There's a specific kind of feeling that lives in the last weeks before graduation.

It's not quite celebration yet. It's something quieter — the awareness that something is ending, that four years of a life that will never quite come back are folding themselves up and tucking away. And somewhere in the middle of cap fittings and family group chats and the logistics of where everyone will park, someone says: we should get photos.

If you're reading this, that someone is probably you.

I'm a documentary family photographer based in Durham, North Carolina, and every spring I have the privilege of photographing graduation sessions at UNC Chapel Hill. It's one of my favorite things I do all year. The campus is genuinely beautiful — layered brick, towering columns, the Old Well surrounded by spring trees — and the light in April and May is some of the best light of the year. More than that, graduation is one of those milestones that deserves to be held onto. Not just a quick snapshot after the ceremony. Something that actually feels like the moment felt.

This spring, I had the honor of photographing Sam for his UNC Class of 2026 graduation session. We moved through campus as the light turned golden, and what you'll see in these images is exactly what I love about this work — not perfect poses, but a person fully inhabiting a moment they've earned.

Here's everything I'd tell a family planning to do the same.

The Best Locations for Graduation Portraits at UNC Chapel Hill

UNC Chapel Hill's campus is one of the most beautiful in the country. There's a reason families travel from across North Carolina — and beyond — to photograph here. A few locations stand out above the rest.

The Old Well

This is the one. The white domed rotunda at the center of campus is UNC's most iconic landmark, and for graduation portraits, it simply doesn't get better. The brick plaza, the canopy of mature trees overhead, the warm evening light that falls across the columns — it photographs beautifully from almost every angle. More than that, it's meaningful. Most graduates have walked past the Old Well hundreds of times over four years. Being there with your cap and gown on, at the end of it all, carries a weight that shows up in the images.

Arrive early if you can. Other families will have the same idea. I always build in time to photograph the Well from multiple distances and angles — a wide environmental shot, a closer portrait with it in the background, and a few quiet in-between moments.

The South Building Steps and Columns

The historic stone steps and white columns at South Building give graduation portraits a timeless, architectural quality. The interplay of warm brick, white stone, and the open sky behind creates a rich, layered backdrop — especially in golden hour when the light skims across the stone and everything glows. Some of the most editorial images from Sam's session came from this spot.

The Brick Archways and Colonnades

Several colonnade walkways on campus filter light in a way that feels almost cinematic. These are perfect for more relaxed, candid portraits — leaning against a column, looking toward the light, just being still for a moment. The texture of old brick adds depth that a simple open lawn never can, and the partial shade makes it easier to find soft, flattering light even when the sun is high.

The Campus Courtyards and Tree-Lined Paths

Further into campus, the courtyards and brick paths give you room to move. These tend to be where the spontaneous moments happen — a genuine laugh, a stride that turns into a runway walk, the full feeling of this is really happeningmoving across someone's face. These are often the images that feel the most alive.

When to Schedule a UNC Graduation Session

Time of day: Golden hour — the 60 to 90 minutes before sunset — is almost always the right answer. The light is warm and directional, the shadows go soft, and the campus gets quieter as the afternoon empties out. In April and May, sunset in Chapel Hill falls around 7:45–8:00pm, so I typically schedule evening sessions for 5:30 or 6:00pm. The campus in that light is something you want to see at least once.

Timing relative to commencement: Many families schedule their session the day before graduation, when the cap and gown are already in hand and the anticipation is at its peak. Others prefer the morning of, right before the ceremony. Some families plan a dedicated session a week or two in advance — this allows the most flexibility with timing and location, and there's something to be said for photographing the feeling before the adrenaline of the day. All three approaches can produce beautiful work.

Spring vs. fall: Graduation portrait season at UNC peaks in mid-April through early May. The trees are full, the light is golden, and the campus is at its most lush. If you're planning a fall session instead, the campus in October has its own quiet beauty — the crowd has thinned, the light turns amber earlier, and you often have more space to move through locations at your own pace.

What to Wear for UNC Graduation Portraits

In cap and gown: Most graduates want at least part of their session in full regalia — it's the symbol of the milestone, and there's no question those images will matter for decades. Underneath the Carolina blue gown, wear something clean and well-fitted. For Sam, that was khaki pants, a light dress shirt, and a striped tie — classic, understated, and it made every image feel intentional. Avoid very busy patterns that might compete visually with the gown itself.

Without cap and gown: If your graduate wants a portion of the session in regular clothes — a favorite outfit, something that feels more like them — that can become some of the most meaningful images of the day. The gown comes off and suddenly you see the person clearly. Those often become the favorites.

Honors stoles and cords: Wear them. They're part of the story. Sam's "Class of 2026" stole appears in most of his images, and I love that it does — it marks exactly who he is and what he earned.

What to Expect During a Graduation Session

I don't direct graduates into poses. I do something closer to the opposite.

I talk with them. I ask questions. I move around them and wait for what's real to show up — the laugh that isn't performed, the gaze that lands somewhere specific, the moment they forget I'm there and just exist in the space they've known for four years.

For Sam, that looked like quiet reflection near the Old Well, easy confidence on the steps, and the kind of full-body joy that only happens when you've actually earned something. None of it was directed. All of it was real.

A typical graduation session runs 60 to 90 minutes — long enough to move through several locations and let the session breathe, short enough that it never starts to feel like a job. You'll receive a gallery of high-resolution images approximately three to four weeks after your session.

Booking a Graduation Photographer Serving Chapel Hill and Durham

I'm based in Durham and I document families throughout the Triangle — Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, Cary, and the communities between them. Graduation portrait sessions are available on a limited basis each spring.

If you're planning a UNC graduation session — or a graduation at another area school — I'd love to hear about your graduate. I answer every inquiry personally, and I'd be glad to talk through locations, timing, and what the session would look like for your family.

Katrina Williams is a documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Durham, North Carolina. She founded Fifty Two Hundred Photo + Film — named for the Bone Marrow Transplant unit at UNC Children's Hospital, where her son's life was saved — and has been voted Best Photographer in Durham from 2023 through 2026. She documents families, graduates, and life's most fleeting seasons throughout the Triangle.

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