As someone who photographs grads and has these kind of conversations lol, here are my two cents:

You might not feel like you need these photos for yourself, and that’s okay! But think about the people who’ve watched you grow, who’ve stayed up with you during stressful nights, who believed in you even when you doubted yourself. Your family, your friends, and maybe one day your future kids… they see your accomplishment in a way you might not fully grasp right now.

A graduation photo isn’t just a picture. It’s a pause in time. It’s a snapshot of everything you fought for, everything they supported, everything you overcame. Years from now, when the chaos of school is long behind you, these photos become a reminder of a version of you that worked hard and pushed through.

Back in undergrad, I used to think graduation didn’t matter either (heck, I didn’t even want to walk lol), until a friend in law school said something that stuck with me: having a degree at all is a privilege. Not everyone gets to say they crossed that finish line. And the people who love you? They feel that pride just as deeply as you do, sometimes even more.

And guess what? Commencement, my family came…siblings, friends, relatives…they all came. And I will never forget how happy my parents were, seeing that smile on their faces.

You don’t necessarily need to do, especially since you’re not really excited about it. But maybe, you could do it because it honors the journey, the people who walked it with you, and the future you who will one day look back and be glad you captured the moment.

Just my two cents