Best Locations for Occidental College Graduation Portraits
Essential Locations for Occidental College Grad Photos
Occidental College is a beautiful liberal arts university nestled in the hills of Los Angeles, CA. This college campus features Roman style architecture, with its stone buildings and tall pillars, yet its large quad, park benches, and tall trees gives it a comfortable and intimate feeling. My grad sessions at Occidental feature this grand architecture and beautiful nature - I often feel like I’m not in Los Angeles’s urban sprawl anymore!
These are my favorite locations for Occidental College grad sessions. All Oxy graduating seniors who book their graduation portraits with me use these locations as a starting point when planning their sessions.
This list features photos from a past grad session from 2021, Please see my blog post on Leo's graduation to see the rest of the session went!
1. Central Quad
This location is located right in the center of campus (as expected from place called Central Quad), right next to my other favorite locations for photos at Occidental! Central Quad features large trees, park benches, and symmetrical pathways that are perfect photo spots and backdrops.
Occidental Central Quad
Occidental Central Quad
2. Thorne Hall
Thorne Hall is the signature face of Occidental College - its tall pillars and banners featuring Oxy’s crest must be featured in every grad session!
Thorne Hall, Occidental College
Thorne Hall, Occidental College
3. Johnson Hall
Looking for pillars, but without the large banners like the ones at Thorne? Johnson is the perfect spot to take grad photos with the signature pillars at Occidental. This building has a variety of contrasting backgrounds on every side of it, making it my favorite spot for grad photos at Occidental!
Johnson Hall, Occidental College
Johnson Hall, Occidental College
4. Occidental Sign
The large Occidental College sign is located on the south entrance of campus and is the first landmark seen when arriving. I always try to utilize universities’ large signs for grad sessions - almost every university has one!
Also, off to the side from the Occidental sign is a small wheat field that is perfect for grad photos!
Occidental College Graduation
Occidental College Graduation
5. Gilman Fountain
Occidental’s iconic Gilman Fountain was recently redesigned, and the plaza surrounding it gets perfect light at sunset for grad photos. There is even an open area that is the best spot for popping a champagne bottle at the end of your grad session!
Gilman Fountain, Occidental College
Gilman Fountain, Occidental College
Interested in seeing more of my work? Be sure to sure to check out other recent graduates’ photo sessions and my full graduation portraits gallery.
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!