With graduates and their families, there’s an inherent expectation that photo proofs from their graduation ceremony will be available online almost immediately after the ceremony. After all, with today’s technology, we live in a world of near-instant gratification.

In the context of commencement ceremonies, the terms "graduates" and "participants" are often used interchangeably, but can have different meanings. And in discussions with your vendors and providers, clarifying which term is being used is key.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is U.S. federal law that provides guidelines to the rights and privacy of students’ and their education records. It defines what information a school may or may not release of its current or former students. Additionally, it outlines parental rights for students under the age of 18 attending non-postsecondary institutions. The law applies to all schools receiving funds under applicable U.S. Department of Education programs, which includes the majority of schools in the United States.

Green screen technology is ideally suited for a studio environment, where the photographer has precise control over the individual(s) being photographed and their clothing, and where there are no constraints on the amount of time it takes to capture each image.

The ability to quickly send commencement photos to your graduates and their families requires accurate, up-to-date address information.  The best way to ensure that is to have graduates fill out their own address cards before the ceremony.