Graduating in a Pandemic.

Jun 10

NH Graduation Photos: What Should Have Been

Spoiler alert: graduating during a pandemic? Not exactly the celebration anyone hoped for.

Twelve years of school. Four years of college. Trade programs, master’s degrees, you name it. No matter the path, so many students had the finish line yanked out from under them. Proms, ceremonies, gatherings—all the stuff that helps you mark the moment—just… gone.

My own kid wasn’t even in school anymore, but I still felt it. The collective letdown. So I did the only thing I know how to do when things feel unfixable.

I grabbed my camera.

I invited local high school and college grads to meet me at Gilman Park in Exeter for a few photos. It wasn’t a parade or a stage with your name called, but it was something. A moment to celebrate. A way to be seen.

Some familiar faces showed up. Some I met for the first time. All of them deserved to feel recognized. We laughed, we moved, we took a breath and captured something real in an unreal moment.

One grad sent me this review that still gets me: I had my college graduation portraits done by Melissa Koren, as a special for the class of 2020. She truly took this opportunity and made one senior feel incredibly special! She was incredibly kind, professional, and made someone who went in feeling anxious and lacking confidence feel stunning! The pictures are incredible! I’m at a loss for words. I truly can’t thank, and recommend, her enough!

Same.

The world didn’t give the class of 2020 what it promised, but that doesn’t mean we can’t carve out something worth remembering. If you’re graduating soon (or missed your moment a few years back), I’m still here, camera in hand. Let’s mark your milestone your way.