The 5 Easy Ways to Get Great Grad Photos

by Bethany Joy

 

 

Graduation season is back! Everybody is prepared to celebrate their hard work this season and move on to greater things. There’s no doubt you earned it! Make the most of your graduation experience by taking the time to reflect on your accomplishments, both big and small. Cherish the memories and friendships you made along the way. Finally, don’t forget to celebrate your successes!

 

Using these tips, you can DIY amazing grad photos this season to make your photos as amazing as you are. My examples will be drawn from a real session I conducted.  You can use DIY graduation photography to capture your special moment when you have limited time. Take beautiful graduation photos with these simple tips.

 

The Location

 

 

Choosing a location that contrasts with your gown, your skin tone, and the school colors is best. You may want to consider mascots and places that have special memories for you. Contrasting colors and locations can add visual interest to your photos and can make the photos look more dynamic. Additionally, choosing locations or mascots that have special meaning to you can make your photos more meaningful.

Contrasting colors and locations draw the eye to the subject in the photo and can help to create a more interesting composition. Choosing a location or mascot with special meaning to the individual in the photos can add an additional layer of emotion and nostalgia, making the photos more meaningful and memorable.

 

The Lighting

 

 

Unless you have access to professional lighting, I recommend shooting outside in the evening when the sun is setting. When the sun is golden as it sets, it is flattering and not as harsh as during the daytime hours. Avoid standing under trees that cast shadows on your face, and consider bringing a white poster board to reflect light under your chin. To create the crisp focus effect, you should pose with your chosen background in the distance. Your photographer should stand equally distant from you as the background. This way, the light will be even across your face and body and the background will be out of focus, creating the desired crisp effect. This technique also allows you to shoot without the harsh shadows that are often seen when shooting in direct sunlight. Make sure you are far enough away from the background so it appears blurred. This will help create a more aesthetically pleasing image. Finally, ensure that you and your photographer are standing at an angle to the sun, to reduce the harsh shadows that can be caused by directly facing the sunlight.

 

Posing

 

 

On your cards, banners, and social media posts, you will want to use several classic poses to make your cards, banners, and posts stand out. Take a picture of just your outfit without a cap and gown. You can use this for your professional profile headshots. It is best to do this before putting on your grad cap since it may mess up your hair. Next, take open-gown photos with your grad cap on. You should consider whether you want the graduation tassel to be on the appropriate side. You should take full-body shots of yourself walking toward the camera as well as mid-body shots. After that, zip up the gown and repeat the process. Capture some close-up shots of your face smiling at and away from the camera. Here is where you may want to add props such as a fake diploma or sports equipment depending on your favorite activities. Don’t forget to take a picture with your tassel, your graduation cap, and of course the classic cap toss. Full-body shots show your whole outfit, while mid-body shots emphasize details such as the tassel, diploma, or any props you choose to include. Close-up shots of your face capture the joy of the moment and having props that represent your favorite activities makes the photos more personal and memorable.

 

The Props

 

 

You can create a session that is unique or classic to suit your style. Create your own style or theme by incorporating it into your session. In my examples, Zoë did a Meg The Stallion-themed shoot. The outfit involved cute accessories and a cute look. Whether you are a member of a club, a movie fan, or a sports fan, display your personality through your outfit and props. Don’t be afraid to express yourself with what you wear and use props. This could be a colorful outfit, a favorite movie poster, or the jersey of your favorite sports team.

 

Create Something Unique

 

 

Have fun trying different looks and enjoy yourself. It is HARD to graduate from high school or college and you deserve to be celebrated! Congratulations to the class of 2023, the best is yet to come! Embrace the moment and don’t be afraid to try things you’ve never done before. This is your chance to make a statement and you want your look to reflect who you are and the milestone you are celebrating. You should be proud of your achievements and eagerly look forward to what lies ahead.

You will be seen and celebrated with my one-of-a-kind fine art photography portraits. For more information about next-level all-inclusive graduation photography, please message me here! I provide comprehensive and tailored photography services, so you can cherish this special moment for a lifetime.

I hope these tips are helpful, but I am only one person, so let me know what has worked for you! I can be reached here or via email at bethany@bethanyjphotography.com. Interested in collaborating on something creative? Commission a portrait! The booking period for 2023 is now open.

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Bethany J. Photography

What’s gonna be new?

As an artist who creates one-of-a-kind portraits to help people celebrate uniquely, I want to re-introduce my brand to friends and attract the community who will most benefit from my style of work.

