Come early and stake out seats where you can have an unobstructed view of the stage. If using a cell phone camera or small, hand-held digital camera, sit near the front and pop up long enough to grab your picture and sit down so you don’t obstruct other parents trying to catch similar shots of their graduate. If videoing the graduation, set your tripod off to the side of the presentation area, near the front where people won’t obstruct the cameras. Avoid obstructing the aisles and other major travel paths.
Get some shots of your graduate at home in her nice clothing. Get a few family shots, especially if visiting family members came to see the ceremony. Don’t drag the photo shoot out and frustrate your child prior to her arrival at school. Take more shots at the end of the day if you didn’t get enough before school. Take candid photos instead of posed ones at a party with gifts. Leave the camera out of sight if your child seems stressed by a request for pictures.
If your graduate has a special group of friends in kindergarten, try to get a group shot. Make notes of the people in the pictures so you can add this information to the photo prints before you print them, or to the back of photographs if you have them professionally printed. Ask the teacher and any other important staff members to pose for pictures after the ceremony when they are not trying to finish last-minute tasks before the graduation.
If your child earned a special award, try to arrive near the presentation area a minute early to capture the event on film. You may find squatting in front of the front row or standing off to the side of the front row works well if you aren’t sitting front and center. Choose the side of the presentation area where you child will exit so you don’t get his back instead of his face. Get your picture and move out of the way so other parents can also take pictures of achievement presentations.