UCF Graduation Photographer in Orlando

 

UCF graduate in cap and gown throwing confetti with her diploma among the palms on campus, Orlando graduation photography
UCF graduate in a white dress holding her cap and stole on the palm-lined walkway at the University of Central Florida, Orlando
Graduate in a black dress and cap with UCF sash by a wooden railing, University of Central Florida graduation photography
Graduate in cap and gown walking the arched terracotta walkway at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida
High school graduate in purple regalia with diploma holder on the campus steps in Winter Garden, Florida graduation photography
Graduate in a white dress holding her cap beside the water at UCF, University of Central Florida graduation photographer
Graduate in cap and gown between campus columns at UCF, University of Central Florida graduation photographer in Orlando
College graduate in a black gown under the oaks in Celebration, Florida, Kissimmee area graduation portrait photography
UCF graduate in a gray blazer and navy stole in a brick colonnade, University of Central Florida graduation photos
Graduate holding her UCF stole in a campus corridor, University of Central Florida graduation photography in Orlando
Graduate in a blue cap and gown seated on a ledge at the Winter Park Library, Winter Park, Florida graduation photos
Graduate in black gown with gold honor cords outside the Health Sciences building at UCF, Orlando graduation photography
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Every May and December, the same thing happens. Ten days before the ceremony, half of UCF realizes they never booked a photographer.


The good slots are gone by then. The Reflecting Pond has forty people in gowns standing in each other's backgrounds, and the photos that come out of it look like everyone else's.


Book earlier than that and you get the campus almost to yourself, the light you want, and a set of photos that look like the four years actually meant something. Because they did.


The UCF Knights Session


Campus sessions run 90 to 120 minutes and start at $395. Confetti and a champagne bottle are included, and so are up to three friends. Bring the fourth for $25.


The route covers the spots that matter. The Reflecting Pond first, before the crowds arrive. Millican Hall for the columns and the shade. Memory Mall for the wide open frames. The Pegasus seal, which takes five minutes and you will not skip. The John C. Hitt Library, which nobody thinks to ask for and everybody is glad they got. If you spent four years in the engineering building or the business college, we go there too. It is your campus, not mine.


I have photographed enough UCF grads to know where the light falls at what hour and which corners are empty when the pond is not. That is the difference between a session that feels like a walk and one that feels like a line.


Graduating Somewhere Else


Not everyone reading this is a Knight.


Solo graduate sessions start at $350 and go wherever your school is, or wherever suits you better. Rollins College in Winter Park, Valencia, Full Sail, Seminole State, or a high school senior session at a location that fits who you are. I have shot grads on the tile walkways at Rollins, at the Winter Park Library, and around Celebration.


These sessions are built around the person. If you spent four years in a lab, bring the coat. If you are a nurse, bring the stethoscope. If you are the first in your family to graduate, bring your family. Whatever tells the story is what we shoot.


Bring the Friends


The group photos are the ones that get posted, and they are the ones you will look at in twenty years when the group chat has gone quiet.


Three friends are included in the UCF session at no charge. Everyone gets their own solo frames, then we do the group: the walk, the cap toss, the confetti, the champagne. If several of you want your own galleries from the same session, ask me and I will quote it.


When to Book, and When to Shoot


Book four to six weeks before you want the photos in hand. Sessions are delivered within three weeks, and I try to beat that, but the calendar fills in the two weeks before each ceremony and I cannot add hours to the day.


For the session itself, weekday mornings are the quiet window. Weekends and the week of graduation are crowded, and midday sun in Orlando is unkind to everyone. Golden hour on a weekday is the answer if your schedule allows it.


Spring grads: reach out in March. Fall grads: reach out in October.


What Goes On Under the Gown


The gown covers less than you think. Wear a full outfit you would be happy to be photographed in on its own, because the second half of the session is usually without the gown.


Bring everything you earned. Cords, stoles, medallions, honor society sashes, a decorated cap if you made one. Bring water. Bring the friend who is good at fixing hair.


And iron the gown. It comes out of the bag looking like it was folded by a raccoon, and every wrinkle shows on camera.


What You Get


High-resolution digital files, professionally edited, with no cap on downloads. Most photographers give you ten and charge for the rest. You get every good frame from the session and download all of them or just the ones you want.


An online gallery you can share with family and order prints from. A wall print of the cap toss makes a better graduation gift than most things, and your parents will agree.


Delivery within three weeks, and I try to beat it.


Sessions are available in English or Spanish.


For the Person Paying for This


Parents book a lot of these sessions. The graduate usually picks the spots and the friends, and the parent handles the calendar and the invoice.


If that is you, here is what to know. The session works for grads who say they hate having their photo taken, the group frames with friends are the part they will thank you for later, and the whole thing takes less of an afternoon than they expect. Tell me the ceremony date and I will suggest a session date that beats the rush.


Come along. I will get the photo of you with your graduate, and it will be one of the ones that matters most.


Questions Grads Ask Before Booking


Do you photograph high school seniors?


Yes. Senior sessions are solo graduate sessions, from $350, at a location that fits the student. Bring the letterman jacket, the instrument, the cleats, whatever the last four years were about.


Can I do the session before graduation week?


Yes, and you should. Any time in the last two months of your final semester works, and the campus is quieter. The gown does not care what date it is.


What if it rains?


We reschedule. Florida rain usually passes in an hour, and a wet campus twenty minutes after a storm photographs beautifully. I would rather move the time than shoot under an umbrella.


Can my parents or partner be in some photos?


Absolutely. The people who got you here belong in a few frames. Just tell me ahead of time so I plan the time for it.


How long until I get the photos?


Within three weeks, usually sooner. If your ceremony is inside that window and you want something to post, say so when you book.


What is the cancellation policy?


Written notice at least 3 days before the session to cancel or reschedule.


More questions are answered on the FAQ page.


Get the Date Before the Rush Does


Tell me your school, your ceremony date, and how many friends are coming. I will send you a session date and hold it.


David Stella Photography

Orlando and Central Florida

321.475.7792

Contact me · See pricing · What a session costs · The five best spots on the UCF campus