UIUC Graduation Photos Guide (2026): How to Prepare for Your Photoshoot
Congratulations - you’ve finally made it! Your graduation from the University of Illinois is almost here, and the time has come to celebrate your accomplishments! If you’ve decided to, or are considering, getting graduation photos, it’s extremely useful to know how to best prepare for your graduation photoshoot. Even if you’ve never done a photoshoot before, don’t feel nervous! I’ve photographed over 500+ UIUC graduates throughout the past years and have captured countless unforgettable graduation photos. Here, I’ll give you the tips and tricks that helped my clients feel confident and ready for their graduation photos!
When to Book Your Session
Most graduates book their photos between late March and mid-May since that date range usually has the perfect combination of weather, greenery, and timing. Pushing into the end of March, the weather can average between 50 and 60°F, which may be a bit cold for some, but leads to lovely photos as most locations are very empty during this time of year. Next, April is probably the best for great weather, plants blooming, and location traffic as it’s not too hot or cold, the trees and leaves have blossomed, and it’s not too busy at photo spots yet. Going into May is when the campus gets packed with students and families coming from across the globe to celebrate and photograph their university graduations, meaning it’ll be pretty busy and can get very hot some days. Additionally, in mid-April for about a week, Japan House reaches peak cherry blossom bloom, meaning you can capture gorgeous graduation photos with adorable pink flowers on the trees.
Next, choosing between weekdays and weekends, there will be a major difference in traffic depending on the time of year, but primarily, it’s better to book on weekdays after classes end or weekends for the least crowded locations. It’s also good to note that the best time for photoshoots is golden hour, which is around 40 minutes before sunset.
Now, the question is “When should you book?” Bookings tend to start filling up by the end of March, so it’s best to book your session as early as possible to secure your spot. 6-10 weeks ahead of your date is a good metric to go by. Since there are only a select few graduation photographers at UIUC you can trust, their prices may increase, and bookings fill up fast, it's very important to reach out and book a prime date as soon as possible before you lose the chance to get high-quality graduation photos!
Choosing Your Locations
When deciding on the locations you’re looking to shoot at, it’s best to get a mix of campus landmarks and personal locations that you can fit into your session time. I’ve written a full guide on the best UIUC graduation photo locations on campus, but some of the most popular include Alma Mater, Main Quad, Foellinger Auditorium, Hallene Gateway, Memorial Stadium, and Japan House for major landmarks. It’s good to check out the locations in person or at least on Google to see what to expect, but I’ve shot thousands of photos at each of these spots, and you can find some of the best I’ve taken in my portfolio!
These locations vary in how busy they may be, but popular ones like Alma Mater, Hallene Gateway, and Foellinger get extremely busy during peak graduation time, late April to May, so ask your photographer how to avoid this, or they should be able to angle in a way to minimize background crowds. Also, considering how far each location is from the others is good to plan for, as some are walkable while others require driving, which will take time.
What to Wear
Moving on to the outfit, which will differ between men and women, but the key guidelines to follow to ensure a flattering look are to ensure your outfit fits well, has solid neutral colors, and is steamed/ironed beforehand. Checking those 3 boxes will elevate your look drastically in the photos and make you look as fresh as possible. For the cap and gown, make sure your tassel is on the correct side (the left), the gown and stole are steamed, and you bring any additional stoles/cords/medals you earned during your time at university.
I’ve written a complete styling guide for men and women, but I’ll list some general outfit tips here that I would prioritize. For women, a white, well-fitting dress with block heels or flats would work nicely with a variety of accessories such as necklaces, rings, earrings, and a watch. For men, a clean suit, tie, and button-down combo excellently with the cap and gown, with clean dress shoes or loafers. Overall, I would aim to keep the outfit simple and timeless to make for the best results!
Grooming & Personal Prep
Making sure you look your absolute best for your photoshoot is a priority, so taking the time to freshen up and maintain good health throughout the preparation phase is a must. For women, it can be nice to take the extra measure and get your hair, nails, and makeup done professionally or on your own. Having a matte finish for the makeup will mitigate shine as well as emphasize your look, so it shows best on camera. For guys, get a haircut a few days beforehand, trim facial hair, and cut/clean your nails to look your best! Lip balm is always an essential to prevent dry lips in your photos.
In addition, focusing on your health in terms of sleep, hydration, nutrition, exercise, and stress is key to making sure you look and feel amazing for the graduation photoshoot! Don’t ruin your health cramming finals work before your shoot - it shows.
What to Bring to Your Shoot
I’ve covered a lot through this article, so the information may feel overwhelming to you, but don’t worry! This section will go over the essentials and optional items you can bring to your graduation photoshoot so you don’t need to look anywhere else. Just use this as a checklist!
