Newsonyx

May 2022 marks another graduation season. Thousands of students across the country from PWIs and HBCUs are getting ready to reap the benefits of long nights studying for finals by walking across the stage. But first, flicks.

Taking graduation photos is almost a rite of passage to share with family and friends for years to come. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic took away many people’s graduation ceremonies which left photoshoots as the best way to capture the accomplishment.

For Black students, specifically those at HBCUs, graduation shoots are taken to a whole different level. Some grads spend months prepping for shoots, picking the perfect fits and photographers, designing concepts, and spending thousands.

East Dockery, a recent  North Carolina A&T grad, says it’s just part of the culture.

“Even now, with all of the videos, graduation itself is huge but especially because our schools hold so much history, and it’s only right to celebrate ourselves. Plus, what we have achieved at these institutions that were built because others would not allow us at one point in time to attend.”

Chazriq “Chaz” Clarke, a recent FAMU grad, was featured in the most recent episode of Gradzilla. He says the money, outfit changes, and planning were well worth it.

“I had so many different looks,” Clarke said. “I wanted to sum up my four years at FAMU in 10 pictures. So I gave a little bit of everything.”

Malachi Somerville, a senior film student at Howard University, CEO and photographer of Visualized by Mal, says the shared experience makes HBCU grad pictures perfect.

“I think the reason why HBCU graduation pictures are executed so well is because they are often taken by other students or HBCU alumni,” Somerville said. “It is easy to help someone execute if you’re living in the same vision or have been there and done that. It makes me happy to see that students trust their fellow peers to bring everything together.”

Take a look at some of this year’s trending sleek and stylish 2022 HBCU grad photoshoots: