Tips for timing, choosing a location, outfits, makeup and more!

Portrait EXPERIENCE

PLANNING YOUR graduation

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Graduation is such a meaningful milestone — a celebration of everything you’ve accomplished and the exciting season ahead.

My goal during your grad session is to create images that feel natural, confident, and timeless. Sessions are relaxed and fully guided, so you never have to worry about how to pose or what to do. I’ll take care of the details so you can simply enjoy the experience.



- jody ann

What's Included

Your Grad Portrait Session includes:

90-minute portrait session

Two outfits

Cap & gown (optional)

Fully guided posing and direction

15 professionally edited digital images

Option to purchase additional images

Sessions are designed to feel unhurried, allowing time for outfit changes, variety, and natural moments.

There isn’t a single “right” or “wrong” time to take grad photos. Sessions are typically planned based on the overall look you’re drawn to — whether that’s lush greenery, open fields, or a more neutral, timeless setting — as well as scheduling availability.

Grad sessions generally last 90 minutes to two hours and are scheduled to begin about two hours before sunset. This timing allows us to photograph in softer, more flattering light and helps avoid harsh shadows, squinty eyes, and bright sun patches.

Because we plan sessions around the best light of the day, arriving on time is especially important. Evening light changes quickly, and arriving late may limit the amount of time available for outfit changes and variety.

Is there a "good" time to take photos? 

TIMing & LIGHT

Locations

Our Favourite Places to Photograph Grads

Choosing the right location plays a big role in the overall feel of your grad portraits. Based on the questionnaire you complete, I’m happy to recommend locations that match your style — whether that’s natural and relaxed, open and scenic, or more urban and modern.

From grassy fields and river paths to mountain views and city streets, there are many beautiful options for grad sessions. Location recommendations are always based on the look you’re drawn to, the time of year, and the best available light.

Drumheller Hoodoos
Waterton Lakes
Red Rock Canyon
Elbow Falls
Big Hill Springs Park
Sunflower Fields
Tree Farm
Flower Field
Saskatoon Farm
Big Rock Okotoks



adventure*

High Park
 Stephen Avenue
Central Library
Inglewood
Kensington
Downtown Rooftop
Glenmore Boat Docks

URBAN

Shannon Terrace
Bebo Grove
Pearce Estate Park
Hulls Wood
Sikome Lake
Confederation Park
Nose Hill
Fish Creek
Anne & Sandy Cross
Weaselhead Flats
Glenmore Resevoir/Boat dock
Douglasdale Ridge


water & PArks

Barrier Lake
 Big Horn Lookout
Quarry Lake (beach too!)
Glenbow Ranch
Waterton 


Mountain View*

The locations listed above are favourites, but I also love photographing grads in places that feel personal. Do you have a meaningful location you’d like to include — a family property, cabin, sports field, or place you spend a lot of time? I’m always happy to explore options together.

*Please note: some locations may require a travel fee or park permit.


meaningful locations

My goal is to create grad portraits that feel natural, confident, and true to who you are. When choosing outfits, focus on pieces that reflect your personal style rather than trends that don’t feel like you. The more comfortable and confident you feel in what you’re wearing, the more relaxed and authentic your images will look.

Grad sessions are designed to feel easy and guided — there’s no pressure to “perform” or know how to pose. Clothing that allows you to move comfortably and feel like yourself helps create images that feel timeless and effortless.

To help make outfit planning simple, I’ve put together resources to guide you through colour choices, styling tips, and what photographs best. This guide includes practical do’s and don’ts, and you’ll also find style inspiration linked below if you’d like visual examples.

tips for success

what to wear:

on to the next

browse style examples

on to the next

Outfit One: Casual or “Everyday You”

This is often something that reflects your personality:
-A simple dress, jeans and a blouse, or something relaxed but polished
-Neutral tones photograph beautifully (white, cream, denim, soft pastels)
-Avoid large logos or bold graphics

Outfit Two: Dressy or Statement

This can be a slightly elevated look:
-Your grad dress, suit, or tailored outfit
-Something timeless that won’t date quickly
-Consider how it complements your cap & gown if you plan to include it

Shoes & Accessories

-Bring clean, neutral shoes
-Simple jewelry photographs best
-Steam or iron outfits in advance

If you’d like outfit feedback, you’re always welcome to send photos ahead of time.
 

Choosing Outfits

Choosing outfits ahead of time makes a huge difference in how confident you feel during your session.

-Natural, polished makeup photographs best
-Avoid heavy shimmer or overly dark eye makeup
-Haircuts are best scheduled 1–2 weeks before your session
-Clean, simple nails are recommended
-Bring lip balm and a small brush for touch-ups

Professionally done hair & makeup last longer than typical hair & makeup. They also tend to hold up better in humidity and wind. If you’re planning to do any spray tans or waxing, schedule those for a few days before the session to give your skin time to recover. 

If you go this route, we recommend our preferred vendor for $100 fr either hair or makeup or $175 for both. Message for details.



Hair & Makeup

on to the next

We never over-schedule ourselves so that we can give each client the time and attention they deserve, but also, so we can have the freedom to move our sessions around with the kooky Calgary weather that is always so unpredictable! Coordinating schedules can be tough and we’ve found that the best way to make sure our grads get the look they have in mind for their photos is to keep our schedule open and keep in touch as we get closer.

