Native photographers seize Bobcat graduates

As Ohio University’s spring 2026 commencement attracts close to, popped champagne caps cowl the Court Street bricks, and caps and robes fill College Green.

Graduation pictures have been thought-about a ceremony of passage for a number of Bobcats, hiring native photographers or college students to seize their last weeks on campus.

Plenty of scholars plan their photos months forward in hopes of attaining a memorable photoshoot.

“I have them send me a Pinterest board, show me what they kind of want, as well as locations they really want, especially on campus,” mentioned Kelly Prim, a junior finding out industrial images who captures senior portraits.

Pinterest is a well-liked app the place customers can discover and save pictures based mostly on their aesthetic or pursuits. Prim, who’s taken images because the pandemic, does commencement shoots for different faculties, notably Marietta College.

Prim’s senior packages price $300 for a two to 3 hour shoot, in accordance with her website. Prim’s commencement season schedule for OU shoots fluctuates by 12 months, affected by what number of graduates she is aware of personally.

“My freshman year, I had no photos here,” Prim mentioned. “My sophomore year, I did about 20 people … this year I have two people, close friends that are graduating.”

Prim mentioned with a typical commencement session, purchasers will obtain about 50 pictures.

Anna Spence, a senior finding out listening to, speech and language sciences, had a buddy from her hometown go to Athens to take pictures the weekend earlier than the ultimate week of courses.

“She’s a photography minor at another school,” Spence mentioned. 

To put together for the shoot, Spence mentioned she made a temper board and deliberate her outfit, which is identical she plans to put on for the ceremony.

When discovering her inspiration pictures, Spence thought-about what shade palettes her mates used and the way her preferences examine.

“I was going for more of an airy look,” Spence mentioned. “One of my friends went for a more darker, dark academia type of look. But I’m not really into that, so I went with a lighter look.”

As for location, Spence deliberate to principally keep on with out of doors settings together with College Green, Alumni Gateway and Emeriti Park.

“I think I’m going to stay outside mostly, but maybe go to the (Vernon R. Alden) Library,” Spence mentioned.

Although Spence had the shoot deliberate for a number of weeks previous, a lot of her mates don’t plan on doing the identical.

“I don’t think all of my friends are getting photos taken,” she mentioned. “I think some of them are just gonna have a photo or two after graduation when we’re in our gowns.”

When planning the shoot, Spence anticipated ready for a flip on the extra in style picture areas, on condition that many graduates have spent the ultimate weekends of the semester with the identical plans.

“Everyone at this time of year, no matter what time of day, what day it is, someone is taking pictures, and you’re probably in the back of it if you’re on College Green,” Spence mentioned.

Jacki Brinsley, a neighborhood full-time photographer since 2001, started doing senior shoots final 12 months. Her first senior consumer was a mutual buddy’s daughter.

“We did her grad pictures, and then did a surprise proposal for her brother,” Brinsley mentioned.

Before final 12 months, Brinsley was principally capturing {couples} and households, however made the swap to full-time senior images.

“I just enjoy their energy and their creativeness that they have for their photos,” Brinsley mentioned. “They just have so much fun in their pictures.”

This commencement season has been particularly busy for Brinsley as she took pictures for fall graduation as properly.

“It’s busy in the fall, and then we get a little break,” she mentioned. “If somebody wants to do pictures in the winter, it’s inside. Then in the spring, it starts picking back up again.”

Brinsley expenses $25 for a 30-minute session at any campus location of the consumer’s selecting.

Brinsley mentioned she tries to make shoots as inexpensive as potential, retaining in thoughts that many faculty college students can not afford costly classes.

“I normally do College Green, I just feel like there’s more space there,” Brinsley mentioned. “But if you want to switch it up, that’s fine.”

Brinsley mentioned that she enjoys capturing the commencement milestone and pupil accomplishments.

“Everybody makes a more big deal of it now than it was when I was growing up,” she mentioned. “I just think it’s so much fun now.”

Brinsley defined that when her husband graduates from OU, they plan to take pictures on campus.

“You only graduate once from college,” Prim mentioned. “Getting a senior photo, or just a photo of yourself, is a very large accomplishment.”

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