Top 10 Insta-worthy places to get your best graduation pics
After years of hard work, meeting friends for life, late nights and good times, you did it! Graduation is a great time to get some pics which you’ll look back on, so it’s worth planning ahead. Have a look at our guide on where to get the shots that will light up your feed and get your stories on point.
Don’t forget to tag your Instagram photos during graduation with #LeedsGrad #ForeverLeeds!
1. A Sign for Art
The iconic wavy bacon is a must — the strong architectural lines of the sculpture provide a perfect contemporary University of Leeds background.
2. Clothworkers’ Court — Archway
The Clothworkers’ archway is the perfect setting for your pic. The red brick and gold inlaid letters provide a great place for individual photos or group pictures with your friends and family. Always the most popular place to take photos; our top tip to avoid the queue is to go before your ceremony, or when the next one is taking place.
2. (cont) Inside Clothworkers’ Court
Quite often overlooked, Clothworkers’ Court with its lush planting and brickwork of the Great Hall provides a great backdrop for photos. The benches are ideal for a really special photo with you and your family.
3. The bridge by the Old Bar
You know that bridge by the Old Bar on the way to Stage@Leeds? It’s always pretty quiet, and a great place to go, particularly if you’ve got children with you, or you just want to have some space to take a few photos.
4. Outside Leeds University Union
You’ve spent a lot of time here, from the Freshers Week extravaganza, checking out the plant sales and the farmers market on Mondays, or maybe popping in to grab lunch in between lectures. You’ll certainly want a photo here underneath the brightly coloured bunting and among the crowds of smartly dressed people.
5. Outside Great Hall & between Great Hall and Baines Wing
Why not avoid all the queues outside Clothworkers’ and use the amazing backdrop of Great Hall and Baines Wing?
There’s usually even some lovely plants and wildlife dotted around the grass if you are graduating in the summer, with the Baines Wing majestically stood behind you and your friends/family!
6. Parkinson Steps
For some reason, this is frequently an overlooked place to get some lovely pictures. This is a perfect place to try and capture a shot that the family will really treasure.
If you’re someone who loves taking photos, or being on photos then hopefully this will be helpful for you to do a tiny bit of planning. It’s nice to think that graduates just like you will have taken photographs on their special day for decades now, like this from 1959.
It’s your day, and a wonderful celebration of your hard work and however you choose to remember the day, whether getting the most amazing pics or the odd snap on your phone, have a great day, and good luck for the future!
Don’t forget to head over to our Leeds Alumni online website so you can share your pics in the future.
7. Bragg Building
A new addition to our stunning campus, the Bragg Building is a modern spot for you to get your graduation snaps.
With it being a slight walk away from the busy campus, you’re sure to avoid any crowds and have all the time in the world to get the perfect pic — we know what it can be like asking your parents to take control of your phone!
8. Sustainable Garden
Another great spot away from the hustle and bustle of busy, popular campus spots — the Sustainable Garden.
Bound to be plentiful with everything nature has to serve in the summer if graduating then, this little hidden spot is one for those looking for a colourful setting.
9. St George’s Field
One that always gets forgotten is the spacious and green space of St George’s Field. You could spend all day here getting that picture perfect Instagram!
It can be quite difficult to find if you haven’t before, but if you follow University Road and take the little exit to the back of the School of Art, you should then open out to the field in all its glory.
10. Your school
Quite obvious now but you probably didn’t think about taking a snap outside your school, did you?
What better way to remember all those long hours spent in the common room or computer cluster finishing that assignment than taking yourself back there one last time?
