Best places for graduation photos in Myrtle Beach

The National Historic Landmark status and the formal parterres give a cap-and-gown portrait a level of polish that a plain park backdrop cannot match. Oak-lined allees run wide enough to line up a whole graduating group, with paved paths that keep heels and formal shoes steady underfoot.

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

The Moorish-style Atalaya Castle gives actual architecture to stand in front of instead of another dune shot, with enough open ground to line up a full group. Paved lots and boardwalk access keep the walk short for anyone arriving straight from a ceremony in cap and gown.

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

Brick storefronts and the fountains at Valor Park give a cap-and-gown portrait a tidy, formal backdrop closer to downtown than the beach. Wide plazas and sidewalks hold a large graduating group comfortably, with flat paving that works for every pair of shoes in the frame.

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

Half-moon views of red brick classroom buildings around the quad make this campus read as a real school rather than a backdrop borrowed for the day. Weekends after classes let out clear the walkways enough to line up a full graduating group in cap and gown without a single passerby in frame.

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

Robert Mills's City Hall gives Main Street a genuinely formal building to stand in front of, rare for a small coastal town. The wooden Riverwalk behind it runs wide and level, room enough to line up an entire graduating group without crowding the shot.

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

The colonial storefronts along Front Street carry an institutional formality that suits a cap-and-gown portrait better than a beach backdrop would. The Harborwalk behind it runs level and open, wide enough to arrange a full graduating group along the rail.

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