 

The New Logo

 

 

 

Everything has started looking different around here. The new visual expression of my brand reflects more than just new fonts and color choices. This new logo is simple and classic and a bit more serious. I sought to emphasize my professionalism for every person who visits my website. When you see Bethany J. Photography here are the three values you will see.

 

 

 

Celebrating Originality | Crafted With Quality | Connected To Community

 

I thought long and hard about how I wanted to communicate what I felt about photography and the way I have served clients as an artist. These values encompass more than just my business but my personal belief in everything I do. Let’s dive into how I will be incorporating these three values into my business.

 

Celebrating Originality

You are original. I celebrate you by creating one-of-a-kind custom art portraits.

I consider your unique qualities and needs and then tailor my approach each time you get a portrait.

I create a distinctly original style developed over time and perfected daily.

 

Crafted With Quality

I invest time, resources, and research, and focus on each client fully.

With a passion for the craft of image making I use the best tools to craft your original portrait.

I use clear communication and careful planning to maintain a professional experience.

 

Connected to Community

We are neighbors, collaborators, and dreamers I work with you to create something new.

I give back to the creative community that helped me grow in the field I enjoy now.

I collaborate to build up, connect and support local or small businesses and crafters when possible.

 

Here is a small list that demonstrates the difference between what I currently offer compared to what I used to offer. 

 

 

 

As mentioned above I am shifting to not only incorporating being better focused on each individual client’s needs but also providing a service that creates portraits that you can treasure as key pieces for your home.

 

The Updated Style

 

Luxurious, classic, and dynamic are all words I would use to describe my new style. I drew a lot of inspiration from painters such as Ben Enwonwu from the African Modernist Movement and photographers such as Alaina Airitam’s series Golden Age (inspired by the Dutch Golden Age.) I sought artists who took extra care with deep skin tones, vibrant colors, and strong poses that felt part photography and part painterly. Additionally, I incorporated my signature glow, organic elements, and warm lighting.

 

 

Why commission a fine art photo portrait?

 

As an official patron of the fine arts here are the situations in which you might want to commission a portrait.

Celebrations + Milestones
Birthday
Anniversary
Graduation
Senior
Maternity
Couples

Professional/ Headshots
Editorial
Artist Portraits

 

What Will a Session Look Like

A session will start with a questionnaire after which we will schedule a 30-minute call to talk about you! This is an experience I want you to enjoy. We will get to know each other and then I will get to work creating your custom plan including your look, the location, and any custom set or props.

Additional options include a hair and make-up artist and a stylist consultation. Locations are historic mansions or natural reserves in Maryland. I also provide a full-length mirror during your session if you would like to see yourself posing. After the session, you choose your favorite portraits to keep and have the option to create a statement leather album or locally framed print. These portraits are meant to be seen big, think of them as signature pieces.

 

This is an experience you will have to try yourself! If you are ready to book your 2023 session please visit here and contact me!

 

 

New Podcast: The Creativity Cure

I am connected to the community and I want to strengthen my commitment. That is why I started the podcast The Creativity Cure. Not everyone will decide to get their portraits taken with me. I still want to share life with you! This podcast is to encourage women to rekindle the fire of creativity within. It’s not about any ability to design or take photos (even though those topics aren’t off-limits.) The Creativity Cure is about taking the skills I have developed to solve creative problems and sharing how you can use those same principles to increase your own problem-solving ability. We will talk about creative thinking, empathy, writing, and more! The first episode is live! Check it out!

 

I hope that this podcast becomes a place where I get to go deep with some of you. I want to encourage and inspire you to get up and go again. I will post new episodes every other Friday! In between episodes you can stay connected through The Creative Community newsletter! Keep reading for more.

 

Hearing from You

Finally, I want to build community and help connect those of us who enjoy being creative or enjoy supporting those who create. To make this space I created The Creativity Cure Newsletter. This newsletter shares updates from me but more importantly has room for you. I want to see your picture of the week, your encouraging story, your wins, and your favorite creators or businesses. Join the community so we can uplift each other!

 

Welcome to the NEW Bethany J. Photography. Booking is officially open for 2023 and I can’t wait to connect, grow, and create with you this year!

 

Get the exclusives first by subscribing here.

 

 

 

How Bethany J. Photography is Changing

What’s gonna be new?

 

In one week I will be FINALLY sharing my new rebrand and what that means for my clients and followers! I am so excited because I know what’s coming and I hate keeping secrets! I wanna give you some idea of what is going to happen so you can get ready for the launch.

