Treering Blog

Official Participation Rules and Steps to Enter

1. You must be a current yearbook editor (23-24 school year) at a Treering school to participate. 
2. To participate, fill out the submission form and include an image/screenshot of your favorite 23-24 yearbook (the current school year) memory so far. Be sure to include your school name and address (city and state only are fine). Incomplete entries will not be accepted.
3. Submissions are due by Wednesday, November 15th, 2023 by 8 PM PT. 

One winner will be announced at 11 AM PT on Thursday, November 16th, 11 AM PT on Friday, November 18th, and 11 AM PT on Monday, November 20th on the Treering Facebook page. Each of the three winners will be chosen at random. 

Prizes

The three winners will receive a gift card to Honey Baked Ham for the amount of $200. 

Ownership

By submitting your photo/image, you have verified the approval of others pictured,  and you approve Treering to use your name and school name for any marketing purposes, including but not limited to showcasing on www.treering.com, sharing on social media, and sharing with media. 

Thanks for being you.  If you have any questions, contact us at marketing@treering.com.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.

Financial constraints in college led Yearbook Hero Justin Warren to a warehouse job where he unexpectedly began a career pathway in a print shop, eventually becoming the operations manager. Rooted in his love of learning, his passion for innovation, and challenging industry standards, he moved from the print floor to directing Treering Yearbooks’ domestic, coast-to-coast print network. Early this year, Justin worked with cross-functional teams to introduce tactile elements through the Treering Heritage Collection. 

How do you respond when people tell you print is obsolete?

I’ve been told that my whole career. Something physical in someone’s hand is so valuable, even though it may sit on a shelf for a bit. It’s so much easier to pull it off the shelf to relive the memories in a beautiful, full-color book than it is to dig through your phone and find a photo you think you took seven years ago.

It’s morphed, definitely, and that’s the great thing about Treering: we’re innovators. We anticipate what the future brings while maintaining that physical connection to our memories.

Speaking of physical connection, what inspired the development of studio-designed, textured yearbook covers?

Touch is a huge component of child development. You remember something you can touch. 

One of my biggest “brings” to the company was to bring a more tactile element to our printed yearbooks. It really does bring a new dynamic. Texture has always done super well in print and is difficult to implement. I said, "We're doing this," and collaborated with our print network to create a thick, glossy polymer that extends to the end of the cover and the spine, of which we are proud. The Heritage Collection showcases the possibilities that we have in front of us. All it takes is great development and some research before we execute.

People ask all the time how we manage to have a three-week turnaround. What makes it possible?

It takes a lot of strategy. It takes a lot of preparation. It takes a lot of commitment in order to turn a digital file into a printed file, and it really comes down efficiencies. Being digital, we reduce waste and errors. If there is a problem, we can catch it immediately. We don’t have to remake or rehang plates to do a full run.

We're not going to store any inventory or print extras. Print on demand allows us to personalize and print your custom yearbook as the order comes in. That takes time. Real people look at the yearbooks (it’s not all automated) to check for quality.

Our printing network is coast-to-coast, so we are geographically positioned to service our schools with shorter transit times and increased flexibility. We are striving to be both eco-friendly and economically friendly to pass on savings to schools.

What other innovations set Treering apart?

Personalization, it’s what our thing is. Personalizations changed the world. When I first heard about it, frankly wasn't sure how, on the production side, I was going to produce it. It brought challenges and through discussions and brainstorming, we came up with a product that we can then continue to enhance. 

Portrait autoflow is another. Treering utilizes technology to solve an old school problem and be able to bring our little twist to it. Without revealing too much, this is just the beginning.

Rumor has it, that you’re also a master brewer.

