Most graduation photos look the same. Plain backdrop, cap and gown, one pose. That works for the school photographer. But when you are booking your own studio, you have room to do more. A second outfit, a different background, a shot in a different outfit, against a backdrop you actually chose, that looks nothing like the school photographer version. FD Photo Studio has studios across Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island City that cover both the classic portrait and the personal one.
If you want that classic graduation look, the Sunset Studio Brooklyn 4 is a good place to start. This 1,000 sq. ft. daylight studio is located at 114 Scott Ave, 3rd floor, Brooklyn, NY 11237. It has large corner windows facing south-west, which means warm afternoon light and golden hour glow later in the day. Blackout curtains let you switch to full light control whenever you need it. Studio rates start at $39.99/hour.
What makes this studio stand out for graduation shoots is the selection of vintage-style fabric backdrops, including a classic graduation blue muslin, plus red and grey options. That blue backdrop is the one most photographers reach for during graduation season. You can swap between colors fast without breaking the setup.
The blue muslin backdrop, the textbooks, the desk, the suitcases. This is exactly the kind of styled graduation shoot that the vintage fabric backdrops at the Sunset Studio Brooklyn 4 are built for. The classic blue muslin you see here is one of the colors available at that studio, and it gives portraits that timeless, printed-and-framed quality that cap and gown photos shot against a plain white wall simply do not have. The studio rate starts from $39.99.
Rent the Sunset Studio Brooklyn 4
Want something less traditional? Loft studio Astoria 5 has a large movable shimmer wall on wheels, gold on one side and silver on the other. Flip it around, and you have two completely different looks without moving locations. Gold gives a warm, celebratory feel. Silver is clean and modern.
Model @arrieas photographed by @esnelldesign at Astoria 5
That gold and silver shimmer wall is not just for fashion shoots. Put a cap and gown in front of it and the whole frame changes. The gold side gives graduation portraits a warm, celebratory feel that a plain backdrop simply cannot match. Flip it to silver, and you get something cleaner and more modern.
This 1,040 sq. ft. loft is located at 35-58 37th St, 3rd Floor, Astoria, NY 11106. It has white brick walls, hardwood floors, west-facing windows with warm afternoon light, and a prop kitchen with a dining table and leather couch. The kitchen corner works well for graduates who want a relaxed, at-home look alongside the more formal cap and gown set-ups. Rental rates start at $39.99/hour.
Rent the Loft with Kitchen Astoria 5
A cyc wall gives you a seamless, corner-free background. No distractions. Just the graduate and the light. FD Photo Studio has four cyc wall options in New York, each with a different size, light, and price point.
For graduation shoots that need a lot of space and props, the Cyc Wall Studio LIC 1 is the biggest studio on this list. This 1,520 sq. ft. studio is located at 4020 22nd Street, 4th floor, Long Island City, NY 11101, just 10 minutes from Manhattan. It has a 15×16 ft L-shaped white cyc wall, 11 ft ceilings, and large west-facing windows. Soft indirect light in the morning, direct afternoon sun as the day goes on. The studio also has a prop baby grand piano, a queen-size bed, white steps, and a leather sofa, so you have a real variety within one rental. Rental rates start at $54.99/hour.
The prop baby grand piano in the studio gives you exactly this kind of shot. One pose, leaning against the piano in a cap and gown, gives you a portrait that looks like it was planned for a magazine, not taken in a hurry. The large west-facing windows in the background add natural light that no artificial setup can fully replicate. It is the kind of photo that looks like it took hours to plan, but really just needed the right studio.
Rent the Cyc Wall Studio LIC 1
Need natural light with a cyc wall and a tighter budget? The Daylight Cyc Wall Studio Brooklyn 5 is the most affordable cyc wall option on this list. This 720 sq. ft. studio is located at 114 Scott Ave, 3rd floor, Brooklyn, NY 11237. It has a corner cyc wall, a large west-facing window, a skylight, and built-in AC. Just note that the skylights cannot be blacked out, so some daylight is always present. Studio rates start at $29.99/hour.
Rent the Daylight Cyc Wall Studio, Brooklyn 5
For afternoon and evening shoots, the Cyc Wall Studio Astoria 8 has beautiful evening light that comes through as the day winds down. This 1,000 sq. ft. studio is located at 35-58 37th St, 3rd Floor, Astoria, NY 11106. It has a white cyc wall, hardwood floors, a leather sofa, and an office area with a desk and shelving that works well for grads who want a professional headshot alongside the cap and gown portrait. Rental rates start at $44.99/hour.
Rent the Cyc Wall Studio Astoria 8
When the shoot needs strobe lights only and zero ambient light coming through windows, the White Cyc Wall Studio Metro 6 is the only fully blackout cyc wall option on this list. This 1,000 sq. ft. studio is located at 1003 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, on the ground floor. It has a large corner white cyc wall. Rental rates start at $39.99/hour.
Dr. Bertie photographed by karljeanb at Metro 6
A clean backdrop on a cyc wall gives you exactly this: no corners, no distractions, just the graduate and everything they earned. The Kente stole, the medicine sash, the flowers, all of it reads clearly because nothing in the background competes with it. That is what seamless paper backdrops on a cyc wall do for graduation portraits. You choose the color, roll it down, and the focus stays exactly where it should.
Rent the White Cyc Wall Studio Metro 6
Every studio rental at FD Photo Studio includes three flash units, wireless triggers, c-stands, sandbags, v-flats, a makeup station with mirrors and seating, and free WiFi.
Continuous lighting is available for rent across all studios. Paper backdrops in different colors are available for an extra charge: $29.99 for up to 6 feet on the floor, $59.99 for more than 6 feet, and $75 for a full 36-foot roll. Check the full equipment list for all available and rentable items.
FD Photo Studio has 4, 8, or 12-hour discounted packages that give you better rates than booking single hours. Package hours can be split across days and never expire.
Ready to Rent Your Graduation Studio?
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Call us at +1 (323) 454-2323, or email us at info@fdphotostudio.com. We also have a live support chat on our website where you can get directions, request help, or ask questions.