Another early grad season is upon us, almost acting as a tune up or a systems check for the full on deluge of March and April, the winter grads offer a creative departure and a fun break from the long hot summer.
Arizona State University Graduate Jordyn P.
Photographers either treat grad season as the fun season or the necessary season, where the latter pays their bills through a fake smile shooting the same thing everyday, but either way the work is plentiful. Grad season claims memory cards, straps, and whatever else is a small and expendable piece of gear that does not hold up to unrelenting use, but the winter season offers a slightly slower pace and a chance to take more creative liberty. Technically speaking, this batch of grads is departing in the offseason, and living somewhere other than Phoenix offers a chance for fall colors and snow to come into frame. This is where your creativity can come in and make the repetition feel more bearable because of these variables that aren’t usually present for the spring grads. Stock up on memory cards because they will no doubt break at some point, I have rough estimates on how long SanDisk and Lexar cards last, but neither will get more than12-15 consecutive shoots. Stock up, put on a smile, and deliver your best work to these grads because most of them are only graduating college once, and if not, most are only doing a shoot about the degree they want to advertise.