Looking back on the 2026 spring commencement season

The caps and gowns are packed away, the summer audits are done, and—like all the schools we serve—we're turning our attention to the school year ahead. But before we look forward, I want to share what we learned from this commencement season, and how we're applying those lessons to serve you better this year.

This was one of the best operational seasons I've had in my career. The workload increased significantly, and the team handled it with aplomb. The field-to-operations handoff we've been building over the past year performed exactly the way we needed it to, and our ops department kept pace with everything coming in from the field. I told our team in a recent meeting that I've been doing this a long time, and this spring was as smooth as it's ever been. I meant it. 

‍What the season told us

From the beginning of April to the end of June, we photographed nearly 1,000 events and delivered galleries to over 250,000 graduates across the country. That's a lot of handshakes, a lot of stage crossings, and a lot of families counting on us to capture the moment.

What stood out this year is what graduates and their families are telling us they value most. Do graduates still want the traditional diploma handshake image? You bet! But candid images—the lineup moments, the celebrations after the stage crossing, the photos with family and friends—are driving more engagement than ever. Graduates want more than a portrait with their diploma. They want the full story of their day, and they're responding when we deliver it.

We spent the summer reviewing every job from the spring, meeting with clients face-to-face, and  listening closely to what worked and where we could make the graduate experience even better.  Across those conversations, a few themes consistently stood out: a gallery experience that feels more personal, more candid moments that capture the emotion of the day, and an experience that feels as special as the milestone itself. That feedback is shaping how we’re approaching the school year ahead.

‍What we're bringing forward

The goal heading into this school year is straightforward, and something we take very seriously: listen to what graduates and schools are telling us they want, and continue building around it. This is what we did ahead of our spring 2026 commencements, and it improved the experience for everyone: schools, administrative staff, graduates, and the families in attendance. 

Our field-to-operations handoff, the system that moves images from the ceremony floor to our ops team for processing and delivery, performed at its best this spring. The feedback we got from our schools and their graduates was that families want to view their galleries within 24 to 48 hours of their ceremony, and this year we delivered that, thanks to our operations staff. We're continuing to refine that system so it's even faster and more reliable moving forward

We're also investing in the products and services our clients have been asking for. Our CenterStage platform, which displays graduate names on the jumbotron during ceremonies, saw more adoption this spring than in any previous season. Our software and commencement solutions continue to grow, giving schools new ways to recognize and celebrate graduates before, during, and after commencement. These software offerings add real value for schools looking to elevate their commencement experience.

Here are two essential things that we know are important for graduation ceremonies: One, a desire to make participating in and attending commencement easier for graduates and their families. And two, ensuring the graduates have recognition – proper recognition is key, please ask me about our name reading solutions! – so they can celebrate and commemorate their achievement with their families and loved ones.

‍Celebrating our photographers

One of the things I'm most proud of from this season has nothing to do with logistics or deadlines. We launched our first-ever internal photography competition, and the work our team submitted was remarkable. Photographers from across the country entered their best images from commencement season across several categories: best portrait, best action shot, best emotional moment, and one we added for images of our team at work in the field.

We held an award ceremony at our office in Ypsilanti and took down the old prints in our hallway, replacing them with the winning images. When photographers come in from around the country for training, they now walk past the best work our team produced this year. The gallery will rotate annually.

This is how we keep getting better. We showcase the best of what our photographers do, we learn from each other, and we carry that standard into every ceremony. The images we deliver to your graduates are a direct reflection of the pride our team takes in their craft.

‍Our culture continues to evolve 

This past year brought new people, new perspectives, and a tremendous amount of experience together across our organization. We’ve been intentional about learning from one another, sharing what works, and finding ways to make our teams—and ultimately the experience we deliver for our schools and graduates—even stronger.

Following the spring season, our leadership team spent time together in Oregon for an offsite retreat doing much of the same: listening, learning, and looking closely at what we can do better. We reviewed what worked, where we can improve, and how we can continue building around what our clients and graduates are telling us they want. We came away with a clearer vision, stronger alignment, and a lot of excitement about what’s ahead. There is always more work to do, but the foundation we’ve built is incredibly solid, and this spring showed us just how much we can accomplish together.

We're ready for what's ahead. If there's anything we can do to help you prepare for your future ceremonies, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here.