Caps off to royalty-free graduation images

Graduation marks the moment when students have achieved their academic goals. Regardless of whether this is a kindergarten, high school, or university graduation, it means the student will be moving into the next exciting phase of life. The graduation ceremony is sometimes referred to as commencement, which means “a beginning or start.” How appropriate, as graduation is the end of a major academic chapter in a person’s life and the beginning of a hopeful new chapter. Also called convocation, which means, “a large formal assembly of people,” the graduation ceremony is a time when family and friends come together to witness this major achievement in a student’s life. A university graduation ceremony is often followed by a graduation party, a celebration of this student taking his or her first steps into professional life.

Graduation images represent the various visual elements often associated with this academic achievement ceremony. The images show students at various stages of life, from proud kindergarteners to smiling graduate students. The visuals may be graphics, such as a cartoon of children in graduation caps and gowns jumping for joy on a spring hillside, or an artistic font that reads “Congratulations Graduates!” They may also be photos of graduate students involved in the different activities associated with this event. Graduates standing on the commencement stage to accept their diploma, throwing their caps in the air or holding their diplomas up high, as well as dancing and taking selfies together at graduation parties. Graduation icon imagery may feature sketches of the graduation cap, cartoon graduate students, graduation certificates, and more.

Seeing as how these images mark a major achievement in a student’s life, it is only fitting that the photos be memorable. High-resolution shots of smiling students in their graduation caps and gowns reflect the joy felt at such an event. These photos embrace the momentous occasion by including dramatic visual elements: Graduate silhouettes framed by a brilliant sunrise symbolize all the potential on the horizon for these hard-working students. A graphic of a lightbulb in a graduation cap with a tiny green tree growing inside speaks wordlessly to the innovative new ideas these students may think up. A photo of a diverse group of students with their arms around one another reminds the viewer that we are stronger together, that two (or many) minds are better than one, and that when we put our heads together, anything is possible.

Popular graduation pictures include: Graduation party: These images include elegant party tables set with cupcakes that have little graduation caps or diploma decorations, black, gold, and silver graduation party invitations, and students dancing together in celebration. Group of graduates: These images are often photos of students standing on the green lawn of university. They may be throwing their graduation caps in the air, jumping for joy, holding up their diplomas, or hugging their family members with big smiles on their faces. Graduation caps: Graduation cap images may be graphics of the traditional black cap with a single colorful tassel hanging off to one side. Vectors of graduation caps tossed in the air like celebratory confetti are also common, as are photos of student silhouettes captured in the middle of throwing their caps up before an inspiring sunrise.

With Shutterstock’s easy-to-use search engine, it won’t be long before you are toasting your recent graduate with high-quality graduation imagery. Simply type keywords such as “graduation party” into the search bar. You can narrow your results by making use of Shutterstock’s available filter options. Want to include a photo of happy graduate students on your educational website? First select the “With people” option from the “People” filter. You could then choose to celebrate diversity by selecting a number of ethnicities from the “Ethnicity” filter. If you want the main colors of the image to match your website’s color palette, just select your chosen hue from the “Color” filter. You can also specify the orientation of your image (horizontal or vertical), select the image type (photo, vector, or illustration), and more.