My dad and I own it together. We both have full-time careers, but after work, we do sales calls and on the weekends we brew beer. No advertising. It's just literally dad and I all the way from ops to janitor. We have 30 recipes that we rotate we keep five or six going year-round. Living in the Pacific Northwest, IPAs really are the huge driver: really bitter, really floral. Those are the king of beers over here. So we have quite a few of those. We just pick and choose what we're feeling and what our customers want. I mean it's a wonderful experience and it's taught me a lot about smaller companies because I've lived in the corporate world for so long that I get to see the smaller craft of a business. It keeps me out of trouble.

Modular design for yearbooks is an approach to layout and design that emphasizes flexibility (just like your favorite yearbook company) and ease of content organization. Small, self-contained modules include photos, copy, and other theme content. With multiple reader entry points, a modular layout contains three or more, each telling a different story.

Learn the difference between traditional and modular design.

Four Modular Layout Ideas

Because modular design has many interpretations and applications, we pulled together four different looks.

Idea 1: Let Your Story Be Your Guide

This spread covers the middle school schedule, media program, study habits, and electives in six modules. There is a large amount of copy beyond the feature story and a quote "sidebar" running down the middle of the spread.

Idea 2: Give the Whole Picture

This varied collection of mods includes a quote package, personality profile, election results, and event coverage. In a chronological yearbook, such as this, modular layouts help organize myriad stories on a single spread.

Idea 3: Start Small

Not only did the six polls reveal more about the faculty, but the yearbook editors added quotes and cutouts to teach us more. Adding a mod to the people or reference section is one way to add voices to an otherwise flat section.

Idea 4: Drag and Drop

Low on copy, high on images, this sample spread with four modules provides ample space to detail aspects of art creation. As-is, this layout is available with the others in the Maximalist theme under layout and design for Treering Yearbooks editors. Other modular themes include Tropical Chronicles and Tied Together.

Layout Tools and Tips

Treering Yearbooks' built-in tools to help you create your own layouts and modify ours in a few clicks.

Treering design school in under 18 minutes.

Pros and Cons of Mods

While modular design increases coverage opportunities, it takes more planning from your editorial team. 

Pro: Coverage

Devoting a spread to one topic limits the coverage to one group. Opening up a sidebar or two increases your possibilities to tell more of the year. 

https://blog.treering.com/evergreen-content-yearbook/

Pro: Collaboration

On larger teams, modular design facilitates collaboration among a team of yearbook contributors. Section editors can distribute interview and photography assignments by topic.

A quick note for advisers: assigning module topics is also a way to combat the “I have nothing to do” line that tends to get tossed around the newsroom. 

Pro: Consistency

Recurring modules maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the yearbook, which strengthens the theme and overall design.

Con: Planning

Frankly, some content may not neatly fit into modular structures. It’s fetch. And if not managed carefully, modular design may lead to overusing the same design elements. There’s a fine line between consistency and monotony.

Yearbook Module Ideas

The most popular yearbook mods tend to be sidebars with a question-and-answer format. If you want to add something new to your yearbook layouts this year, this is one way to increase coverage and develop open-ended questions. 

Consider building in these additional modules:

• This or that: fashion, fandoms
• Matching: teachers with their first jobs, the shoe to the sport
• How-tos/step-by-step: prep for an inside and outside pirouette, outline a DBQ essay
• Flat lays: teachers’ desks, backpacks
• Essential gear: art kit, robotics team
• Timelines: getting ready for a school dance, fundraiser from start to finish
• Lists: five ways to welcome new students, 10 reasons people auditioned for the spring musical

This blog is adapted from Liz Thompson’s Design 201 session from TRL 23: Start Here. Thompson, a former high school yearbook adviser, serves as a customer success manager with Treering Yearbooks. 

It's time to roll the dice and level up your yearbook game with three days of Yearbookopoly! This National School Yearbook Week, attend all three days of our flagship training event, or pick sessions matching your gaming style. 

Tuesday, October 3 - Speed Round

A few sessions to start you off strong. A practice session, if you will!

Wednesday, October 4 - Yearbook Player’s Manual

We’ve scheduled concurrent sessions of back-to-back training to answer all your burning yearbook questions.

