Congratulations on finishing your degree! Whether you’re graduating from Temple, UPenn, Drexel, Villanova, or somewhere else, capturing your time in Philly is a huge milestone.

Planning your grad photos and senior portraits involves finding the right photographer, discussions around budget, timing, location choices, and preparing for the vibe you’re looking for. Here’s everything you need to know to get the most out of your session.

Book a trusted and local photographer

There are plenty of photographers in Philly, but for your graduation, you want someone who actually knows the campus and won't nickel-and-dime you for memories.

The biggest difference between booking with us versus others is our philosophy on time and deliverables.

While many photographers cap you at 15–20 final photos or charge extra for "full galleries," we deliver every single keeper. There are no hidden fees to unlock something you’re already paying for. Depending on your group size and the number of locations, your final album may range from 40 to 400 delivered images.

We also don't believe in strict clock-watching. Instead of cutting you off the second the hour is up, we vary shoot lengths by a variety of factors and go until we have a complete set of solo and group portraits for everyone. We know how long the lines at the Temple Owl or UPenn Love Statue can get, and we build that flexibility into your session so neither we nor your group feels rushed.

Funkhouser Films has shot over 500+ graduates in and around the Philadelphia area over the past few years, and we hope to work with you! To skip to pricing, see our terms of service.

choose from top locations on campus and in the city

Most sessions focus on the core locations of your specific campus—whether that's at Temple with Polett Walk, the Sullivan Hall flag and arch, and the Owl Statue, or at Penn with Locust Walk, the Love Statue, the Dental School, and more.

If you’re looking for something unique or if certain lines are long, we have other suggestions and are more than happy to take yours.

For those wanting a mix of campus and city, we can extend your booking to include Philadelphia landmarks like the Art Museum steps or City Hall to give your gallery additional options and capture your time in the city.

understand session Timing and Flow

We don’t believe in strict time limits. Instead, we shoot until we’ve captured a complete set of solo and group portraits for everyone. That said, keeping the momentum going is key.

To make sure your gallery is full (and you don't get fatigued), we try to avoid roaming around or stopping to adjust every single hair every few seconds. If we keep moving, you’ll get way more photos to pick from in the end.

We often use a rotation system—giving each grad multiple 2-3 minute windows at a spot while the others prep, change outfits, or take iPhone pictures with each other and have fun. This keeps me shooting constantly while giving you guys a break. Many groups will bring a speaker, snacks, or other items you’ll learn about in the next section.

On windy days or at locations with heavy background traffic, the above guidance changes slightly as we’ll wait additional time for your hair to stop blowing or for people to move out of the background.

Think through what to bring (and what to leave)

Walking across campus, rotating who is getting their pictures taken, or waiting in lines at popular locations means you might have a few minutes of downtime. Comfort is important.

Spare Shoes: Depending on your comfort level with dress shoes, we highly recommend bringing slip ons or something more comfortable to walk between locations instead of heels.
Zip-Up Jacket: Philly gets windy, bring a hoodie or jacket with a zipper so you can take it on and off easily without messing up your hair or makeup while you wait.
Props: Completely optional, but many bring champagne for spraying near the end of a session. It helps celebrate graduation as well as the end of a great shoot. If you instead opt to bring confetti, please ensure it’s biodegradable, as university grounds crews are strict about littering.
Cap and Gown: Please iron your gown beforehand. Photoshop is great for color and lighting, but it is much harder to fix deep wrinkles in polyester.
Optional: Feel free to bring drinks and snacks to keep energy up, a speaker for music, or anything else you see fit.

Deciding when to reschedule due to bad Weather

Philadelphia weather in April and May is unpredictable. We monitor the forecast closely leading up to your booking.

Policy: If it’s pouring rain or dangerously windy, we will reschedule 4–24 hours in advance so you don't waste time on hair and makeup.
Guarantee: If we decide to shoot in marginal weather (overcast/drizzle) and get rained out halfway through, we simply pause the clock and finish the rest of your session on a later date at no extra cost. We want you to love your photos, not just "get them done." However, rescheduling availability is often limited, so our preference is to capture as much as we can on your original date if possible.

Understand what you’ll get back

We don’t believe in capping your memories with arbitrary limits, so you will receive every single "keeper" from your session. All photos are color-corrected for vibrant, natural lighting with light retouching for temporary blemishes or flyaways, keeping the look authentic. Depending on your group size and whether we add driving locations like the Art Museum or City Hall, you can expect anywhere from 40 to 250+ photos, with extra-large multi-location groups sometimes nearing 300–400.

Once delivered, you have full personal rights to post, share, and print your photos wherever you like—no watermarks holding you back.

If you or your family would like high-quality low-hassle printing and framing, you can order directly through us, where we partner with a trusted local print shop on custom framing.

Ready to Book?

For full details on pricing, cancellations, and logistics, please review our terms of service.
When you are ready to secure your date, visit our graduation gallery to find a button for scheduling availability for the upcoming season.

For direct contact, @FunkhouserFilms on Instagram or tim@funkhouserfilms.com is where I can actively be reached.

How to Plan Your Philly Graduation Photo Session