Meet the Graduate
Meet Barbara, a Psychology major with a minor in Forensic Studies, graduating from San Jose State University, class of 2022! Barbara is originally from Los Angeles, CA. When asked why she decided to attend SJSU, Barbara replied “I chose SJSU because I loved that it reminded me of home and how inclusive it was with its diversity. My favorite moment of college was when I met all of my best friends for the first time and traveled with them to San Francisco and Santa Cruz.” During her time as a Spartan, Barbara was also a McNair Scholar and conducted her own research study that will be published at the SJSU library. Barbara is also a Student Mentor for the EOP Program and mentors first generation college students. In addition, she was also a Peer Health Educator through the student health center.
Q&A Time
What is your favorite thing to do in the summer?
“My favorite thing to do in the summer is to go to the beach and travel to new places.”
If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
“Empathetic, Funny, and Honest”
What do your grad photos mean to you?
“My grad photos mean everything to me! I am the first person in my family to graduate from a university so having these as a memory will always be special to me.”
What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your life?
“I would like to receive my Ph.D. in clinical psychology and open up my own therapy practice for low income minorities.”
What’s something my readers would be surprised to learn about you?
“I had surgery at the beginning of my last semester of college and still went to classes 2 weeks post op.”
What’s your favorite quote or saying?
“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher”
The Shoot
This grad season in Northern California has been rather windy. Although it’s not impossible to get good photos in windy conditions, it does complicate the process slightly. We have to constantly fix hair and readjust wardrobe. Luckily for us, San Jose State has a few locations that are almost weather proof.
We began our session with Barbara at a staircase inside the student union. This location is not insta popular yet, but I love how it photographs and Barbara was a good sport and went with the flow. Two positive thing about shooting indoors; AC conditioning and 2. No wind 😀
Next, we slid over to the 7th street plaza to capture some photos infront of the palm trees. We caught a great blue sky day, that really popped in our photoshoot. After, we moved on to the front of the school and shot a few frames with some green tree pathway. I love how Barbara’s dress stood out in this background.
Finally, we shot some photos in front of tower lawn. There was a few people at this location, so we had to work our angles to get the cleanest possible shots. I also took Barbara to an elevated location, which allows to capture the tower in the background but eliminate all the foot traffic distractions since they get covered with trees.
Below are some of our favorite SJSU grad portraits with Barbara. Enjoy!
Sergio did my grad photos for my college graduation and I loved them! I got so many compliments on the final photos. 10/10 recommend!!
Barbara
Estrada Photos is wedding and portrait photography company based out of Sacramento California, with coverage expanding throughout greater parts of the Bay Area. We specialize in weddings, family portraits, senior portraits, and engagement sessions. In addition, we take pride in capturing each of our clients personality, and creating beautiful imagery that will last a lifetime. For more information about our services, click here.