Must have:
- UIUC cap and gown, stole, tassel, and cords
- Outfit and shoes for photos
- Comfortable walking shoes between locations
- Water
- Family, friends, or partner
Optional:
- Makeup touch-up
- Champagne
- Diploma
- Confetti Popper
- Flowers
- Jewelry
- Instrument
- Sports Gear
- Books
- Stuffed Animals
- Balloons
- Pets
Try to gather everything you’re going to bring in one spot the day before, so you’re not scrambling to find everything on the day of. The outfit is a must, and heels/dress shoes may get uncomfortable to walk around in, so bring some slides or gym shoes to get around quickly! I’ve had people forget and end up walking around barefoot because the heels were too uncomfortable.
It’s also super helpful to have your family, friends, or partner help out with poses, confidence boosting, and holding things, as well as the fact that they’ll get some free photos with you! For props, it’s really up to you on what you think would fit well with your vibe and photos since there are so many options! Just make sure there’s a way to easily take them around.
Mental Preparation
Besides the physical items, graduates tend to worry about their graduation photoshoot and feel nervous about things such as posing or time. Preparing well is one thing, but overpreparing and overstressing about things will only lead to feeling more overwhelmed. It’s important to remember that you don’t need to technically prepare anything ahead of time since I’m ready to pose you the entire time if you’d like! I’ve shot over 500+ UIUC graduates and have done thousands of photoshoots, so there’s no need to worry at all! If you’re unsure about anything, just ask, and I’ll be sure to help! Prioritize celebrating your accomplishments and enjoying the experience, capturing this huge milestone that you’ll get to look back on one day. Have fun and relax - you got this!
Planning for Family/Friends
If you decide that family, friends, or your partner will be joining you for your graduation photoshoot, make sure to let your photographer know ahead of time so they can prepare! They should also know that they’ll be in the photos, so they can get ready, look their best, and potentially coordinate outfits.
Pictures with others are included in your shoot, but I also have an add-on that allows for 15-minutes extra on top of your session, dedicated to taking group photos for $100, so make sure to let me know if you’d like to include that in your photoshoot! If you want to bring a pet, try to have someone who can watch over them and get photos with them earlier on, so they aren’t tired.
Additionally, their presence can be extremely helpful as they can provide touch-ups, carry items, and give you words of encouragement, as a photoshoot may be daunting at first.
Weather Planning at UIUC
With the uncertainty of spring weather, you may be wary of what might happen if the weather ends up being bad on the day of your shoot. That’s a totally valid concern, which is why I offer free rescheduling to our next best availability if the weather isn’t optimal. Wind, cloudy days, and even rain can make for some unique photos, but if you’re against it, just let me know, and I will be sure to work with you to find another time that works for us.
Indoor spots like the libraries and classrooms can also offer lovely photos if that’s something you’d like to do as well!
Timeline for the Day Of
Photoshoot timelines will differ between photographers, but for me, I like to provide flexibility and lenience for clients since there may be delays or final photos to capture! The goal is to show up around 10 minutes early to warm up, chat, and discuss a few things before officially beginning the photoshoot. Usually, locations take an average of 25 minutes to capture a variety of photos, angles, and poses to which we will transition into the next spot, and so on. In between locations, you can definitely change your outfit to optimize on time, too! Come prepared with your items, and the photoshoot will be totally guided by me, so you don’t need to worry at all!
To summarize:
- 10 minutes beforehand: warm up, chat, discuss
- 25 minutes: first location
- 5-10 minutes: transition locations and possible outfit change
- 25-30 minutes: location 2
- Finish off with a champagne pop
- I give you bonus items and congratulate you!
Note: We can potentially hit more locations if we move faster
After the Shoot
Following the photoshoot, it’s my time to shine! Now that we’ve shot all the photos, I will go through all the images, sort the good and great ones out (removing duplicates, blinking, etc.), professionally edit the images, and retouch areas before finally delivering the full-resolution private online gallery to you in around a week! Also, I like to send a sneak peek in 24 hours to give you something to share and get you excited for the full gallery!
Once you’ve received the images and gotten the chance to check them out with your friends and family, download them to make sure they’re saved somewhere safe! Now, you can feel free to print any photos through my print shop or post any on social media (tag me @uiucalex on Instagram)! I’m here to help with anything else you might need - just shoot me a message, and I’ll do my best to assist!
Graduation season is a time to celebrate and rejoice in the accomplishments you’ve achieved, so make the most of the moment by not overcomplicating it and truly embracing the moment. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, UIUC Class of 2026, and best of luck on your photoshoot and moving forward! If you’d like to read more, I have other blog posts to help you on topics such as the Best UIUC Graduation Photo Spots (2026 Guide) and How to Choose the Best UIUC Graduation Photographer (2026 Guide)!
