Emma: USC Graduation Portraits at Sunset
The USC campus is truly magical at sunset.
Once per day, as the sun reaches the edge of the horizon, golden rays of light shine through the city, outlining everything it touches with a warm glow. We call this time right before sunset golden hour. Sunset light is incredibly flattering and it’s undoubtably the best time of the day to have your portrait session.
Emma booked a two hour grad session, and as soon as I arrived at USC for her session, I knew we were in for a treat at sunset. Golden hour was absolutely perfect that day!
These are the locations Emma chose for her portrait session. Be sure to check out my USC locations guide for the best photo spots at USC!
Bovard Auditorium
Alumni Park + Fountain
Tommy Trojan
Steps of Troy
Mudd Hall
Bovard Auditorium
Emma’s grad session started at Bovard Auditorium. I like to frame Bovard’s iconic arches in the background of my shots, and add a touch of backlight to them.
USC Bovard Auditorium
USC Bovard Auditorium
USC Bovard Auditorium
Alumni Park
Just a short walk from Bovard Auditorium is Alumni Park. This is the perfect spot for pop champagne bottles for your photos!
USC Alumni Park
USC Alumni Park
USC Doheny Fountain
USC Doheny Fountain
USC Alumni Park
USC Alumni Park
Tommy Trojan
Taking photos at Tommy Trojan is a must for all USC graduates! During commencement season, there is often a line - be sure to plan accordingly!
USC Tommy Trojan
USC Tommy Trojan
USC Tommy Trojan
Steps of Troy
Next up is the Steps of Troy. Besides the main angle in front of the steps, I have several other shots I like to take here.
USC Steps of Troy
USC Steps of Troy
USC Steps of Troy
USC Steps of Troy
Sunset Backlight
On the way between different locations, there are several hidden spots that get direct sunset light. Most of these spots are only lit for a 5-10 minutes everyday, and change by the season. I’ve photographed hundreds of graduates at USC, and I know all of these hidden secret spots :)
USC at Sunset
Mudd Hall
The arches of Mudd Hall are iconic to USC. This is a perfect spot for photos with your cap and gown and different creative angles.
During commencement season, there can be up to a 45 minute wait for this location. Luckily, I only needed 5 minutes of time to take these photos!
USC Mudd Hall
USC Mudd Hall
USC Mudd Hall
USC Mudd Hall
Congratulations again on graduating Emma!
This is a quintessential example of a college grad taking USC graduation photos on campus. Be sure to sure to check out other recent graduates’ photo sessions and my full graduation portraits gallery for more samples of my work.
Ready to book your own grad session? Please visit my grad bookings page and fill out my inquiry form at the bottom to reserve your session date today!