall – breezeway (be mindful of ongoing classes)
11) Mudd Hall – courtyard (be mindful of ongoing classes)
12) Exposition Park – Rose garden
13) Exposition Park – Fountain
14) Traveler
15) Hahn Plaza Fountain (in front of Traveler)
16) Dorms – friends since freshman year because of residence hall? (Parkside, West Area Towers, Pardee, etc)
17) The Pointy Things (new!)
Free & For Sale is rife with people offering photoshoots right now, and if you want it done right, you may have to shell out.
Ask around for references – that’s the best advice I can offer and I’m personally avoiding references unless I’m asked by photographer friends to put their names out there. You may also want to avoid graduating photographers as they will be busy with their own shoots as well.
Expect to spend upwards of $30/person from a semi-pro photographer, and that’s low-balling it. You can check out my listing for pricing ideas, but keep in mind I undercharged because of the people I typically helped. I think I’ve done at least five shoots pro-bono now. Also keep in mind that for some of these photographers, it’s their limited income and if you consider the hourly rate for a specialized service, I averaged three hours of editing on top of the three hours of shooting so my hourly was $33/hour at most. It’s above minimum wage, sure, but it’s not a regular income either.
No, I’m no longer taking any shoots this season – I’m reserving what little weekends I have for two special groups of people.
Give yourself plenty of time to prepare your wardrobe and accessories. Iron your sash, iron your suit/shirt/dress/pants/etc. Bring a mirror in case your photographer doesn’t. Bring hair gel or whatever else that will keep your hair in place.
Pro-tip: Want to make use of all that lost steam from your hot (and environmentally-friendly short) shower? Hang up whatever you need steamed in the bathroom while you shower, and then you save water and electricity with no iron use.
So you want to make that extra dough on the side eh? Doesn’t every other photographer at USC nowadays… Be prepared, because at your hands you hold the memories of fellow Trojans and I hope your motto is “I’m not happy until the customer is happy”. To keep both parties happy, consider writing contracts as well, even if the shoot is for friends.
Take advantage of Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, and Google Calendar. You will need it.
Make sure to ask your client for all the details – a list of places they want to use as backgrounds (or suggest them so you have a concrete itinerary) and feel free to offer suggestions on how to prepare.
To start your pricing, consider your hourly rate. Consider the amount of time you want to restrict the shoot to, as well as charges per person. You could do $100 for three hours of shooting and then charge $10 for each extra person in the shoot up to a certain number of people. You could charge staggered charges per person up to a number of people (like I did). You could also do surcharges in other ways – extra editing, media preparation, printing, etc.
Just be wary of how much time you’ll be spending on this. Also consider security deposits so you don’t lose that morning or afternoon to a shoot that cancels.
At the same time, keep in mind your client audience. Maybe someone’s a good friend who has helped you quite a bit over the years, or maybe they’re still looking for a job with a mound of student debt and less privilege than most USC students. Just keep an open mind.
My go to lens were my 70-200mm f/2.8 and 17-70mm f/2.8-4. The longer focal lengths (> 50mm) are great for portraits and will be your workhorse. The wider lenses will be mostly used for those creative or large group shots.
If you can get two bodies, get two bodies. The less time wasted switching lenses, the better.
Invest in a reflector – at least 36″ in diameter. They’re great when the sun starts to dip behind buildings or when shadows start to appear where nobody wants them.
Bring a mirror – your clients will thank you.
Bring a stepladder if your clients want to climb Traveler – read the section about this in Quick Tips. A stepladder will be good for other angles as well – be it you tall or short.
Dealing with Your Subjects
Be prepared to boss your subjects around – nicely. Not everyone does a photoshoot everyday – they won’t know what to do with themselves.
Tell them how to pose with their hands, their arms, their hips, their heads. Give directions from their point of view – if they need to turn to your left, tell them to angle to their right – but be sure to clarify this from the start.
If their head is crooked, use your hand to show how they need to rotate their head.
If their hair is askew, tell them to move their bangs or re-comb their hair by mirroring on your own hair.
If someone has a bra strap showing, don’t feel awkward about telling them. We’re not in high school anymore.
No idea how to pose them? Google is your friend. Or my portfolio. I don’t care. Or other photographers’ ads. I don’t care either.
Bottom line rule: Whatever you don’t like in what you see, the client will dislike 5x more and you want to minimize how much time you spend in Lightroom or Photoshop editing these photos.
Communicate with your client constantly during the shoot.
Dealing with Lines
Be flexible with your clients. Suggest other locations that are less crowded, or for them to prioritize where they want photos. Talk to other photographers – you’ve got each of your own clients already, no one is stealing anyone’s competition. Just be friendly and courteous – both ways.
Fighting Light
Sunrise shoots will get really tough as the sun rises, creating terribly contrasted photos. Sunset shoots will get really tough later in the shoot as light disappears and your photos turn out darker than you’d thought they were on your bright LCD camera screen.
Use suncalc.net and overlay the campus to understand where the sun will be and the effect it will have on your location. When Tommy’s under the golden glow, Traveler will be lit up. The trees in Alumni Park will make your clients have spotty shadows on them if they face the sun.
Scope out your locations.
Climbing Traveler
Climbing Traveler is not advised ever and can result in shattered ankles / feet, scrapes along arms and legs that will carry with you through Commencement, and cuts and bruises on your face.
However, I know no one heeds that warning so I would rather post methods to climbing on and off Traveler that will minimize injury.
Climbing Traveler: As you would mount a regular horse: Grab the piece of the mane sticking out with your left hand. Have your friends boost you (have them cup their hands together) by giving a sturdy mount for your left foot and a push up for your right foot. Swing your right leg over the top of Traveler.
Dismounting Traveler: Pick whether someone is helping you down or you’re jumping down. If jumping down, face towards Tommy and bring both legs to the one side. Jump down but also outwards to avoid crushing your feet against the base of Traveler. If someone is helping you, do the same thing, but have the lucky vict…volunteer carry you down on their shoulders.
I advise against climbing up or down the tail as it’s become too smooth for any grip over the years and bouncing your face off Traveler’s steel butt isn’t a great feeling.
Do not climb on or off while wearing shoes or sashes.
This is a work in progress and will likely be updated as I remember more things.