Thursday, October 5 - Cards Against Editorial Sanity

Meet some of the legends in the yearbook game. Our Treering Yearbook Heroes will spill their secrets and tackle your questions.

Register now for TRL 23. Cost to join? Free! Prizes? Of course!

Disclaimer: Attendees may experience an uncontrollable urge to shout "Checkmate!" during sessions. 

TRL 23 FAQs

If there is one thing we’ve learned in our 15 years, it’s that memories are important. And just like our software, we’re continuously upgrading how we preserve them for you. We spent our summer vacation designing new archival cover options. The Treering Heritage Collection is comprised of six new bespoke designs to enclose your memories from cover to cover.

What’s in a Name?

Often associated with strength, longevity, and wisdom, the mighty oak became the symbol of these studio designs. Like your stories, they are treasured.

Heritage oaks are highly resilient trees that can withstand harsh weather conditions—including droughts and storms—due to their deep root systems and sturdiness. Like your memories, they stand the test of time.

We find these oaks in urban, rural, and suburban areas alike. And because of their age and size, they process more carbon while serving as a home base for many animals. Like your school community, they affect their surroundings.

Heritage Collection Designs

The Heritage Collection is available in 8.5 x 11 hard- and softcovers.

From the Treering Design Studio to Your School

It’s a cliche for a reason: we truly judge books by their covers. That’s why Treering answered the question, “What if I could have a professional designer create my yearbook cover?” Eliminate the what-ifs: you can.

Each Heritage Cover is 3D in texture and covered in our signature gloss. This raised polymer coat acts as a shield, protecting your yearbook from scratches, tears, and fingerprints. Because of it, the ink colors are more vibrant, and your school story is more tangible. Pair your heirloom cover with our fully editable layouts to create a truly unique and long-lasting school treasure. It’s as easy as click, drag, drop, and done!

Kinesthetic Memories

Yerd alert: we’re going to get deep on the science of touch. 

Tactile experiences influence memories due to the intricate ways our sensory experiences are woven into the fabric of our memories and emotions, shaping our perception of the world around us and our sense of self. Handshakes and hugs readily come to mind. What about yearbooks?

The short answer: yes! 

The scientific one: yes, mechanoreceptors (aka the specialized nerve endings in our skin) respond to specific touch sensations such as pressure, temperature, and texture. They send electrical signals through nerve fibers to the brain, particularly to the somatosensory cortex, which processes tactile information.

How To Use a Heritage Cover in Your Yearbook

It's easy: from the Book Settings editor on your Dashboard, change your cover finish to Heritage. The full instructions are in the Help Center.

Remember, when we touch something, our brain keeps an imprint of it. The raised texture of a Heritage Yearbook Cover can sustain its impact.

Fonts can be the Marsha Brady of the yearbook world. Overshadowed by epic theme packages and color palettes, the power of typography cannot stay silent. (In fact, the correct font can be louder than your graphics.) With 44 new fonts in the Treering catalog, you can share your story with boldness or a touch of whimsy. It can be focused or zany, handwritten or high-tech.

“Typography, like other design elements, evolves over time. Keeping up with current trends ensures that your designs feel fresh, relevant, and aligned with contemporary aesthetics,”  Treering’s Director of Design, Allison V. said. “Typography also strongly impacts how a message is conveyed and perceived. More importantly, we listen to our users and try to accommodate their needs and wants. We often receive requests for fonts and appreciate the input from you.”

One such request came in the form of a text.

Meet OpenDyslexic

Since origin stories are a big deal in the superhero world, here is OpenDyslexic’s: app and game designer Abelardo “Abbie” Gonzalez developed the font in 2011 to help people with dyslexia improve their reading experience.

