There’s something extra meaningful about photographing a milestone in a place that holds a little bit of your own story, too.
Millie is graduating this December from the Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, after spending the last several years working toward becoming a nurse practitioner. Before UCCS, she served our country as a medic in the military, where she also met her husband, who was a medic as well. Needless to say, this white coat has been very well earned.
We originally planned Millie’s graduation portraits somewhere out in nature, but she ultimately decided that the UCCS campus was where we needed to be. Even though much of her coursework was completed online, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs is still an important part of this chapter of her story.
And I was so glad she chose it.
I’m a UCCS graduate myself, and in so many ways, this campus is where my photography career began. I hadn’t photographed a session there in close to 15 years, and it was such a joy to return to some of my old favorite spots and create images with beautiful Millie that I’m genuinely so proud of.
Even better, we made this more than just a graduation session. Millie’s husband and kids joined us, and with her parents visiting from Oregon, we had three generations together to celebrate everything she has accomplished. We took a few minutes to create family portraits along the way, including some really meaningful images of Millie with her parents, her husband, and her children. Someday, those kids will look back at these photographs and see not only what their mom accomplished, but the family that surrounded her while she did it.
One of my favorite moments was watching her husband place her well-earned white coat on her shoulders. Two former military medics, now standing together as she steps into this next chapter. That’s the kind of photograph that becomes more valuable with time.
Because graduation portraits aren’t only about the cap, gown, degree, or white coat. They’re about documenting who you were, who stood beside you, and what it took to get here.
They’re photographs for right now, yes. But they’re also for her children, and someday, perhaps, their children too.
This isn’t content. This is legacy.
Congratulations, Millie. What an honor to document this chapter for you and your family!
With love & joy,
René
René Tate Photography specializes in graduation photos, senior portraits, family photography, and legacy portraiture in Colorado Springs, including graduation portrait sessions at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences, and throughout the Pikes Peak region.
