Golden Hour at the Palace of Fine Arts — Alyssa's SMU Nursing Grad Session

Alyssa reached out a few weeks back wanting something that felt true to where she's headed — not just a grad in a cap and gown, but a future nurse with a stethoscope around her neck and a degree she worked hard for. We settled on the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and honestly I'm glad we did. The rotunda and the lagoon together give you this rare combination of grandeur and calm that's hard to find anywhere else in the Bay.

We started while the sun was still catching the colonnades and the garden path near the east entrance. Alyssa wore a fitted white dress with her navy SMU Nursing stole — Class of 2026, B.S. Nursing — and the contrast against all that warm sandstone was clean and striking. There's a shot of her walking the path with the cap raised, looking back over her shoulder, dress catching the air slightly, and that one just works. You can feel the exhale in it.

For the scrubs portion we moved out toward the lagoon with the rotunda sitting directly behind her. She pulled on her black scrubs and draped her stethoscope around her neck, and the whole energy of the session shifted. Less celebration, more purpose. That's the thing about nursing grads — they're not just finishing school, they're stepping into something that matters every single day. The fountain was running just enough to add texture to the water behind her without being distracting.

We closed the session with a few detail shots up close — her hands holding the cap in front of her stole, the gold '26 tassel charm, the caduceus embroidered into the sash. Those close-ups tell the story the wide shots can't. Four years of clinical hours, late study nights, and skills checkoffs are all right there in the stitching.

Alyssa, you were easy to work with from the first frame. The Palace was a great call, and watching you switch between the dress and the scrubs reminded me exactly why these sessions matter — you're marking two versions of the same person on the same evening. Congratulations, future RN.