Graduation portraits on the river

She wanted the city rather than a campus lawn, which made this a walking session. We started at the school entrance, worked the bridges, and finished on the river walk when the sun got low enough to come under the buildings.

Downtown on a weekday is busy, and that is the point. We shot some of it long and slow on purpose so the people around her blur and she stays sharp, which is what the day actually felt like.

The full set covers regalia, the diploma folder, the school sign and a set without the gown, because those are the four things families ask for and it is easier to shoot them all than to go back.

One thing worth saying about downtown sessions: the permit question comes up a lot and the answer is usually no permit is needed for a handheld camera on a public sidewalk or bridge. What changes that is a tripod, or stepping onto private plaza space, and both are easy to plan around if you know beforehand. We walked this one entirely on public ground and never had to stop.