At commencement ceremonies, there are a number of factors that go into trying to capture the best possible handshake photographs.  In an earlier article, we wrote about the appropriate distance between the graduate and photographer (click here to read the full article).  Today, we will examine whether the photographer should ideally be standing on the elevated stage with the graduate and administrator for the handshake photograph, or should be several feet lower down on the ceremony floor.

With most schools now back in session after the summer break, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the commencement season that is now behind us, and look ahead to the 2019-2020 academic year. It was an exciting summer at GradImages, and we are very grateful for the event coordinators at our client schools who made everything happen. What we do would not be possible without your hard work!

As an event coordinator, you and your staff spend months preparing for commencement. You work hard to ensure everything is ready for the big day, and you rely on the dedication of your staff and volunteers to make each ceremony a success. At the end of graduation day, it is just as much of an accomplishment for those who make the graduation possible as it is for the graduates themselves.

As a commencement coordinator, you know that stage layout at your ceremony is normally planned well in advance. In fact, at most institutions, how elements are arranged on the ceremony stage rarely changes from year to year. As such, there is more than enough time to consider one important element of stage layout that is often ignored: the background behind your graduates’ handshake photographs.

The University of South Florida in Tampa recently made headlines by prohibiting graduates from taking “selfie” pictures while being individually recognized on stage during commencement. Making a similar announcement was Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Both institutions are valued clients of GradImages, so this story certainly caught our attention.

Postal mail, email, and text message are all ways GradImages can provide graduates with access to their proofs from commencement and student portrait events. However, without the ability to acquire address information, proofs cannot be delivered. Consequently, without the ability to deliver proofs, the vast majority of graduates and their families will never see their images from these special events.

Each year, thousands of schools across the United States and Canada rely on GradImages to capture memories for almost two million graduates.  We are honored to be the most trusted name in commencement photography.

The majority of commencements across North America have graduates crossing the stage in only one direction, either right-to-left or left-to-right.  When commencement professionals talk about a ceremony having two lines, they are referring to a process by which graduates approach and cross the stage from two different directions simultaneously.  (The word "simultaneously" is important.)