Temple University Graduation Session

We met up at Temple University to celebrate Ali graduating with her teaching degree, and she brought along her family and boyfriend to make the day even more special. From the beginning, everyone was so easygoing, which made it really easy to forget we were technically there to take photos.

Ali’s dad was one of the first people I got to chat with, and he was genuinely such a nice guy. At one point, he mentioned that he was an actor, which immediately made me think, “Okay, that explains a lot!” He had such a natural personality and was so comfortable around the camera. More than anything, though, you could tell just how proud he was of Ali. Watching him celebrate his daughter and seeing their relationship come through in the photos was one of my favorite parts of the session.

And then there was Ali and her boyfriend. These two were so cute together. They had the kind of chemistry that makes my job easy because I could basically just let them hang out and photograph what happened naturally. Of course, we made sure to get all the classic graduation portraits around Temple’s campus. Cap and gown, photos around campus, and plenty of pictures celebrating the fact that Ali officially made it to the finish line. One of our favorite parts of the session was seeing the stole that Ali’s kiddo’s from her student teaching made for her with their handprints to celebrate her graduation.

But honestly, the photos I love most are the ones that feel like them. The proud family moments. The laughs. Ali and her boyfriend being completely themselves. Her dad joking around. All of those little pieces of the day that you can't really plan for.

Graduating college is a huge accomplishment, and Ali has an exciting road ahead of her as she starts her career in teaching. I have a feeling she’s going to be the kind of teacher her students remember long after they leave her classroom.

Congratulations, Ali! It was so much fun getting to celebrate this milestone with you and your family, and I’m so glad I got to be the one behind the camera to capture it.