UC Davis Graduation Photos

The best UC Davis graduation photo spots are the Arboretum and Wyatt Deck, the Egghead “Bookhead” sculpture outside Shields Library, the Shields Library steps, the Mrak Hall lawn, the central Quad, the Silo, and the campus archways. Shoot on a weekday morning or in the last 90 minutes before sunset to get soft light and an empty campus. For cap-and-gown frames, time your session in the weeks around mid-June commencement — and book early, since June fills fast.

I'm a Sacramento graduation photographer and UC Davis is one of my busiest campuses every spring. This guide is graduation-specific — cap, gown, and the seven campus backdrops I actually walk with grads. If you want Davis spots for family or engagement sessions instead, that's a different list; see my Davis photo locations guide. Below are the spots, the timing, and the small details that make a regalia shoot look polished instead of rushed.

The Arboretum is my first stop for almost every UC Davis grad session. The 100-acre garden runs along the old north channel of Putah Creek, and the stretch near the redwood grove and Wyatt Deck gives you water, mature trees, and open shade in one short loop. It's the rare campus spot that photographs well even at midday.

I shoot here because the green reads beautifully against the blue-black UC Davis gown. The wooden Wyatt Deck gives you a clean platform over the water, the redwoods throw soft shade for harsher light, and the arched footbridges nearby add depth without any of the foot traffic you get on the main Quad.

Best time to shoot: Golden hour for warm light on the water, or any time if the sky is overcast. The tree canopy holds open shade well into midday, so this is my fallback spot when a grad's only window is 11 AM to 2 PM.

Crowds & access: Free and open to the public, no permit for a single-grad session. Stay off the plant beds and yield to walkers on the narrow paths — the Arboretum is a working garden, not a studio.

Works best for: Soft, natural cap-and-gown portraits, casual outfit changes, and Davis graduation sessions that want greenery over architecture.

Peter J. Shields Library anchors the east side of the Quad and gives you the most “university” backdrop on campus. The wide entry steps, the arched doorway, and the long brick facade read scholarly and timeless — exactly the look a lot of grads picture when they imagine their diploma photos.

I work the library in three frames: a grad seated or standing on the steps for a relaxed pose, a tight shot inside the arched entry for a framed-architecture look, and a wider shot pulling in the full facade. Because Bookhead sits right out front, I usually pair the library and the Egghead in one short stretch.

Best time to shoot: Weekday morning for empty steps and even light on the east-facing entry. During finals and commencement, the steps get busy — early is your friend.

Crowds & access: Exterior steps and arches are open and permit-free for personal portraits. Interior shoots inside the library require university permission, so I keep grad sessions to the exterior.

Works best for: Classic cap-and-gown portraits, diploma frames, and grads who want a traditional academic backdrop.

The central Quad is the heart of UC Davis — a wide green lined with towering redwoods and the buildings every Aggie walked past for four years. For a lot of grads, this is the most meaningful backdrop on campus, because it's where campus life actually happened.

I use the redwood edge of the Quad for warm, dappled light and the open lawn for cleaner full-length frames. The trees filter hard sun into soft pools, which flatters skin and keeps the gown from blowing out in the highlights. It's a versatile spot — I can shoot ten different looks here without moving more than fifty feet.

Best time to shoot: Golden hour for warm light through the redwoods. Weekday mornings are also calm and evenly lit.

Crowds & access: Public lawn, no permit. Moderate foot traffic during the school year that thins out in evenings and over the summer break.

Works best for: Sentimental campus frames, full-length cap-and-gown shots, and grads who want the “this is where it happened” backdrop.

Scattered across campus are brick breezeways and arched passages — the covered walkways near King Hall, the corridors around Wellman and Olson, and the colonnades by the older Quad-adjacent buildings. These archways are my secret weapon for clean, symmetrical frames that feel architectural without the crowds of the marquee spots.

I shoot the archways last, usually at the edge of golden hour. An arch frames a graduate naturally, the repeating columns create leading lines, and the covered shade gives me even, flattering light when the open sun has gone harsh. Because most grad families don't think to use them, they're almost always empty.

Best time to shoot: Late golden hour. The covered passages stay shaded, so they work even when the rest of campus is in hard light.

Crowds & access: Open campus walkways, no permit. Keep passages clear for pedestrians while you shoot.

Works best for: Editorial cap-and-gown portraits, symmetrical framing, and a polished closing look for the session.

Your gown is the star, so dress to support it, not compete with it. UC Davis gowns are a deep blue-black, which means a clean white or cream top underneath photographs sharpest. Honor cords, sashes, and stoles add color at the neckline — wear them, they pop against the dark gown.

A few rules I give every grad before a UC Davis session:

• Steam the gown the night before — synthetic regalia creases hard and the folds show on camera.
• Solid colors under the gown — skip busy patterns and logos that peek out at the collar.
• Neutral shoes — they often show in full-length frames, so avoid scuffed sneakers.
• Bring one casual change — most grads want regalia frames plus relaxed shots in their own clothes around the Silo or Quad.
• Bobby pins for the cap — Davis breezes love to take it off, and a secured cap saves time.

For couples, friends, or two graduates, coordinate rather than match exactly — complementary neutrals under each gown keep the frame cohesive. If you're planning a non-graduation Davis shoot too, the wardrobe logic shifts; my Davis photo locations guide covers family and engagement spots in town.

A single-graduate cap-and-gown session on the UC Davis campus needs no permit when you stick to open outdoor areas — the Quad, the Arboretum, library exteriors, the Silo patio, and the walkways. Nearly every grad session I shoot at Davis requires zero paperwork.

UC Davis does require a permit and coordination for the following — none of which a normal portrait session triggers:

• Commercial film and photo production for advertising or paid editorial
• Interior building shoots (including inside Shields Library)
• Lighting stands, generators, large props, or staging
• Vehicle access onto closed campus walkways
• Drone flights over campus (separate university + FAA rules)

Etiquette matters more than rules here. Don't climb or sit on the Egghead sculptures, stay off Arboretum plant beds, keep archways and steps clear for pedestrians, and yield to anyone studying or moving through. Parking is paid in campus lots — I plan a lot close to the Quad so we don't burn session time walking in. Policies can change, so confirm current rules with UC Davis before your session date.