Fine Art Portraits Only

The biggest change will be in the kind of work I will complete for people. I will be shifting from the family photography service category to a fine art portrait photography practice. Here are the differences between the two, for future clients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As mentioned above I am shifting to not only incorporating being better focused on each individual client’s needs but also providing a service that creates portraits that you can treasure as key pieces for your home.

 

Changing Style

My style has always been vibrant, warm, fun, and colorful. However, I don’t want to stop growing as a creator so for that purpose, I want to shift into creating work for you from a truer place of authenticity. I will continue to keep the key elements of my style but I will be pushing to create portraits that are a bit more in-depth, carefully lit, and filled with an element of wonder. Each session will be about creating a unique work. I want to invite clients to further explore their own creativity with me.

 

Inviting the Creative Community

In addition to inviting clients to collaborate I want to extend the community further by helping creative people, supporters, and more connect. I have so many individual conversations with clients, businesses, and more, and want to build a meeting ground. I will be doing this with the launch of a weekly newsletter that will be for people interested in sharing their triumphs, work, connections, products, and more. I want to hear your stories, see what moves you, and build up the creative community. I believe that coming together in an exclusive community will open the doors for great things to happen! Those who subscribe will get updates first and get the opportunity to share their opinions or ideas for topics to cover or events to share. I will also open the newsletter for small, local, or artisan brands to share their business.

 

 

New Podcast: The Creativity Cure

I will be launching my Podcast The Creativity Cure on February 17th. In working with clients in photography and design I realize that there is a large perception that being creative is purely a gift or talent. I believe that in a big way, creativity is a skill that can be fostered and cultivated in powerful ways. On my podcast, I will talk to women about how they can grow this skill and use it to change how they handle problems with business, relationships, and themselves. The podcast will be available on all platforms and will be streamed every other Friday.

 

Focusing In

I will be focusing on what I do so that I work with those who are on the same page and share the joy of being creative. This means that I will no longer be photographing events, weddings, parties, sports, or boudoir. Not to worry I will be on the lookout for photographers who excel at those segments to make sure you can still be covered. In fact, one of the great things about this change is that I will have a chance to branch out and collaborate with other photographers.

 

The next time I blog I will be reintroducing myself and going into more detail about how you can join The Creative Community and stay connected. You don’t want to miss this!  See you next week.

 

Get the exclusives first by subscribing here.

 

 

Finding Joy

The Official Bethany J. Photography Blog with Bethany Joy Steele

Contact Me

 

 

 

 

If you are human you probably started the year with renewed grit to go back to the gym, have the best year ever, and be better at (insert what that is here.)

I did that too and decided the easiest way to summarize my 2023 goal is to scare myself. 

Now that seems dramatic, but hear me out. Last year I took a long journey of discovering who I am as a person. I did a lot of learning and realized that I had let anxiety make myself, my dreams, and my world smaller. Fear is a powerful motivator. Fear of what people think, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, fear of not having enough, and fear of losing what can not be brought back made me freeze. For a long time, I operated from this mentality. It was draining and left me perpetually stressed. 

 

Embracing Fear

In 2023 instead of hiding from the fears I plan on embracing them! I will be working hard despite how I may feel. As so many have said before “Do it scared.” I know that beyond my fear there are lessons to be learned, friends to be made, and a stronger me. 

How I Am Gonna Do It

I don’t know how 2023 will turn out. I don’t know what is coming but to me, there is nothing scarier than living out a life that isn’t meant for you. I don’t wanna live in a comfortable box, so it’s time to break it. Here are some ways I am going to “scare myself” this year.

 

Making New People Connections

As an adult, it’s hard to make friends. Let alone keep them. It takes vulnerability to reach out and ask to spend time with people. This year I will be vulnerable and be the asker! Life is too short to not have community.

 

Speaking Up

I will be working on communication. Being a better listener and saying out loud is what I need. I will work on being honest. I won’t go along to get along simply to avoid uncomfortable moments. 

 

Pushing My Boundaries

This year I will be pushing the boundaries of my current skills in photography, design, and writing. Learning doesn’t end with school.

 

Setting Rhythms

I used to spend a lot of time beating myself up for not being consistent, instead of asking myself why. This year I will be working on rhythm. This is about creating a margin of space for goals and recognizing my patterns of motivation and working with them instead of against them.

