Why You Shouldn’t Schedule Your Grad Photos on Your Actual Grad Day

And Why Black Friday Is the Best Time to Book Your Session!

Graduation is one of those milestone moments that deserves to be documented beautifully. After photographing grads and their families for almost two decades, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a session feel relaxed, creative, and truly reflective of who you are at this stage of life.

And with Black Friday offering my best grad session deal of the entire year, this is the perfect time to start planning.

Here’s my biggest piece of advice:

Don’t schedule your grad photos on your actual grad day.

I know this might feel surprising—many people assume grad photos should happen on the same day as the ceremony. But choosing a different day often leads to better images, a smoother experience, and a far more enjoyable session.

Here’s why:

1. Your grad day is already extremely busy.

Hair, makeup, the ceremony, photos with family, dinner plans, and the emotional whirlwind of the entire day… it’s a lot. It’s tough to relax into a photo session when you’re pulled in multiple directions.

Choosing another day allows you to slow down, breathe, and fully enjoy the experience.

2. You can’t predict the weather.

We all know Alberta weather has a mind of its own. When your session is tied to your ceremony date, we lose the ability to adjust to unexpected conditions—rain, wind, heat, or snow.

Another day gives us options and better results.

3. You miss out on the best light of the day.

Grad ceremonies rarely align with golden hour. Most happen mid-day or early evening, creating harsh lighting or tight schedules.

A separate day allows us to plan around the most flattering, dreamy light(like this session which took advantage of golden hour).

4. Being rushed limits creativity.

Your grad session should feel relaxed and fun. When we’re squeezed between events, creativity and exploration become limited.

Choosing another day opens up space for more ideas, variety, and locations(like this session which happened at Dinosaur Provincial Park).

5. You get to wear your grad outfit again.

One more chance to wear your outfit? Yes please.

And without the chaos of the actual day, you’ll enjoy the session so much more.

A gentle reminder

If it’s important to you to have your session on your grad day, we can make that work. Some grads love capturing the energy of the day itself.

Just don’t rule out the flexibility and creativity that come with choosing another date.

Ready to Book Your Grad Session?

Black Friday is the best time to book—you’ll secure my biggest grad discount of the year and get first access to the most popular dates.

If you aren’t already on my mailing list, just reach out so you get first access to these limited sessions.

Let’s create something beautiful for your grad year. ✨