A Head Start on Celebrating
Emily’s graduation session took place in mid-August, just before the semester officially began. She wanted to get her photos done a little early while she had some extra time in her busy schedule and before campus lost its late-summer color. Since she’s graduating a whole semester early, life hasn’t slowed down for her one bit, but she made space to celebrate this huge accomplishment in such a thoughtful way.
Starting at the Dairy Barns
We began at the Penn State dairy barns, which couldn’t have been a better fit. As an animal science major who both lives and works there, it was the perfect spot to start telling her Penn State story. The warm summer light and soft breeze made it the ideal setting to kick off the session. And the cows were certainly a great addition to her photos!
Classic Penn State Landmarks
From there, we moved to some of the most iconic photo spots on campus: the big Penn State sign in front of Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lion shrine, and the Ag Sciences & Industries building— a meaningful stop for her field of study. Each location added another layer to Emily’s Penn State journey.
Emily’s Style & Personality
Emily brought two outfits that fit her personality beautifully. She started with a laid-back Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences tee paired with jeans and her cowboy boots. Then, she changed into a long, soft blue floral graduation dress that looked stunning both on its own and with her cap and gown. Her boots tied both looks together perfectly, giving every photo a touch of her personal style. She was such a joy to photograph— relaxed, fun and easy to talk to. Emily was up for every pose and idea I suggested, which made the whole session flow effortlessly and left us with such a great variety of images.
A Special Session
This session was extra meaningful on a personal level, too. Having just graduated from Penn State myself this past May, it was so cool to be back on campus capturing memories for someone else. I had also photographed Emily once before, when she was a maid of honor in a wedding, so it felt full circle to work with her again for her own milestone. Congratulations, Emily— you’ve worked so hard, and I’m so glad I got to help you celebrate your time at Penn State in this way.
