New York
Graduation photos · New York
In short
Graduation photos in New York starts at $295: 60 min on location with a photographer who works in New York, and 30 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 5 business days.
Why choose Graduation photos in New York?
Graduation photos in New York are a one-hour cap-and-gown session at two campus landmarks, priced from $295 for 30 retouched photographs. New York campuses split into two kinds, and the difference decides the plan. Columbia’s Morningside campus is a gated quad where visitor access and photography are set by the university. NYU has no gates at all: its landmark is the Washington Square Arch, which stands in a city park run by NYC Parks. A Columbia session is planned around the university’s access rules; an NYU session is planned around the crowd in Washington Square Park.
Worth knowing about New York
Columbia’s campus rules shape every graduation session there. Columbia’s visitor guidance allows photography, filming and video only in outdoor spaces such as College Walk, and keeps cameras out of libraries, lobbies, classrooms and other interiors without permission. For the 2026 University Commencement on May 20, every graduate and guest needed an e-ticket to enter the ceremony. Columbia sessions are therefore shot outdoors in the days before commencement, and the current Morningside campus access level is checked with Columbia Public Safety when you book.
What does the session in New York look like?
- College Walk and the Low Library steps, Columbia University
- Alma Mater and the Low Library colonnade behind a gown. Outdoor spaces such as College Walk are where Columbia permits visitor photography.
- Washington Square Arch
- The NYU frame, photographed from across the fountain. Handheld in a public park, so no permit; best before 9am in May.
- Brooklyn Bridge Park or Gantry Plaza State Park
- For graduates of a campus without a landmark: the skyline across the water as the second location, with the permit each park requires.
What does graduation photos in New York include?
- 30 retouched photographs
- Two campus locations chosen for the school’s landmarks
- Solo, family and friend-group frames
- Private online gallery within 5 business days
- Print release for personal use
FAQ — Graduation photos in New York
Can a hired photographer take graduation photos on Columbia’s campus?
Yes, outdoors. Columbia University limits visitor photography to outdoor spaces such as College Walk and does not allow cameras inside buildings without permission, so a graduation session at Columbia uses the Low Library steps, Alma Mater and the lawns. Entry beyond College Walk depends on the access level Columbia Public Safety has set, which is confirmed before the date.
When should NYU graduates book graduation photos at Washington Square Park?
An NYU graduation session at the Washington Square Arch works best on a weekday morning in the week before commencement, before about 9am, when the fountain plaza is quiet. Washington Square Park is an NYC Parks property, so a handheld session there needs no permit, and the hour includes a second location nearby on the NYU campus streets.