Photography Tips · Brussels

Graduation Photos in Brussels: Worth Hiring a Photographer, or Is the University Photo Enough?

By Dmytro Derkach · Brussels-based commercial photographer

Universities in Brussels typically offer an official graduation photo, usually a quick, formal shot taken during the ceremony itself. The question most students actually have is whether that is enough, or whether a separate photographer is worth the additional cost.

What the university photo actually gives you

The official ceremony photo is functional: proof of the moment, usually a formal pose in the gown, taken quickly as part of a long line of graduates. It is rarely more than one or two images, with limited control over composition, lighting, or background, since the photographer is working through hundreds of graduates in a single day.

What a separate photographer adds

A dedicated graduation photographer offers more images, more locations around campus or the city, natural rather than assembly-line poses, and time to actually enjoy the moment rather than being processed through a queue. For a milestone most people only reach once or twice in a lifetime, this often matters more than it seems in advance.

What to wear under the gown

Since most of the outfit will be hidden, focus on what shows: a collar or neckline visible above the gown, and shoes if any full-body shots are planned. Simple, solid colors photograph better than busy patterns, which can clash with the gown’s own color and texture.

The actual cost comparison

The honest answer

For a purely functional record, the university photo covers the basics. For anything a family will actually want to print, frame, or look back on in twenty years, a dedicated session produces a meaningfully different result, not because the university photographer is bad at their job, but because they are not being paid to spend more than ninety seconds per graduate.