college grads

The College Graduation Experience

Graduation is HERE, and it’s a moment worth celebrating.

You’ve put in the long nights, the hard work, the exams, the memories, and now you’re stepping into the next chapter of your life. This session is about capturing everything you’ve accomplished and celebrating who you are right now, right before the tassel turns.

Your session with Tish O’Connor Photography is all about you, your journey, and your story. From outfit planning to choosing meaningful campus locations, I’ll guide you every step of the way so your photos feel natural, confident, and completely YOU.

Let’s capture this milestone before the next adventure begins.

Start your experience

Tish is the BEST! She took my college graduation photos, and she matched every vision and more of what I wanted. I only graduate from college once, and the photos she took are ones I will continue to look back on. Not only that, she is fabulous to talk to and makes you feel so comfortable during the shoot. I can’t recommend Tish enough!

—Kelly
I 1000% recommend Tish OConnor Photography for your next session!! She is everything you want in a photographer, she has a meticulous attention to detail, eye for the best lighting, asks what the client wants from their session. Thank you Tish for making this such a great memory to add to Bryn's college years!!

—Michelle
Tish is so wonderful to work with! I had the pleasure of having her take my college graduation pictures and I absolutely love them. She has such amazing energy and is so kind! She made me feel so comfortable and made the whole experience so fun! Her photos are so amazing! She gets gorgeous shots with perfect lighting and editing. You can tell she truly loves what she does! I couldn’t recommend her enough!

—Olivia
I had the great pleasure of taking my college graduation photos with Tish. She made me feel incredibly comfortable every moment of the session. These photos came out to be absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to share them for the rest of my life. There are no words to describe how happy I am with Tish's role in capturing the magic of my senior year of college. If you want to capture your beautiful moments all while having fun and feeling extremely comfortable, I highly recommend Tish. She is the absolute best!

—Mikayla
Tish is the best. Not only does she take great pictures, but also she is genuinely a great person and a joy to be around! She has taken both my senior pictures in high school and my grad pictures at Penn State, and she did a perfect job at capturing photos I will forever look back on. She takes the most amazing shots and edits so beautifully. She is seriously good at what she does!

—Rylee
"I had so much fun taking my grad photos with Tish! I loved that I got include my dog, Millie, in my photos! All the photos that I received were absolutely beautiful and I’m so happy I chose Tish to take pictures for such a special time in my life!"

—Bryn

The CLIENT PROCESS:

SAY HELLO. Graduation season is one of my favorite times of year! It’s such an exciting milestone, and a graduation photo session is the perfect way to celebrate all the hard work that brought you here. What better place to capture it than on and around your beautiful campus, whether at Penn State or one of the many universities throughout Central Pennsylvania. Reach out and let’s find a date that works and get your session on the calendar before the schedule fills.

PLANNING YOUR PHOTOSHOOT. Once your date is set, we’ll start planning your session! If there’s a special place on campus where you spent a lot of time or have a favorite memory, be sure to share it so we can incorporate meaningful and personalized locations along the way. If you have any fun photo ideas, I’d love to hear those too!

I’ll also help you choose the best looks for your session. We’ll go over outfit ideas, what to bring, and how to create a variety of photos that feel natural, confident, and completely you.

LET’S SHOOT. The big day is here! Bring your outfits, cap and gown, and any fun props you’d like to include such as confetti, champagne, or anything that helps celebrate this moment.

While we’ll make sure to capture all the classic graduation portraits (the cap and gown shots parents love!), the goal is for you to relax, laugh, and truly enjoy the experience. I’ll guide you through everything so it feels natural and fun while we capture images that celebrate this exciting milestone.

I can’t wait to meet you and celebrate your graduation!

RELIVE THE MEMORIES. Yay! Your session is complete! You can expect a sneak peek within 48 hours on Instagram and Facebook that you’ll be able to share with friends and family. I love when grads tag and share their photos! Your full gallery will be ready in approximately two weeks. From there, you’ll be able to download your images and order prints or archival-quality products directly from your client gallery.

