Graduation photos mark one of those special moments in one’s life. They memorialize a significant achievement for the graduate, as well as the proud parents. But many times these pictures are relegated to a dusty photo album, rarely seen again. This hardly seems right! Why not have them printed on canvas where they can be displayed and enjoyed every day?
Let’s start with what makes a really great graduation photo. Some people prefer a formal portrait of the graduate, and this is fine. Others take the obligatory “photo line-up” of the parents and the graduate squinting into the bright sun. These are fine, but do they really capture the emotion of such an accomplishment? Let me suggest a few alternatives.
First of all, take a lot of photos of the event – we never know which photo will be “perfect” until we look at them afterwards. So take a lot of pictures! This is what professional photographers do when shooting a wedding or other event. They may only keep 10% of their shots, but those 10% are spectacular! These are the pictures that capture the un-posed smile or look, the perfect lighting, the hug from Dad, or the camaraderie between friends. They are the real “keepers”, the ones that catch the emotion of the moment. So don’t be afraid to take a lot of pictures, you won’t be sorry.
Take a few “standard” posed group shots at the beginning to get that out of the way. You are going to want a couple anyway so go ahead and take them. Then spend the rest of the time shooting instinctively…some close-ups and some groupings. Walk around and catch people just being themselves…they are usually much more interesting that way. If you know how to set your camera to “portrait” mode, do that. Portrait mode puts the main subject (the person) in sharp focus, and blurs the background (the parking lot, the crowd). This creates a stunning look, and puts the main subject of interest at center stage by de-focusing on the extraneous background . This is a trick professional photographers use all the time.
OK, now that you have some great graduation photos, it’s time to get them transformed into photo canvas prints so they can be shared and enjoyed everyday. Find a reputable photo to canvas printing company by searching Google. Use search phrases like “photoart” or “photoart canvas” and you will get a few to choose from. Pick one that will enhance your photo at no charge before printing. Sometimes even the best photos require a little digital help to convert them to canvas enlargements. For example, www.PhotoArtPeople.com is one company that actually digitally converts an ordinary photo into the “portrait” style mentioned in the preceding paragraph. So if you forgot to set your camera correctly, they can do it in the computer for you before printing.
The photo to canvas company should use museum-grade canvas and inks, and stretch the canvas over heavy duty stretcher bars in “gallery wrap” style. Gallery wrap means that the printed image covers the sides of the stretcher frame so it can be hung on the wall without the need for an expensive decorative picture frame. Avoid thin stretcher frames as these will tend to warp over time. They are cheaper but you are likely to be disappointed.
Your new graduate deserves the best. Why not invest in a photo canvas print to show everyone how proud you are of them?