We’ll check in the week before your session to confirm the time & location we’re meeting and the weather. We know it takes a lot of time to get ready for session and it’s the worst to get dressed up, do makeup and hair, then drive out to your session only to have it rain. Let us know what works best for you, but if the weather looks like it won’t be great, we typically try to make the call at least 12 hours in advance. 

Inclement Weather

what to do if it rains

You don’t need to know how to pose — that’s my job 😊

I’ll guide you through:

-Natural posing
-Flattering angles
-Where to place your hands
-Movement-based prompts for relaxed expressions
-Sessions are easygoing and fun, and music is always welcome if it helps you relax.

"What do I do with
 my hands"?

"What do I do
 with my hands"?

POSING

Yes, you are welcome to print the images on your own from ordered digital files. If you do this, we recommend making sure that the printer does not color correct the images (many automatically do this.) We also recommend looking for a high quality printer. While 10 cent prints sound great in theory, the cheaper printing quality often won’t do your images justice. Paper quality, color correction and a handful of other factors play a big role in the way your prints turn out. This is one of the reasons why we LOVE offering prints to our clients. 

A:

Can I print the images on my own?

q:

We will make sure we capture your grad thoroughly. You should expect to receive at least 45-60 images following your session for order selection. 

A:

How many images will I have to select from?

q:

For order and selection, the gallery viewed at your ordering session.
We guarantee that your final images will remain in an online gallery for at least a year. While your galleries may stay up longer than that, we cannot guarantee it. Once your galleries have been delivered, we highly recommend downloading all high resolution images to several devices. Consider investing in a portable, waterproof external hard drive.

A:

How long will I have access to the gallery?

q:

While turnaround times can vary by season, we aim to deliver all images within three weeks of your session. 

A:

When will I receive my gallery?

q:

Frequently

asked

Questions

You are absolutely welcome to share images on social media. To ensure that our work is properly represented, we ask that you refrain from sharing unedited previews or adding any edits. We also appreciate image credits and tags as they help us to continue to grow as a business. Please remember that screen shotting images and removing watermarks is a violation of policies and copyright.

A:

Can I share the images on social media? 

q:

By default, the creators of images always own the rights to the images. However we’ll give you a release to use, print and share your images. The only thing you won’t be able to do is sell your image as a stock photo. We won’t do this either without your written permission. 

A:

Do I own the rights to the images?

q:

We typically plan about 90 minutes for sessions. While we likely don’t need to be shooting this entire time, this does give us the flexibility for location changes, and time to warm up. 

A:

How long should we plan for the session to take?

q:

We edit all ordered images to our standards you see online. We also do light retouching on all of our images. This means that if there are any glaring objects that should be removed (such as a scratch or pimple,) we’ll remove it. Larger edits (such as removing tan lines,) require more time and would require us to add additional editing hours to your collection.  

A:

Will you retouch our images? 

q:

We reschedule! We would much rather have happy and healthy clients than stick to a strict date. Together we will select another day within 2 weeks of the original date to achieve the same style & look. 

A:

what happens if i'm sick?

q:

We book our sessions weekday evenings with 1-2 Saturdays available a month on a FCFS basis. Sessions are scheduled up to two hours before sunset.

A:

What do I need to know about booking times and location options?

q:

As soon as possible after your session is complete, we’ll back up your images and begin the editing process. Unless we have a holiday closure, you can expect to receive your gallery for order & selection between 1-2 weeks and final edits within another 1-2 weeks after your session. Albums and Wall Art timelines vary. 

Your Images

When to Expect

We’re big believers that images aren’t meant to solely exist in a digital space. One day, most likely, Instagram will be gone, your phone will be replaced and images that you can physically hold in your hand will be the best way to remember those precious moments we captured. 

Think about this fact: fifteen years ago, if we had delivered you digital images, they would have been on a floppy disk. With the fast updates to technology, you would have no way to access those images today. Even the online galleries we deliver will eventually fade away. 

But prints? Those last. I bet your family still has images from your grandparents (maybe even great grandparents.) And that was likely from a time period when cameras were expensive and prints were harder to come by. 

Bring Your Images to Life with 

prints

Perfect for those who value legacy. These heirloom albums are a great way to house a large number of images in a beautiful way. Leave them on display as coffee table books or protect them with a keepsake box. 

Albums

Our framed and matted prints are the perfect way to fill your walls with memories. With a variety of frames to choose from, we’ll help you select the perfect image pairings for your space. 


Prints & Wall Art

Details for ordering will be delivered with your gallery

Easy to hang and easy to change out. Canvases are one of our favorite ways to decorate a space. They also work great on little easels placed around the home. 

Canvases

Word-of-mouth means so much to my small business.

As a thank-you, each time you refer a friend who books a grad session, you’ll receive 2 bonus digital images added to your gallery once their session is officially booked.

If you have any questions at all while preparing for your session, please don’t hesitate to reach out — I’m always happy to help.

I can’t wait to photograph this exciting milestone for you 🤍

HELLO@jacphotography.ca
403.870.2251

Referral Thank-You