OpenDyslexic’s design addresses common challenges faced by many readers with dyslexia:

• Letter Weight: OpenDyslexic uses a slightly heavier letter weight, which helps the letters stand out more clearly on the page and reduces letter crowding. When designing for readers with dyslexia, avoid using italics or underlines because they cause letter crowding.
• Bottom Heavy: The base of the letters is slightly thicker, which provides better anchoring for letters. This can reduce the chances of them being flipped or reversed.
• Distinct Letter Shapes: The font uses distinct letter shapes to minimize letter confusion, such as avoiding mirror-image similarities between letters like "b" and "d."

Because it’s an open-source font, it is freely available. You can even make it your web browser’s font.

How Would You Use OpenDyslexic in Yearbook Design?

The short answer: headlines and captions. 

The British Dyslexia Association and the UX Movement established Dyslexia-Friendly Style Guides. Summed up, the following tips can increase the readability of your spreads.

• Modular design: use negative space to break up content into meaningful chunks
• Keep backgrounds to a single color, ideally cream or pastel peach, orange, yellow, and blue
• For text, ensure there is contrast between the background and words on your yearbook spread
• Left align text
• Use font size 12-14 pt.

As with anything, it is essential to note that while dyslexia-friendly fonts and design can be beneficial for some individuals, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for all learners. If possible, seek stakeholders' feedback during the design process to identify potential improvements.

Taking over this yearbook blog is a big deal for me: I don't remember a time without a yearbook. Now that I’m about to finish middle school and have eight yearbooks to look through, my appreciation for them leveled up. Yearbook moms (and dads) deserve our appreciation. If you are thinking about joining their ranks, know it impacts your kids and their friends.

My Yearbook History

The oldest yearbook memory I have was when I tried to get as many signatures as possible in my book. My friends and I once had a competition to get the most. We’d ask everyone at lunch and during after-school care to sign ours. Because my mom ran the yearbook, I had an advantage with the older kids. They all knew her, and she’d talk about me in class.

Now, the signing part is more or less to show my kids one day that I did have friends. My school does its signing party in the summer. I look forward to it because I get to see all my friends again.

Before I started fourth grade, my family moved across the country. When I changed schools, yearbooks became even more important. They helped me remember my old friends. Since yearbooks capture memories of the school year, I use them to brag to my friends about doing things like scoring a touchdown or winning the science fair.

How My Mom Makes the Yearbook

At my old school, my mom taught the yearbook class. The yearbook students were recognizable on campus. Now, my mom takes photos at school and recruits other moms. She then uploads them and puts them on pages. When it comes to design, she uses the pages to organize how events happen at school. Sometimes I get out all my books and look through them so I can remember.

Every year, she chooses a theme, and she doesn’t tell me what it is. At our school, it’s a surprise for the end of the year. No matter how much I beg, she won’t tell me. If the book was bland or the designs were scattered, it wouldn’t make much sense. I’m glad she puts time into making something that looks like the school year. Each one is different: 3D, like a journal, or even patriotic.

Having a Yearbook Mom

Now that my mom is making the yearbook as a volunteer instead of a teacher, she does all the work from home. Even though she constantly takes pictures of my friends and me in class or hanging out at recess, it feels good to know we will all be in the book. She knows us, and we can all relax (OK, I’m not always relaxed because she can sometimes be embarrassing).

Know it’s a good idea to be a yearbook mom (or dad). You’ll help more kids get in the book. You also get to help make something special that your kids and their friends will look at over and over. 

Guest blogger Erikson (age 13) spends his time outside school cooking with his culinary team, serving as the 4-H teen leadership council vice president, and volunteering with Giant Cow Ministries. His Treering custom pages feature family vacations and 4-H achievements.

As any yearbook adviser will likely concur, one of the most beautiful sights on the internet is the celebratory confetti that fills your screen when you hit “print ready.” Now that summer break is underway and your yearbook has gone to print, it’s time to indulge in well-deserved relaxation. Whether you're opting for a tropical vacation or a cozy staycation, the Treering team has curated a selection of delightful beach reads and captivating podcasts to enhance your leisure time.

