Congratulations to the JMU Class of 2026!

This was my TENTH (!!) year of taking James Madison University graduation portraits. What a decade! When I first started during my freshman year at JMU, I delivered 10-20 photos to each of the few grads who trusted someone only a year into business. I’m eternally grateful to those individuals who supported me and showed me all the locations around the Quad where they wanted to take photos. That spring Madison Hall had finished constructed, and one of my grads wanted to take photos at the columns freshly cleaned of construction dust. I still credit her to being the very first graduate to take photos at those columns.

Now, many many years later, I visit those columns during almost every session. The fountain remains to be my favorite location, and large Quad shots featuring Wilson in the background continue to be the must-have photos. There are a few other locations around main campus that I love to use when we have extra time in sessions, and each year I discover more and more. Shoutout to the grads who allow me to get creative and trust me to deliver!!

I frequently get asked if I get tired of JMU grad portraits. I can honestly tell you that after 150+ sessions and 300+ graduates over the last 10 years, I’m not tired of it at all! I look forward to this season every year. Of course I get a little tired of editing towards the end, and each year brings new challenges (the last few years I’ve been learning to deal with larger crowds and lines at the columns), but it’s always worth it. The Quad looks different every day thanks to the determination of springtime blossoms and the JMU landscaping team, new photographer friends arrive and old ones return, and every grad has their own story to hear. It’s the time of year that I feel most at home.

So thank you to these graduates and all the ones who came before who support me every year at one of my favorite places on Earth.

Here’s to the Class of 2026! Go Dukes!

If you’d like to see more senior portraits, check out my seniors category on my blog!

Want me to photograph your James Madison University senior graduation portraits? Contact me!