Graduation photography in Central Park NYC — natural, cinematic grad portraits with iconic locations and seasonal color.

Seasonal Portrait Tips

Grad photos for every season

The majority of pictures I take for grads are on their graduation day, or the same week. This makes perfect sense, since the excitement is palpable, the gown is pressed and ready to go, and friends and family are present. In a sense, it’s sort of an event photography session.

But a lot of other people choose fall, because their grad photos are due to yearbooks, and it’s just that back-to-school time of year that screams academia.

Whatever the season, follow these guidelines, choose relaxed over fussy. If the fake eyelashes will bother you, skip them. If the cap doesn’t suit you, just take a couple with it and then ditch it for the rest of the session. As for every photo shoot, make sure to talk to your photographer for the best light. For me, it depends on the location and season. I can make it work no matter what time of day and no matter what location.

Best Central Park Locations for Graduation Photos

Graduation portraits in Central Park combine natural scenery with iconic New York backdrops. Fall sessions are especially popular thanks to warm foliage, soft light, and cinematic textures. Where’s the best place to go? You tell me! As with all of New York, the list is endless. There are bridges, arches, water, woods, statues, monuments and landmarks, you name it. These spots are for you to explore online and bookmark. This list is also great for location scouting for wedding pictures as well.

This recent session included classic park locations like Cop Cot and the Balto statue, meaningful for a veterinary-science graduate preparing for a career in animal care.

We also started with studio-style portraits at home before heading into the park, creating a mix of polished and candid imagery. Including with dad, which may end up being the most emotionally lasting photographs.

For NYC graduation photography, it’s all about bringing out the real graduate and what makes them shine, timing, location choice, and natural interaction.

Then out we went into the park, which was showing off with every warm shade of fall. The kind of day where the leaves look painted on, the sun is soft instead of bossy, and people stroll like they’ve forgotten they have anywhere else to be. As an aside autumn, Central Park to me is the most beautiful place on earth.

She climbed up onto the magnificent Manhattan schist—like every true New Yorker has done at least once—and sat with the billionaire’s row skyline standing guard behind her. She looked right at home, as if the city were a familiar friend rather than an architectural brag.

And at the end, there was one last frame: a bonus shot with her dad, our driver for the day, the silent anchor who shepherded us from spot to spot with a smile. It was a tiny moment, warm and simple, the kind you almost miss if you’re not paying attention. I never forget to take pictures with the parents if they’re around because these photos end up being the most meaningful as the years go by.