Beach Reads to Dive Into

If you're an avid reader with a never-ending list of books to conquer, now is the perfect time to get caught up in a good read. Here are a few to add to your shortlist:

1. One Italian Summer by Rebecca Searle (recommended by Chrissy K., Customer Success Manager): A 30-year-old married woman from Los Angeles, finding herself adrift after her mother’s death, travels to Italy on a long-awaited vacation they had planned to take together. (Kirkus Reviews)
2. Trust by Hernan Diaz (recommended by Bobby H., Head of Growth): A riveting novel set in a bygone America that explores family, wealth, and ambition through linked narratives rendered in different literary styles, a complex examination of love and power in a country where capitalism is king. (The Pulitzer Prizes)
3. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (recommended by Ayesha M., Sales Development Representative): Ten years after her teenage daughter disappears, a woman crosses paths with a charming single father whose young child feels eerily familiar... (Greenwich Library)
4. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (recommended by George K., Head of Product): In 1949, four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they gather to raise their spirits and money. (Amazon)

Poolside Podcasts

If you prefer to relax with headphones by the pool, here are some podcast recommendations that are sure to pique your interest:

1. Gee Thanks. Just Bought It! hosted by Caroline Moss (recommended by Megan P., Marketing Manager): Ever bought something you loved SO much that you couldn't stop telling everyone about it? Los Angeles-based writer and host Caroline Moss invites interesting, smart, and savvy guests to evangelize their favorite buys in the hopes of helping you become a smarter and more informed shopper.
2. The Way I Heard It, hosted by Mike Rowe (recommended by Erin M., Sales Development Representative): From pop culture to politics, history to Hollywood, each mystery is a true-ish tale about someone you know, filled with facts that you don’t. Delivered with Mike’s signature blend of charm, wit, and ingenuity, these stories are part of a larger mosaic—full of surprising revelations, sharp observations, and intimate, behind-the-scenes moments drawn from Mike’s life and career.  
3. On Purpose, hosted by Jay Shetty (recommended by Shannon H., Sales Development Representative): Jay Shetty’s purpose is to make wisdom go viral. His podcast brings fascinating conversations with some of the most insightful people in the world straight to viewers worldwide. 
4. Hey Dude… the 90s Called, hosted by Nickelodeon child stars David Lascher and Christine Taylor from the cult classic show Hey Dude (recommended by Erika Lin P., Marketing Manager): You won’t be Clueless about your favorite shows when the crew from West Beverly and Bayside High, among others, share gossip, coming of age takes, on set challenges, and fan encounters. 

Embrace the Vacation Vibes

Whether you prefer turning the pages of a good book or immersing yourself in a fascinating podcast, we hope these suggestions enhance your well-deserved break from yearbook responsibilities. (If you can’t help yourself, check out this Summer Yearbooking blog.)  

https://blog.treering.com/summer-yearbooking-how-to-prep/

Happy Summer! 

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.

In San Mateo, California, a group of remarkable students has embarked on an extraordinary journey. Led by their passionate social sciences teacher Cristina Gutierrez, the diverse group at San Mateo Union High School Bridge program (SMUHSD Bridge) is not only learning English and striving to complete their high school education but also making history by creating their school’s inaugural yearbook.

What made you decide to start a yearbook program this year? 

We started the program so our students could have something physical to remember all the unique memories and memorable moments in our Bridge program. As they move on in life, I want them to be able to hold onto that joy. 

Our students face challenges above and beyond most high school students. Most are unaccompanied newcomers from Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, and many come to the U.S. to flee violence or to reunite with a family member. Students range in age from 16 to 18, and 95% also work full-time to support family in their home countries. We wanted a way to empower them to showcase their experiences, culture, and dreams. 

What activities, events, and programs did you cover in the 2022-2023 yearbook? 

