Happy grad season! Time to get dressed up and have a semi-professional photographer capture the sacred occasion of your impending college graduation. Woo! All of your hard work is finally paying off, and you know none of your accomplishments would have been possible without your loving, supportive friends helping each other every step of the way. All of you are overcome with gratitude for the amazing times you’ve spent together, and you know these friendships will truly last a lifetime. So grab your stoles and champagne and head over to campus to capture this love and celebrate! Use these cute poses to show off your grad moments and incredible friend group to the world – excluding Jessica, of course.
1. Smiling with arms around each other in front of Sather Gate.
Some poses are classics for a reason. Timeless, noble, and true, this picture will perfectly capture your graduation era. All of your beautiful faces, glowing with achievement, will be lined up next to each other, each smile more genuine and caring than the next. The intricately beautiful Sather Gate, another landmark of your triumph at this prestigious university, will frame the beaming group. Years later, you will look back at this shot, noting the way everyone’s eyes, filled with pride, wink at the camera as if to say, We did this together. The way everyone’s arms are all lovingly intertwined, whispering, This is Forever. And the way – fuck, is that Jessica in the background?? The whole photo is ruined. Toss it.
2. Popping champagne in front of Doe.
You’re graduating! It’s a party! And what’s a celebration without a little bubbly? Shake up that bottle and pop it open; let the golden spray shower you. Soak in the droplets and the fun and just enjoy the moment. Everyone who knows your group knows that it’s never a good time unless you’re present. You are human disco balls, perpetually the life of the party. Really show off that fun, charismatic energy for everyone, and especially make a point to rub it in Jessica’s stupid little face. Like, if she wasn’t just the absolute worst, you’d totally invite her out with you. But you know she’d probably pop the champagne early or something. And it would just be like, ugh. Jessica.
3. Rolling down 4.0 hill.
Everyone loves a laugh. Your group especially; you’re constantly cracking up with each other. Show off your silly sides with a sillier photo! Will your dress ride up when rolling down the hill? Will the grass stain your suit? Who cares! Your group is spontaneous and random and throws caution into the wind. These photos are a true testament of your everlasting friendship and the unifying bond of laughter. You all have too many funny memories to count! Kind of like that one night when Jessica was actually being hilarious. You were all pissing yourselves. She was all like, “I’m worried none of you guys actually like me and it’s honestly making me feel really bad about myself.” You chuckle a little just thinking about it. Sometimes that girl is a riot!
4. Enjoying the sunset at the Campanile.
The stunning, natural sunset lighting can be enhanced with a touch of photo editing to highlight the whiteness of your teeth and dresses, yet also make your skin look slightly orange. Love! Check out the VSCO account of any girl from Utah for a prime example. This whole look shows that you are a group of go-getters, camp girlbosses, and avid Sweetgreen consumers. Your group complains about missing in-person school mainly because walking around campus meant more steps for MyFitnessPal. The general message of this pose is, “We will be bragging about our sorority house status well into our late twenties.” So cute! Jessica didn’t get into said sorority. You’re honestly not sure why.
5. Strolling through Eucalyptus Grove.
Woodsy, mysterious, and tranquil, Eucalyptus Grove is an ode to the peace of friendship. Walk through the trees and watch the light trickle through the branches. Marvel at the pools of golden sun dappling the earthen floor. Reflect. Realize you are graduating without any legitimate job prospects and no sense of the adult world, everyone is moving to different places, you’re not sure you even know yourself outside of the group identity, will you ever experience true love? Shake off those existential thoughts, forget about the inevitability of death, and smile at the camera. Cheese! The moment is captured forever. Unlike your youth. Jessica talked about stuff like this after she took one intro to Philosophy class. You were like shut up, you’re not deep. Now you push down an unexpected wave of guilt. Smile.
Congrats to Jessica and the entire Class of 2021. Cheers!