The 2021 graduation season was a very special one for me since I was also eagerly waiting to graduate alongside all my clients. I loved being able to capture this memorable moment for each of these UH graduates because I was more than just their photographer, I am also their friend and classmate. There was a great sense of comfort being able to shoot on my campus because I was familiar with all the popular photo locations and the walking routes to get there, but I also had the chance to think creatively and find those small places that I may not have been able to find if I was not also a UH graduate.
Getting to walk around the campus taking all these pictures felt like one last farewell to the university I have grown to love over the past four years. Thank you Sharonya, Bola, and Tanvir for choosing me to take your photos!
Sharonya
Taking Sharonya's graduation pictures was a surreal experience that took me back three and a half years to when I first started photography. Sharonya was my first "model" when all I had on hand was my iPhone camera, and she has been there to cheer me on every step of the way as I grew as a student and a photographer. Even though this shoot was a lot longer than the average graduation session, it was filled with laughter and a lot of reminiscing, and most importantly she was so comfortable in front of my camera from the beginning which helped us memorialize her time as a UH student.
Bola
This shoot was the first morning graduation session I did this season, and in addition to being able to see Bola again after so long (due to the pandemic), it was also so much fun to see the UH campus glow in the early morning light. Bola has been one of the most reliable, supportive, and trustworthy friends. Although she wasn't the most comfortable in front of the camera at first, I'm glad her genuine smile and calm demeanor came through in her pictures.
Tanvir
On the day of Tanvir's shoot, there was celebration in the air and that made this shoot extremely exciting for me as a photographer. As I got to campus that evening, a commencement ceremony had just finished so there were graduates taking pictures, families with flowers, and confetti everywhere. While we had to budget our time at each location so that others could also get their graduation photos, Tanvir came in with a clear vision of what she wanted her pictures to look like and where she wanted them to be taken. Normally, I have to direct every aspect of a shoot so this was a refreshing change, especially in the midst of a location where so much was going on.