Every day at Bridge is different and exciting, so we tried to showcase all our diverse activities in our yearbook. We covered the fiestas we held, Independence Day for some students' home countries, Halloween, various award ceremonies, field trips, and English Learner Development classes. Our soccer league even won the championship in May! And, of course, we covered the people who make up Bridge: our staff and students. We honored our graduating seniors with recognition pages. They deserve all the accolades! 

Our school’s philosophy and teachings are grounded In Lak’ech pedagogy, a Maya affirmation that roughly translates to “you are my other me,” it focuses on prioritizing our relationships and responsibility to one another to foster a supportive learning community. We included In Lak’ech in our yearbook to memorialize our learnings. 

How did the students participate in creating the yearbook?

Our independent studies students worked together to create the yearbook. Treering’s crowdsourcing made it easy to grab photos from across the school. Working on this project was a hands-on way to teach students valuable skills like graphic design, storytelling, and photography to use later in life. It was also great to see students reminisce about our different events in the past while creating the yearbook. 

What is the most memorable thing about your yearbook?

Our program is constantly growing in numbers, and throughout the year, we are continually adding new students to our Bridge family. It’s never too late to join the program. We captured much of our year with Treering’s later deadlines, but even students who arrived in the last month of school were still thrilled to receive a copy of the yearbook and hold on to those memories. Their excitement shows how powerful a yearbook can be - it keeps students excited for future years’ memories and gives them a physical treasure to take home. 

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) inspires nearly all facets of daily life, today’s news focuses heavily on buzzy AI tech like the ubiquitous ChatGPT. From improving the travel, automotive, and healthcare industries to monitoring coral reefs, the benefits of AI seem limitless. (You can even ask for curated movie recommendations!) The yearbook world, of course, is no exception. 

Treering’s in-house engineers constantly strive for ways to improve and innovate the yearbook experience for everyone involved, and our AI-driven content review process is doing just that. Here are some ways employing this exclusive technology has helped protect cherished memories for the past several years and counting:

Streamlining the Review Process

One yearbook challenge editors are all-too-familiar with is ensuring that inappropriate content doesn’t make its way onto pages (or worse, the news). 

To solve this, Treering implements our automated AI review pipeline before going to print. This process efficiently moderates a book’s content across a network of computers that wield industry-leading and constantly evolving computer vision.

Free Time for Editors

Treering’s AI can swiftly and accurately analyze vast volumes of data (1,430,921 pages year to date, in fact!), flagging them as necessary for review and follow-up. This process allows teams to focus more time and attention on tasks that can’t be automated, like matching students with a stellar list of yearbook superlatives.

Offering the Best of Both Worlds

Of course, the human component remains a vital part of the yearbook review. (Treering loves a good collaboration!) In addition to utilizing AI, we employ staff dedicated to this process.

When teams combine Treering’s content review procedure with other proofing tools, such as our free printed proof, schools can relax, knowing they’ll immortalize the best possible yearbook version.

The applications of artificial intelligence are plenty, and Treering is proud to pioneer its use to proactively benefit schools by making it easier and safer for students and families to capture life’s memories.

Treering Yearbook Heroes is a monthly feature focusing on yearbook tips and tricks.

As a staff member at Sycamore Academy, an online school, Yearbook Hero Lisa Ward had yearbook experience. She’s a self-proclaimed pro at the literal cut-and-paste, handcrafted memory books. As a first-year Treering user, she was excited to see students come together virtually to craft and sign each other’s books. With her daughter, Eden, she spent hours looking through templates and art in the Treering library to spark an idea for her own custom pages. The end result was the winning combination of mother-daughter talent, as Eden Will (“She’s the artist,” said Lisa) stepped in to help her mom create an entry for the People's Choice Custom Pages Design Contest.

Traditionally, custom pages put an additional spotlight on one child. Tell me about putting the spotlight on your support system. 

Eden: Mom asked for help.

Lisa: Eden drew out the layout.

Eden: It was a snapshot of the family for the year since we don’t have albums. My cousin just had a baby and now we have a record of this moment in our lives. We have family from CA, to MI, NC, different parts of TX, and OK. After it was finished, we ended up editing it for the participants to include their families so they had their own version. They’ll print for their families.

