Class-reunion photography for alumni

A class reunion is smaller and more personal than an institutional event. The people know each other, the jokes are old and the main wish is often a photograph that shows who they were together and who they are now.

This page forms part of our guide to campus, student and alumni-event photography.

Start with who is actually coming

An old class list helps organisers invite people, but it says little about who attends. Some may have moved, changed their names or declined. Some may bring a partner or child. Use replies to the invitation to build the real list, and update it near the date.

This matters for photography because the plan depends on numbers and the mood of the group. A reunion of twelve in a restaurant needs a different approach from a gathering of eighty in a hall.

Choose the activities

Reunions are often built around one or two activities, such as a meal, a walk around the old campus, a visit to a former classroom or a short programme of speeches. Choose the ones that matter most for photography.

For example, a group might plan to meet at the campus gate, walk to the old hall, have lunch and gather for a group photograph before leaving. The photographer begins at the gate, where reactions are strongest, follows the walk at a distance and plans the group photograph for the end of lunch, when most people are together and not yet leaving.

If the walk takes place on a campus, check whether the institution allows photography in the areas you plan to visit.

Photographs of the whole group

A whole-class photograph is often the one everyone wants. It needs three things: a time when most people are present, a space where they fit and a person who can gather them. Our group photograph planner shows how to plan it, and it should not be left to the end of a long event when people begin to leave.

Smaller combinations also matter, such as old friends, teachers who attend and couples. List the groups that matter to your classmates.

Do not assume consent from the class list

Attending a reunion does not mean everyone agrees to every use of their image. Some people are comfortable with a private gallery but not with social media. Some may prefer not to be photographed.

Ask classmates how they feel on the invitation or at registration, and give them a simple way to tell the photographer. Our guide to permission to photograph and permission to publish explains the difference, and the priority photograph list builder helps organisers mark the moments that matter.

Captions and names

If photographs are shared with names, ask a classmate who knows the group to confirm them. Names on old lists can be wrong, and people may use different names now.

Sharing the gallery

Decide whether the gallery is private, who gets access and whether classmates may download and share images. Our guide to private gallery access and onward sharing explains the options, and the photo sharing and privacy plan turns them into steps.

What to send us

Send the reunion plan, the venue, the likely numbers and your ideas for sharing. We ask what is missing and confirm date, venue, crew assigned, deliverables and quotation in writing.

Questions to ask us

Ask how we would photograph a small group in a restaurant without disturbing other diners, what happens if more people arrive than expected, and whether coverage can include the campus walk. We confirm what is possible for your date in writing.

When the plan changes on the day

Reunions are loose by nature. People arrive in waves, a lunch runs long and the walk may be shortened by weather. Name one organiser who can tell the photographer about changes, and decide in advance which moments cannot be missed, usually the first greetings and the group photograph. We confirm in writing how the booked time is used if the day shifts.