Mind the gown return
Hired gowns usually go back on the ceremony day, so book the session around the collection and return times, not just the ceremony.
Graduation Photographer in Central London
Graduation portraits on the day of your ceremony or on a calmer date afterwards, set against Westminster and City landmarks, on your own or with the family who got you there.
The short answer
Can I have graduation photos taken in central London?
Yes. Kaushik Bathia photographs graduates in cap and gown at central London landmarks such as Trafalgar Square, Victoria Embankment Gardens and the area around St Paul's, on the ceremony day or later, solo and with family. He travels about 14 to 15 miles from Northwood, and travel is set out in your written quote. Organised shoots in Royal Parks and City gardens need a permit, so the location is agreed early.
Kaushik did a great job in taking both formal and informal portrait photos. He is an enthusiastic professional photographer who made me feel at ease. The photographs were excellent and have been greatly admired.
We were a little nervous as it was our first photo shoot but Kaushik was very friendly and quickly had our nerves calmed with his charming personality. A great all round experience and we have some fab professional photos that we are very happy with. Highly recommended, 5 Stars :)
Kaushik has been absolutely fantastic!! I called him to book for a photoshoot session for my parents anniversary, last minute with just one day in advance. he was super responsive and was able to accommodate. He was also understanding when they were running late. Even more impressive is that he put my parents at ease and was able to get great shots, its their first photoshoot and it turned out great!
Ceremony day
Photographing the ceremony day before the hired gown goes back
Gown hire is usually returned on the day of the ceremony, so a hired gown points the session towards that day. The useful window is the hour or two either side of the ceremony itself, when you are dressed, the family is together and the light is still good. Tell us the ceremony time and where you collect and return the gown, and the session is planned around those two fixed points.
The formal portrait comes first, with the gown and hood arranged before every frame, then relaxed frames, then the family groups. If parents or grandparents are travelling in for the day, a group picture straight after the ceremony catches everyone before they scatter for lunch around Trafalgar Square or Cheapside.
Landmarks
Trafalgar Square, the Embankment and Westminster as a graduation backdrop
Trafalgar Square, faced by the National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields with Nelson's Column at its centre, gives a graduation portrait a sense of occasion. Its fourth plinth has shown changing artworks since 1999, so the background shifts from year to year. Victoria Embankment Gardens on Villiers Street, opened in 1865, offers formal floral displays and a summer bandstand, which suits a summer ceremony.
Near Parliament, Victoria Tower Gardens lies between the Thames and the Houses of Parliament and holds Rodin's The Burghers of Calais. The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower, renamed in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, are recognisable anywhere. Westminster station on the Circle, District and Jubilee lines puts all of them within a short walk, so a family can move between two settings in one session.
City settings
St Paul's, Paternoster Square and the Barbican for a City graduation
In the City, St Paul's Cathedral, designed by Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710, is the obvious backdrop. Paternoster Square beside it, home of the London Stock Exchange since 2004, frames Wren's relocated Temple Bar gateway, which works well for a graduate heading into finance or law. For a more modern look, the Barbican Estate's brutalist terraces and lake give strong lines behind a black gown.
The City of London Corporation requires a licence or permit for organised photoshoots in its gardens and churchyards, and the Royal Parks need a permit for lifestyle photography, so an outdoor graduation session is arranged with that in mind. A later date also works: if your own gown is available for longer, a separate session in the weeks after the ceremony can be calmer. The graduation photos page explains the session in full.
School leavers
Sixth-form leavers, prom portraits and the family picture that goes on the wall
A cap and gown are not the only milestone worth a portrait. School and sixth-form leavers can have a portrait at the end of their final year, in a prom outfit or smart clothes, and the same central London settings work for that. A short portrait session with a parent or two in the frame marks the end of school in the same way a gown marks the end of a degree, and it makes a good framed present for a grandparent.
If a controlled indoor portrait suits you better, the Northwood studio is the one alternative to a location, with no weather or crowds to work around. For outdoor sessions, Kaushik travels to you, and the journey from Northwood to Trafalgar Square or St Paul's is quoted up front and set out in writing before you book; the session price is given on request by phone or WhatsApp on 07956 505383.
Planning
Planning around Central London
Temple Bar in the frame
Paternoster Square frames Wren's relocated Temple Bar gateway beside St Paul's, a fitting backdrop for a graduate about to start work in the City.
Two settings, one walk
Westminster station puts Victoria Tower Gardens, the Elizabeth Tower and the Embankment within a short walk, so a session can use two backdrops.
Permits for gardens
Organised shoots in City gardens and churchyards need a City of London Corporation licence, and the Royal Parks need a lifestyle photography permit.
Family groups first
If relatives are travelling in, take the group picture straight after the ceremony, before everyone leaves for lunch.
Graduation backdrops in Central London
Landmarks and gardens in Westminster and the City that suit a cap and gown portrait, with the details that help you choose.
- Palace of Westminster: The Palace of Westminster, rebuilt to Charles Barry's Gothic Revival design from 1840, has been Grade I listed since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. 1
- Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben): The clock tower known as Big Ben, completed in 1859 to a design by Augustus Pugin and Charles Barry, was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee; its Great Bell weighs 13.7 tonnes. 2
- Westminster Abbey: Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church of 40 English and British monarchs since 1066 and is a royal peculiar, answerable directly to the sovereign. 3
Sources, facts checked October 2026
Town by town
Graduation portraits across Central London
Graduation sessions in central London are split between Westminster and the City of London, both about 14 to 15 miles from Northwood.
- London (14 miles from the studio)
- Westminster (14 miles from the studio)
- City of London (15 miles from the studio)
Good to know
Graduation photography in Central London: questions answered
Yes. Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Nelson's Column, makes a strong backdrop for a cap and gown portrait. Early in the day is quieter. Tell us your ceremony time and we will plan the session around it.
Gown hire is usually returned on the day, so the ceremony day suits a hired gown. If your own gown is available for longer, or family are travelling from further away, a separate date in the following weeks can be calmer. Both work in central London.
For an organised shoot in the City's gardens and churchyards, the City of London Corporation requires a licence or permit. Casual visitor photos need no permission. Tell us the setting you want and the session is arranged with that in mind.
Yes. The session moves from the graduate on their own to formal and relaxed family frames, using one or two Westminster backdrops. Tell us who is coming so there is time for each group, including grandparents who may want a picture of their own with the graduate.
Yes. School and sixth-form leavers can have a portrait session in the same central London settings, in a prom outfit or smart clothes, on their own or with family. Ask by phone or WhatsApp for the price of a leavers' portrait.
Westminster is about 14 miles from Northwood and the City of London about 15, both within the area Kaushik covers. Travel is set out in your written quote before you book, so the cost is clear from the start.
Graduating this year?
Cap and gown portraits in Westminster and the City
Tell us your ceremony date, where you collect the gown and who is joining the photos, and we will suggest a time and a backdrop.
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