Winter Graduation at St Andrews – Behind the Scenes of Four Graduate Photo Sessions

Winter graduation in St Andrews has a magic of its own — the soft, low sun, the crisp air, and the unmistakable sense of achievement that fills the town. As a photographer, it’s one of my favourite times of year to work with graduates. The campus feels both historic and intimate in winter, creating the perfect backdrop for portraits that are full of warmth, personality, and genuine celebration.

This year, I had the privilege of photographing four graduates during their winter ceremonies. Each session had its own rhythm: different light, different locations, different stories. In this blog, I’m taking you behind the scenes of those shoots — sharing the choices we made, the moments that unfolded, and the unique atmosphere that winter brought to each portrait.

Whether you’re preparing for your own graduation or simply curious about the process, I hope these case studies give you a real feel for what winter photography at St Andrews can be.

The Atmosphere of Winter Graduation at St Andrews

The Iconic Locations that Shine in Winter

Winter light is some of the most flattering natural light to work with – so get ready for really beautiful, glowy portraits.

Behind the Scenes – Graduate Photo Sessions

For this blog, I’ve picked chosen four graduates whose graduation days I photographed in Winter 2025 to give upcoming graduates an idea of what sessions might look like and how graduation days run.

Case Study 1 – K: Portraits in Martyr’s Kirk Library and Castle Sands

K had just completed her Masters in Sustainability Policy and was looking for a mid-length session to visit a handful of the classic locations, with a bit extra to allow us time to visit Castle Sands and Martyr’s Kirk library. We were taking into account the St Salvator’s chapel service which took place in the early morning which K was attending, as well as the awards ceremonies taking place in the afternoon. Therefore a mid-morning time slot worked really well, and in the 40 minutes we visited:

• Cloisters of St Salvator’s Chapel,
• St Salvator’s Quadrangle,
• USTA Sign in St Salvator’s Quadrangle,
• College Street for the cobbled street,
• Martyr’s Kirk Library,
• Castle Sands

Given K attended the session just herself, we covered a really good amount of ground. When people have grannies and grandads and every aunt and uncle in their family, we have to think about mobility and time taken to walk to different locations. However for K the 40 minutes almost covered an hour’s worth of locations in a typical session (with 3 or 4 people).

Case Study 2 – W: Classic Photographs in St Salvator’s Quad

W – 20 minute session
W opted for a 20 minute session, a medic halfway through her incredible 6 year journey. Joined by her parents, this session worked really well to get the core photos of her with her family around the Quad. I am biased to recommend everyone a 20 minute session as the grad schedules in recent years post-covid are always chockablock – you get the core essentials and then you have plenty of time to attend any lunches, celebratory drinks, awards ceremonies, garden parties etc. W was graduating in the afternoon ceremony, so around midday allowed plenty of time for her to get ready, then a perfect amount of time for us to get some great photographs. Her and her family were then able to grab lunch before the ceremony began, too – let me tell you as an alumni, the ceremonies will feel about 6 hours long if you go into them hungry, and you want to be as present as possible for this very special event.

• Cloisters of St Salvator’s Chapel,
• St Salvator’s Quadrangle,
• USTA Sign in St Salvator’s Quadrangle,
• College Street for the cobbled street,
• Ivy Wall & Benches,
• Lower College Hall Door

Case Study 3 – L: Working around the Rain in St Salvator’s Chapel Cloisters!

After a beautiful sunrise and pleasant drive, the most dramatic turn of weather I’ve seen all year snatched away the morning sun and started to downpour the moment my first session began. My first grad was thankfully a good sport about it and we simply adapted our session locations.

L had booked 40 minutes, so we spent most of the time in the Cloisters and the Quad – this is where I always explain the caveat that I’ll not personally stop for the weather unless it’s truly a hazard for my camera equipment – but I’ll understand if you want to call it a day a bit early! Check out L’s amazing tartan sash as well – I love personal touches in these shoots, especially when people incorporate their traditional dress in creative ways.

Case Study 4 – N: Accessible Family Portraits

N was my final shoot of Winter Grad and it turned out that several years ago I took her LinkedIn headshot (take a look at my Corporate work if you’re looking to have a professional headshot taken!).

N’s grandad was joining us in a wheelchair so we adapted the usual place for group photographs so that it was as accessible as possible. My knowledge of St Andrews meant that this was a 2 second pivot, so no time hovering around thinking where we could move to. The rain from earlier in the day had rolled away slightly so we were able to do a bit more in the middle of the quad without having to err on the side of caution! We also met a few of N’s friends in the Quad and as always I encourage everyone to join in!

Ready to Plan Your Own Graduation Photos?

If you’re looking to book your own grad photo session, visit my graduation photography page!