Graduation photographs with supervisors or teachers

Many graduates say the people they most want a photograph with are not their relatives but the supervisor, lecturer or teacher who helped them through. These people are also busy on graduation day. They may be in a procession, attending a reception or seeing dozens of graduates. A photograph with them rarely happens by chance. This page explains how to plan it. It belongs to our graduation and convocation photography cluster.

Start with the relationships that matter

A graduate rarely wants a photograph with every staff member they met. Start by naming the three or fewer people who made the most difference, and decide what the photograph should show. It might be a handshake, a standing pose, a moment in a laboratory or on the steps of a department.

Priorities help when time is short. Our priority photograph list builder lets you rank these alongside family and friends.

Ask early and ask kindly

Staff are usually pleased to be asked, but they need notice. Message or email them a week or more ahead, give the date and a short window, and offer a place that is easy to find. Make clear that you will understand if they cannot attend.

Do not assume availability. If the supervisor is part of the academic procession or hosting guests, they may have no free time before the ceremony. Ask when would suit them best.

Where and when?

Setting	Advantages	Considerations
A fixed meeting point near the venue	Easy to find, short	May be crowded
The department or faculty building	Meaningful backdrop	Needs permission and access
A laboratory, studio or workspace	Tells the story of the work	Safety rules, limited access
After a reception or tea	Staff relaxed and present	Time may be short, people leaving

Decide on one primary option and one fallback. Our event portrait appointment planner is helpful when several short meetings need to be fitted into the day.

An example scenario

Suppose a postgraduate wants a photograph with a supervisor who will be in the academic procession and then at a faculty reception. The graduate messages the supervisor a week before and agrees to meet at the faculty entrance at 12.15pm, after the reception begins.

The photographer is told the time and place. The meeting is five minutes: a handshake frame, a standing frame and a relaxed one. If the supervisor cannot attend, the graduate has a second option of a photograph with a lab colleague. This is a hypothetical example only.

Access and consent

If the photograph is to be taken inside a department, a laboratory or a staff area, the institution's permission applies. Ask the department what is permitted and whether staff or equipment must be avoided. Our page on photographer access during a school event explains similar principles for school settings.

Staff may also have preferences about how images are shared. If you plan to post the photograph online, ask them first. Read about permission to photograph and permission to publish, because the two are different.

Keeping it brief

A short photograph is kind to everyone. Prepare the position, place the people and take a few frames. Avoid asking staff to wait while the graduate arranges a gown or collects relatives. If the graduate is also photographing with friends, our page on graduate-friend photographs shows how to combine them.

If the person cannot attend

Some supervisors have moved, some are travelling and some are simply unavailable. A fallback keeps the graduate from feeling the gap. Options include a photograph in the department with colleagues, a photograph with the certificate and a note from the supervisor, or a separate meeting on another day. Decide this beforehand so the graduate can enjoy the day.

What to tell the photographer

• The names and roles of the staff to be included.
• The agreed place and time.
• Any restrictions on access or equipment.
• What the staff member prefers about sharing images.
• The graduate's other priorities, so time is shared sensibly.

The quotation confirms the coverage window and the deliverables in writing. If you are booking on behalf of someone else, read about booking a photographer on behalf of someone else.