AN EXPERIENCE AS UNIQUE AS YOU

Meaningful Campus Locations

Choose iconic spots around your campus or places that held special meaning during your four years. From well-known landmarks to your favorite hidden corners, we’ll personalize your session to capture the places and memories that made your college experience uniquely yours.
Guidance Every Step of the Way

Not sure what to do with your cap and gown or how to pose on campus? I’ve got you covered. I’ll guide you through natural movement and flattering poses so you feel confident, relaxed, and completely yourself, from classic graduation portraits to fun celebratory moments like cap tosses and champagne sprays.
A Session Designed for You

Your graduation session should feel personal and celebratory. Bring along fun or meaningful items like confetti, champagne, your diploma holder, medals, college gear, or even your pet to help tell your story and make your photos uniquely yours.
Natural, Thoughtful Editing

Yes, I retouch! I gently remove blemishes, smooth dry patches, and brighten skin while keeping your freckles, pores, and beauty marks beautifully intact. You’ll still look like YOU, just polished and confident.
Teeth Whitening & Detail Enhancements

I lightly whiten teeth, reduce temporary redness, and take care of small distractions so nothing pulls attention away from your smile.
An Experience — Not Just Photos

This is a once-in-a-lifetime season. I focus on creating a fun, relaxed experience that celebrates who you are right now, not just delivering pretty images.

CELEBRATORY

VIBRANT

UNIQUELY YOU

This is your moment, and I would love to be there to capture it! Sessions do book up early, so when you're ready, let's make it official!

ready to book

Grad Gallery

All your questions, answered.

You deserve to feel confident and excited about your senior session! I've put together answers to the most common questions. Still not sure about something? No worries! Reach out through the contact form and I'll get back to you!

Let's chat

Most college graduation sessions take place right on campus! We can visit iconic landmarks, scenic spots, or meaningful locations that were part of your college experience. If you have favorite areas you'd like to include, just let me know and we’ll plan your route together.
Absolutely!
Want to celebrate your college graduation with a champagne spray, confetti, or cigars? Bring those, as well as sports gear, alumni shirts, medals, diploma holder or anything else that represents your school and your accomplishments.
YES! I love when grads include their pets in their photos. Just make sure to bring someone along who can help hold onto them when they’re not in the photos. I also recommend giving them some exercise before the session and bringing their favorite toy or treats, happy pets make for relaxed, joyful photos!
Yes! Your images are enhanced while keeping your true self intact. Freckles, beauty marks, and all the little details that make you uniquely you stay in place. I do, however, gently smooth blemishes, dry patches, or uneven textures so your skin looks polished while still completely natural.
Your session fee is due by your session day. It covers the session itself, my time and expertise as your photographer, and the professional editing of your images. You’ll receive your high-resolution photos through a secure online gallery, complete with full authorization to download and print.

I accept cash, checks and most major credit cards. For full details, check out the PRICING PAGE.
Life happens — I completely understand! If illness or an emergency comes up, please give 24–48 hours’ notice if possible.
Sessions can absolutely take place on overcast or cloudy days, these often create beautiful, soft, natural lighting! We will only need to reschedule if it’s raining, very gloomy, or unsafe for shooting.
Because spring graduation season is short and dates fill quickly, especially for campus sessions, we will work together to find the closest available date to your original session. Some flexibility with timing may be needed, but I’ll always do my best to make sure we capture this exciting milestone.
Your fully edited images are usually delivered through your secure online gallery within two weeks. During peak season, it might take up to three weeks, I want to give every photo the attention it deserves! While I’m editing, I’ll share a sneak peek online, given your consent, so keep an eye on Tish O’Connor Photography’s social media for a first look at your session magic.
With each session, you’ll receive full reproduction rights for personal use, meaning you can print, share, and enjoy your images. The copyright, however, remains with Tish O’Connor Photography. Images may not be sold or published without written permission, and all editing or alterations must be done by Tish O’Connor Photography to maintain the quality of your photos.