You made it. Let’s make photographs.
College Graduation Photography
College graduation photography with Twig & Olive Photography, for the person you’ve become and the people who helped you get here. Come on your own or bring your friends. We’ll make room for the cap and gown, your personality, and the places you want to remember.
More than the walk across the stage
The places and people that made it yours
Maybe it’s the building where you spent most of your time, the friends who became your people, or the feeling of finally being finished. Those are good reasons to make photographs.
We’re based in Madison and photograph graduates from UW–Madison, Edgewood University, and beyond. We’ll help you choose a setting and a pace that fit what you want to remember. You don’t need a list of poses or a perfectly worked-out idea.
Our graduation photographs
A little pride. A lot of personality.
Cap and gown, a favorite outfit, a familiar place. There’s room for all of it.
For one graduate
Choose how you want to celebrate
A few favorite photographs or more time to explore different looks and places. We’ll help you choose a session around the experience you want, then work out the details together.
Mini
$300
A focused session for a few portraits you’re excited to share. A good fit when you have one favorite setting in mind and want photographs for announcements or home.
- 10 edited digital images
- Additional images available to purchase
Start with one outfit you feel great in, with your cap and gown ready to add. Keeping the plan simple leaves more time for photographs.
Deluxe
$700
More time to settle in and show a different side of yourself. A good fit for cap-and-gown portraits alongside a look that feels like everyday you.
- All edited digital images
- An 11×14 lustre print
Bring a second outfit or a different idea. We’ll help balance changes, settings, and time in front of the camera.
Adventure
$975
For the graduate who wants to make an outing of it. We can plan around meaningful places, several looks, and the parts of your college experience you want to bring into the photographs.
- All edited digital images
- 50 4×6 prints in a custom Twig & Olive box
There’s room to explore. We’ll plan the route and outfit changes together so the session feels connected, with time to enjoy each place.
Friends and groups
You got here together
Bring the people who shared this part of your life. We’ll make photographs together and individual portraits, so everyone has something that feels like their own.
- Up to 3 graduates
- $975 total
- 4 to 8 graduates
- $1,200 total
Group sessions include all edited digital images and priority for sunset scheduling. Tell us who’s coming and the places you have in mind, and we’ll build a plan together. For more than eight graduates, ask us for a custom quote.
Before your session
A little planning goes a long way
Pick the places that matter
Start with a place that means something to you. We’ll consider the light, walking time, crowds, and any location permissions when we put the route together. You don’t need to fit the whole campus into one session.
Bring your own style
Your cap, gown, cords, and stole can be part of the photographs, but so can clothes you love wearing. Bring comfortable shoes for walking between places. Let us know about anything personal you’d like to include.
Think beyond ceremony day
Your session can happen before or after graduation. Check when you’ll have your regalia, and tell us about any announcement or family deadlines before we choose a date.
Graduating from UW–Madison? The university’s cap and gown information can help with timing. For clothing inspiration, our senior girl outfit guide and senior guy outfit guide offer ideas you can adapt to your graduation session.
A few things graduates ask
When should I book graduation pictures?
Get in touch once you know the season you want. Share your graduation date, when you’ll have your cap and gown, and any deadline for announcements. We’ll talk through availability and delivery timing before you book, so the session fits what you need the photographs for.
Do the photographs have to happen on graduation day?
No. A separate day gives you more room to enjoy the session without fitting it around the ceremony and everyone else’s plans. You can photograph before or after graduation. The important part is choosing a date that works for you and having the clothing and people you want there.
Can I book with friends?
Yes. Our group sessions include photographs together and individual portraits, with all edited digital images. It’s $975 total for up to three graduates or $1,200 total for four to eight. For a larger group, tell us how many people you have in mind and we’ll put together a quote.
What should I wear, and can I change outfits?
Choose something you like wearing and can comfortably sit and move in. Bring your cap and gown if you want them in the photographs. Mini works well with one main outfit; Deluxe and Adventure give us more room for changes. We’ll plan the looks around your priorities rather than make the session about an outfit count. For outfit examples, see our senior girls’ outfit guide and senior guys’ outfit guide. They were written for high school seniors, but the clothing ideas can help with graduation portraits, too.
Where can we take college graduation portraits?
We’ll start with the places that matter to you, on campus or elsewhere. Tell us your school and what you’re imagining. We’ll choose a practical route and confirm access as part of planning. Some locations require permission, so a favorite landmark is a starting point for the conversation.
What if I feel awkward in front of a camera?
You don’t have to arrive knowing how to pose. We’ll give you direction, keep talking, and help you settle in. If a pose or idea doesn’t feel like you, say so. We want you to recognize yourself in the photographs, including the way you move and the expressions people know.
Can my family or partner be in a few photographs?
Tell us who you’d like to include when we plan your session. We’ll talk through the photographs you want and which option gives us the time to make them. If several people are graduating and each wants individual portraits, the group session is the place to start.
Is this the same as photographs taken at commencement?
These are private portrait sessions, planned around you. They’re separate from the official photographs taken during your ceremony. UW–Madison explains how to find ceremony photographs on its commencement photography page.
Can I get a photograph for my next step, too?
Let us know if you’d like a simple portrait without the cap and gown while we’re planning. If your main goal is a professional headshot for work or applications, our headshot sessions are a more focused place to start.
How do I reserve a session?
Start by getting in touch with your school, preferred timing, and whether you’re coming on your own or with friends. We’ll confirm availability and the right session, then coordinate the booking link and contract. Check your date with us before purchasing a session; a purchase alone doesn’t reserve a date or location.
Let’s plan it together
Tell us what you’re graduating from
Your school, the season you have in mind, and who’s coming is plenty to start with. Add any places, ideas, or deadlines that matter to you. We’ll help with the rest.
Ask about a graduation session
Still exploring? Browse our portrait portfolios. Looking for high school senior portraits? Explore the senior experience.