How to take graduation and end-of-year school portraits at home, with tips from a pro photographer

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• Despite the cancellation of many events that happen at the end of a school year, those moments should still be commemorated.
• Taking graduation photos in a cap and gown, pictures in that unworn prom dress, or end-of-year photos for younger students are ways to celebrate these moments in a safe manner.

The end of the 2020 school year looks different than previous years, as seniors mourn the loss of major events like prom and commencements. Another thing that's missing: The pro photographers snapping diploma pictures, dances, and other function from the sidelines.

But the differing mood doesn't mean photographs are any less important. In fact, capturing end-of-the-year photos at home is a safe way to celebrate your kids' milestones — whether it's a high-school graduate or the completion of preschool — during a time when nothing feels normal.

How do you capture the best photos of your graduate, or replace those spring school pictures that never happened? As a professional photographer who regularly photographs seniors and kids, I want to share a few tips that non-photographers can use to snap better photos — even with a smartphone — of those end-the-school-year moments. These portrait photography tips will work for shots in that cap and gown, or that prom dress, sports uniform, or recital costume that have been relegated to the closet, but they will also work with any type of portraits you want to shoot at home, regardless of the event.