 

Empathy

My daughter made me realize why empathy for yourself is important. Often we can listen to the discouraging internal voice from our failures and the past. That voice might tell you you aren’t worth it or you aren’t good enough. This can lead to ignoring your own needs to the point where you don’t recognize you have needs. You may believe that this only affects you but I realize that often how I treat myself leaks into how I treat my daughter and husband. When I show understanding to myself, patience, and encouragement I am better able to model that for my daughter. I also recognize that God looks at me the way I look at my daughter. She is precious to me. Not perfect but so valuable. I had the realization that I am also precious to God and valuable. Worth care. If I wouldn’t speak to my daughter that way I won’t speak to myself that way.

 

That’s my list. What’s yours? Whatever you set out to don’t forget to be generous with yourself and show kindness. I know we all get frustrated when we fail at what we set out to do. We are human beings, not human doings lol. Have patience!

2023 ready or not it’s here! Let’s work on being better. Send me a message below if you would like! Join my email list to join my community!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding Joy

Welcome to my blog. Here I am myself. I am an artist who shares her photography, her family, and more! I called this blog choosing joy because 1. That’s my middle name and 2. Finding joy when life is tough has been a journey for me. More often I am choosing to look for the bright side even when I don’t see it. If you are an artist, a parent, a small business or all three then you will like being around here!


Share your Joy Journey with me by emailing bethany@bethanyjphotography.com. You might be featured in my newsletter!

Your Joy Journey can be something funny or moving your story of overcoming or what brings you joy.

 

 

 

Final Fall Sessions

This weekend I finally finished fall sessions! This season I captured portraits with more vibrancy and style than I have before! I met new families and had some friendly faces return. I count myself blessed and so joyful that creating art is something I get to do for other people. I enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors, getting little kids to smile- even for a second, and just learning more about you. Scroll below to see some of my favorite portraits of the season! Usually, they are my favorite because they are unexpected, impactful or I just love the composition. Choosing just a few is hard because they are all my artwork babies! Enjoy and see you back here for a new blog next Friday.

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who worked with me this year! You are the reason I do what I do!

 

 

 

Finding Joy

Welcome to my blog. Here I am myself. I am an artist who shares her photography, her family, and more! I called this blog choosing joy because 1. That’s my middle name and 2. Finding joy when life is tough has been a journey for me. More often I am choosing to look for the bright side even when I don’t see it. If you are an artist, a parent, a small business or all three then you will like being around here!


Share your Joy Journey with me by emailing bethany@bethanyjphotography.com. You might be featured in my newsletter!

Your Joy Journey can be something funny or moving your story of overcoming or what brings you joy.

 

 

The Steele Family

I decided to do something special this year! Being a photographer I live behind the camera. I always have because it’s my comfort zone, playground, and so much more. This year when we were moving on our 3rd anniversary it occurred to me that we didn’t have any family photos in a studio setting or formal wear since 2019 when we got married.

 

 

One thing I have been reflecting on lately is how it seems like time really flies. 3 years ago I was just out of college, engaged, and excited about my wedding. I still forget that I’m 25, not 23 (the adulting that has happened has been serious.) For me this year was so monumental in ways I don’t always share and I wanted to make time slow down. I knew that I had not been making time for celebration. No matter what life looks like celebrating what matters helps me remember why it matters. Accomplishments are worthy of luxury, beauty, and time. So after Instagram stalking Pics By NiNi I booked our first studio session!

 

I had a good time picking out the colors, my dress, and my hair. I was so excited to get dressed up and then to finally get Jamal to agree to join me in front of a camera, I could not wait. When we arrived at her studio she was so warm and fun. We put on Lofi music and she gave us ginger beer (which tastes like ginger ale tries to taste.) Nini is the cousin of one of my art friends from high school. My friend, Ohene was assisting so it was like a double good time! I have insecurities about my look and Nini was great at communicating how to pose, and how to make adjustments. She worked with us and it was a very relaxing experience. I was so excited to see the pictures and when they came they did not disappoint! I love them! They really make me smile and think of how far we have come. I have my own family and it’s such a wow moment to see in pictures what we have.

I want to encourage you this season especially since times can be hard right now to find a way to celebrate. Celebrate making it through the year, celebrate achieving a new goal, or even just waking up another day. Your life is an occasion worth celebrating however you decide to do it.

 

Thanks again to Pics By NiNi for creating such beautiful work!

 

 

Finding the Joy

Welcome to my blog. I talk about choosing joy, to me, that means believing God is good and there is hope in the face of difficulty. I also talk about my goals and challenges. I believe in perseverance, grit, dreaming big, and choosing to challenge yourself to be better than yesterday.


What does it mean to be a part of the #JoyJourney?

It means to choose JOY in the good and bad!
It means we focus on our goals!
It means we challenge ourselves to do better!