Washington
Graduation photos · Seattle
In short
Graduation photos in Seattle starts at $295: 60 min on location with a photographer who works in Seattle, and 30 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 5 business days.
Why choose Graduation photos in Seattle?
Graduation photos in Seattle are a one-hour campus session that delivers 30 retouched photographs, priced from $295. The University of Washington sets the calendar: its 2026 commencement put more than 7,400 graduates on the field at Husky Stadium on June 13, in front of about 50,000 guests, which makes ceremony week the worst week for a campus portrait. What UW seniors want instead is the Quad in blossom. Its 29 Yoshino cherry trees have historically reached peak bloom between March 12 and April 3, so many Seattle graduation sessions happen in spring quarter, months before the gown is worn in public.
Worth knowing about Seattle
The University of Washington requires no location agreement and charges no fee for outdoor wedding or personal event photography on campus, provided it does not disrupt university business, while commercial shoots need a signed agreement requested a month ahead. During the Quad cherry bloom UW bans drone flights outright. A Seattle graduation session is checked against that wording before the date, and nothing is flown.
What does the session in Seattle look like?
- The Quad, University of Washington
- Twenty-nine Yoshino cherry trees around Collegiate Gothic halls — the cap-and-gown frame UW graduates ask for first.
- Drumheller Fountain and Rainier Vista
- The fountain with the mountain lined up down the vista on a clear day, and the fountain alone when Rainier hides.
- Suzzallo Library, Red Square
- The Gothic facade that reads as UW to anyone who studied there, best photographed before the square fills.
What does graduation photos in Seattle 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 Seattle
When do the UW Quad cherry trees bloom for graduation photos?
Usually in late March. The University of Washington reports that peak bloom of the 29 Yoshino cherry trees in the Quad has historically fallen between March 12 and April 3, averaging March 23, and in 2026 peak arrived on March 23. A Seattle graduation session aimed at the blossoms is booked with a flexible date inside that window, because the date moves with each year’s weather.
Do we need UW permission for graduation photos on the Seattle campus?
Probably not for a private session. The University of Washington campus filming policy exempts outdoor wedding and personal event photography from its location agreement and its fees, as long as the shoot does not disrupt classes or university business. Commercial photography on UW property is different and needs a signed agreement requested at least one month ahead.
Should UW graduation photos be taken on commencement day?
Only the candid ones. UW commencement on June 13, 2026 filled Husky Stadium with about 50,000 family members and friends for more than 7,400 graduates, and the campus around it stays crowded all day. A one-hour Seattle graduation session booked a few weeks earlier gets an empty Quad and the choice of light.