University photographer

Capturing Success: A Graduation Photoshoot at Columbia Business School

As a Professional NYC graduation photographer, I’ve had the honor of working with students all across the city (CUNY Hunter, NYU, Baruch, Columbia, Pace, Pratt, and so on). But few experiences compare to the recent session I had with a fun group of 12 women graduating from Columbia University’s Business School (CBS)..

A Challenging Yet Rewarding Session on the Columbia Campus

The photoshoot took place at the new Columbia University campus at 135th and Broadway. If you know anything about photography, you know how important light is. You’ll also know 1PM isn’t an ideal hour—the midday sun can be harsh and unflattering with shadows. Yet, with a bit of creativity and teamwork we made it work. While we had to make a few compromises—balancing the time of day, crowds, and less than ideal backdrops—our collaborative approach ensured everyone walked away happy.

Celebrating Each Graduate's Individuality

Group shots are important, but my favorite part was capturing individual portraits of each graduate. These women are on the cusp of major careers in business, finance, tech, and entrepreneurship. I made sure each portrait reflected their unique personality, confidence, and professional presence. Whether it was a power pose on the steps of Uris Hall or a candid moment under the trees of College Walk, every image told a story.

These weren’t just headshots—they were portraits of future leaders.

Why Choose a Graduation Photographer Who Gets It?

Graduation is more than a cap and gown—it's a moment of transformation. You need a photographer who understands how to work in tough conditions, who can adapt quickly, and most importantly, who can bring out the best in you, even under the noon sun.

If you're a Columbia University graduate, or a soon-to-be graduate from any NYC school, and want portraits that capture not just what you look like—but who you are—I'm here to help make that vision a reality.

Looking for a Columbia graduation photographer?
Let’s talk about creating portraits that celebrate your journey. Whether it’s group shots with your best friends or individual portraits with personal flair, I’ll help you capture it all.

Florida International University Business School - New York City Visit

Florida International University business students visited an array of New York City companies to learn about their day to day operations, business strategies, and potential job opportunities. The FIU business students even interviewed for summer 2020 internships and full-time positions at several of the companies. Throughout the week long trip, the students visited the NBA HQ, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Black Rock, IHS MarkIT, and Goldman Sachs.

Throughout the week I photographed the students actively engaging industry professionals of all different seniority levels. During a quick break I was able to offer the students headshot photos as well in a shaded area of Bryant Park.

NYC LSAT Class - TestMasters

“Engagement” and “active participation”, or in everyday terms “looking interested in what’s going on and participating”, not only make an image successful, but the ad and the message it’s associate with successful. Images like the ones above convey a message of “this class is not boring and the professor is not just lecturing”.

I have photographed for Test Masters of California before and every time I have photographed for them, I’ve always enjoyed the challenge. TestMasters provides me the creative freedom I seek when capturing images Higher Education style images.

Work In The Wild!

Some older images photographed for Hofstra University back in 2017 were recently spotted in the university’s new Summer/Fall advertising initiative. | Location: Roosevelt Field Mall and JFK Airport

LSAT TestMasters Class

“Engagement” and “active participation” are the two most popular buzzwords I hear when photographing higher education and corporate work. These two factors do not just make an image or a shoot successful, but they make an advertising campaign successful as well. Images like the one above convey messages of caring, excitement, energy, and connection. Great images both effectively and efficiently convey so much, so quickly.

Capturing for Test Masters of California presented me with a lot of creative freedoms, but it also presented me with several big challenges. These challenges included a short window of scheduled shooting time, a limited ability to stylize scenes, a live class I could not interrupt, and poor lighting. Upon request, I received a detailed shot list and broke each goal in to a scheduled time frame.

2019 Alumni Global Day of Service NYC - Binghamton University

The sixth annual Binghamton University Alumni Global Day of Service united Binghamton University graduates with community service projects. Alumn showed off their “Bing pride” and the collective power of volunteerism within their community. The New York City alumni chapter split their time amongst 3 sites on 2 separate days; Astoria Park, a Williamsburg school, and the Special Olympics Upper West Side training field.