Why do you think the message of “Family Forever” resonated with hundreds of people on social media?

Eden: That was pretty awesome. The resonating thing is that we reached out to family we don’t always get to see. And they were all interested in being a part of this. It is so hard to get everyone together. The last time I saw everyone together was at my wedding. It was cool to collaborate virtually and make something that will last. Other people found that touching. We live in such a spread-out world.

Lisa: You get the occasional family settled in one place. Technology brings us together.

Eden: We participated in it, even though we weren’t physically together. It’s like we worked together to be together.

What value do custom pages give you?

Lisa: It’s especially helpful for our school. As an online school, we try to get pictures of people during spirit week wearing hats or different colors. We don’t have pictures of kids interacting because we are online. The custom pages help each parent take each and make it their own. 

Eden: Even though she’s not a parent of a student, she was able to make it a memorable for this moment in time to make it personal for her.

It's that time when end-of-the-year events on campus dominate our social calendars and social feeds. Whether you're doing a quick post-ceremony graduation photoshoot with friends or snapping last-minute custom page poses for the yearbook, here are five graduation photo ideas plus some fun Instagram captions to use. I met up with my neighbor, Avery who is a high school senior, varsity athlete, super babysitter, and future marketing professional for these video tutorials and inspirational photos.

Remember, the best photos are the ones that align with your personality.

Pose 1: Looking Forward to Looking Back

A simple graduation pose you can do pre-ceremony is the over-the-should smile. Set a "mark" for your subject to do the look so you can focus there. The concrete in front of the school helped us time the shots. Unless you use a telephoto lens on a proper camera, ensure your background is more interesting than that parking lot.

In the video above, notice the multiple flashes. This means the cell phone is on "burst" or "multi-shot mode" which gives you more options with which to work.

Pose 2: All That Glitters

Your first day of grade school probably involved some glitter, so why not celebrate the final day of grade school with it?

During the shoot, Avery and I found coarse glitter has more movement and picks up better with a cell phone. (It still wasn't fun to clean up.)

Pose 3: Portrait Perfection

Portrait mode on a cell phone improved our Insta-presence by adding depth to photos.

To get the most from portrait mode, add space between your subject and the background. I had Avery lean against the wall in a relaxed standing pose. at an angle. The angle allowed for the mortar lines (leading lines in photography) to draw the viewer's eye to her face.

Pose 4: MVPose

The cap toss is the image most of us think of when we picture graduation. Using burst mode, snap several photos of your senior doing his/her own version.

Because yellowish-green gym lighting is notoriously tricky, you'll want to use your in-camera photo editor to reduce the warmth and add a slight coolness to the tint. This pose also works well on the football field because there is plenty of overhead clearance.

Pose 5: Cap It Off

Remember our discussion of depth of field and portrait mode? Another application is for the cap. Many students decorate theirs, so make it the focal point of an image.

In the video, you can see how raising the phone just a bit flattered Avery more. My yearbook adviser always said, "Zoom with your feet," and it's stuck with me decades later.

Tips to Capture a Great Graduation Photo

Because authenticity goes a long way, here are a few ways to make the poses below your own.

1. Try to avoid stiff or unnatural poses. Instead, move around and experiment with different angles until you find a pose that feels comfortable and looks good.
2. The background of your photo can add interest and depth to your pose. Look for interesting locales that complement your outfit and pose. Off-campus, visit community murals, local landmarks, and parks as your graduation photo spot.
3. Props can add visual interest and help tell a story in your photo. Consider using props like sports equipment, a yearbook, confetti, or a graduation cap.
4. Experiment with different angles to find the one that flatters you the most. Try shooting from above, below, or at eye level.
5. You can sit, stand, jump, walk, or even lie down for your senior photo.

If you're saying cheers to the end of an era and the start of a new one, may your memories be filled with joy.