Graduation

Austin's Best Graduation Photographer, for the Walk and Everything Around It

When should I take graduation photos in Austin?

Shoot three to six weeks before the ceremony, not the week of it.

The week of graduation is the worst week to photograph a graduate. Campus is full, every landmark has a line, the family is managing out of town relatives, and the graduate is running on four hours of sleep. Book once the regalia arrives and before finals close in.

Known ceremony dates and patterns:

• UT Austin. The 2026 university-wide commencement was held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, with college and school convocations running May 7 through 9. `` Work backward and shoot in late March or April.
• Texas State University. Spring 2026 commencement was Thursday, May 14, 2026. Spring 2027 runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 13, 14 and 15, 2027. Summer 2027 is Friday, August 6, 2027.
• Austin Community College. Spring 2026 commencement was Thursday, May 14, 2026, with 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ceremonies at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, 2100 Avenue of the Stars. ``
• St. Edward's University. Commencement is held in December and May. ``
• Austin ISD high schools. The Class of 2026 graduated May 27 through June 3, 2026, at the Burger Center, split between Burger Arena and Burger Stadium. Bowie was May 28 at 8 p.m., Anderson May 29 at noon, McCallum May 29 at 4 p.m., Akins May 29 at 8 p.m., Austin High June 3 at 6 p.m. ``
• Lake Travis, Dripping Springs, Georgetown and Eanes ISD. Ceremonies typically fall in the last two weeks of May. ``

Caps and gowns are usually distributed in the spring, often several weeks before the ceremony. `` The day the regalia lands is the day to call.

What is a cap and gown session?

A short, focused session built around the regalia. The gown, the cap, the tassel, the stole, the honor cords, the diploma cover.

Bridget shoots these outdoors in natural light rather than in front of a backdrop, because a gown photographed against real light and real background stops looking like a rental. Most cap and gown sessions include two looks: the full regalia, and the graduate out of the gown in something they chose themselves. That second look is often the one the family frames.

Bring the cords, the medals, the sash, the letter jacket, the department pin and anything else earned. They photograph well and they date the picture in a good way.

``

Where should college grads shoot in Austin?

UT Austin. No permit is required for personal photography on campus. Littlefield Fountain and the Main Mall are the most requested frames, with the South Mall steps and the Turtle Pond close behind. Two rules matter: still photography for commercial or advertising purposes is not allowed on university property, and photographing the UT Tower and Main Building requires written approval from the Office of Brand, Trademarks and Licensing. Bridget plans around both.

Texas State University, San Marcos. The Quad, the Fighting Stallions statue and Old Main are the classic three. Sewell Park along the San Marcos River gives you water and cypress instead of stone. ``

Austin Community College. ACC has no single ceremonial campus, so grads usually split the difference: campus signage and architecture at Highland, Round Rock or Riverside for the school identity, then an Austin landmark like Auditorium Shores or the Capitol grounds for the frame they actually hang. ``

St. Edward's University. The Main Building and its towers on the hilltop are the signature shot, with Sorin Oak and the downtown skyline view from campus as strong second and third looks. ``

Off campus, for any school. Mount Bonnell, Zilker Park, Auditorium Shores and Mayfield Park all allow professional photography under a City of Austin permit at $50 per 2 hour session, booked no more than 30 days ahead and no less than 4:30 p.m. four calendar days prior. The Texas Capitol grounds at 1100 Congress Ave are a strong fit for policy, law and government graduates. ``

What about high school graduation photos?

High school graduation photos are a different assignment from senior portraits. Senior portraits happen in summer and fall for the yearbook. Graduation photos happen in spring, in the gown, and they are about the finish line.

Most families book one of two ways. Either a short cap and gown session at the school, the stadium or the campus sign, or a longer golden hour session that puts the graduate somewhere that means something: the bluff above Lake Travis, the field at Charro Ranch Park in Dripping Springs, Blue Hole Park in Georgetown, or the Hamilton Greenbelt in Lakeway.

If your student already shot senior portraits with Bridget, the graduation session is the bookend. Same photographer, same eye, four seasons apart.

Already need senior portraits instead? See [LINK: /senior-portraits].

Can my whole family be in the graduation photos?

Yes, and most families should.

Graduation is one of the few days the entire family is in one city, dressed, and in the same place at the same time. Parents, siblings, grandparents who flew in, and the graduate. Bridget shoots family groups in the same outdoor natural light she uses for everything else, so nobody ends up squinting into a flash.

The $1,500 session allows unlimited time and unlimited people, which is why extended families use it for graduation weekend. It covers the graduate alone, the graduate with each parent, the sibling frames, the full group, and 20 edited images at the end.

How much do graduation photos cost in Austin?

Graduation sessions with Bridget Daehler run $150 to $1,500.

Cap and Gown Mini, $150

20 minutes. Studio. 1 outfit. 1 edited image. Weekday. The straightforward announcement photo. Fastest and least expensive way to get a real portrait in the regalia.

The Campus Session, $350

45 minutes. Up to 3 outfits. Studio and one location. 5 edited images. Weekday. Full regalia, plus the graduate out of the gown, plus one campus or Austin location. The most common college graduate booking.

Graduation Weekend, $1,500

Unlimited time. Unlimited people. 20 edited images. All files on a USB. Premier look book. Mounted 11x14 wall art included. Built for the families flying in. Covers the graduate, every parent and sibling combination, and the full group, with something framed on the wall at the end.

Other options

• $250: studio, 2 to 3 outfits, 5 edited images, weekday.
• $500: up to 3 hours, multiple locations, 10 edited images, at sunset.
• $850: up to 5 hours, 20 edited images.
• Additional edited images: $50 each.Proof buyout: $250.