Best places for graduation photos in Albany

Washington Park's stone bridges are wide enough to hold a whole graduating family without anyone spilling off the edge of the shot, and the open lawns behind give the photographer room to back up for a full-length frame. Weekday mornings clear out well before the weekend crowds arrive.

For graduation photos: a campus-adjacent backdrop that reads academic.

The reflecting pools at Empire State Plaza line up the marble towers behind a graduate in a straight, formal row, which reads as more official than a typical campus lawn. The concourse is step-free the whole way from the garage, so gowns and heels aren't fighting curbs or stairs.

For graduation photos: room for the cap toss and the reaction.

The Capitol's stone corridors stay dry and lit through skylights no matter what the sky is doing outside, an advantage on a graduation weekend when weather rarely cooperates. The Million Dollar Staircase is worth the climb, though it comes with real steps, so plan around anyone in heels or a gown that catches underfoot.

For graduation photos: a setting that suits regalia without competing with it.

The amphitheater at Corning Preserve seats an entire graduating group in tiers without anyone ducking behind a taller cousin, and the paved promenade beyond gives enough room to walk the group into a wider shot after. Sunset puts the Albany skyline behind you exactly when the light turns warm enough to use it.

For graduation photos: space for family to gather after the solo frames.

The plaza around The Egg is open enough to fit a graduate's entire extended family in one frame without anyone stepping into the street, and the garage sits close enough that nobody has to trek far in a gown. Late afternoon side light rakes across the building's curved shell behind the group.

For graduation photos: clean architecture behind a gown and hood.

University at Albany's podium plazas hold a graduate's entire family easily, with the towers repeating overhead so the same building shows up in the background from almost any angle on campus. Weekends, once classes clear out, are the only time the colonnade empties enough to shoot without other students walking through.

For graduation photos: somewhere the colours of the regalia stand out.