what is correct position of graduation tassel in portraits (left or right?)

MUTURI KANINI · Jan 10, 2016

it is a universal consensus and ritual that the graduation tassel gets flipped from the right side to the left side during the graduation ceremony .when i google images of graduation portraits most tassels appear to be on the right side.

for those who shoot graduation portraits is this something you sweat about because it appears its not a big deal.i personally like placing it on the left .

Bobby49 · Jan 10, 2016

Despite where the tassel is, sometimes the photographer flips the digital image to reverse right and left. So, you never know where it ends up appearing.

Victor Engel · Jan 11, 2016

Bobby49 said:
Despite where the tassel is, sometimes the photographer flips the digital image to reverse right and left. So, you never know where it ends up appearing.

Switching an image left-right, in my opinion, is a very bad idea because most people's faces are asymmetrical. Flipping the image may make the image look more familiar to the subject (who is used to seeing his/her image in the mirror), but it will make it less familiar to everyone else.

--
Victor Engel

Bobby49 · Jan 11, 2016

Sometimes a high school yearbook publisher will flip some portrait side-to-side in order to make it fit with the page better. That doesn't make it right.

Victor Engel · Jan 11, 2016

Bobby49 said:
Sometimes a high school yearbook publisher will flip some portrait side-to-side in order to make it fit with the page better. That doesn't make it right.

At the school I went to that would have been students on the yearbook staff. I wonder how common that is.

photolando · Jan 12, 2016

Victor Engel said:
Bobby49 said:

Sometimes a high school yearbook publisher will flip some portrait side-to-side in order to make it fit with the page better. That doesn't make it right.

Click to expand...

At the school I went to that would have been students on the yearbook staff. I wonder how common that is.

Victor Engel · Jan 12, 2016

Good point. I don't think we had cap/gown pictures in our yearbook. My point was simply that there was a student group in charge or the layout of the yearbook. So IF such a picture were included, the decisions about it would be made by students.

tessar 75 · Jan 14, 2016

I sometimes work for a medium size graduation photography company

and the Tassel is always on the left , I have asked why but no one really knows, its the way they have always done it !

MUTURI KANINI · Jan 14, 2016

tessar 75 said:
I sometimes work for a medium size graduation photography company

and the Tassel is always on the left , I have asked why but no one really knows, its the way they have always done it !

because the person has graduated and he/ she already flipped the tassel?...its just a tradition...just like in weddings you will be told the bride has to be on the left side (in most christian weddings whereas in a Jewish wedding its the opposite)

photolando · Jan 14, 2016

From what I understand, the "crossing of the tassel" signifies you are "crossing" from one group, student, to join another group, the graduates. All the teachers and professors or whoever else is on stage, "the graduates" already have their tassel on the left so when you get your diploma, and cross your hassle, you are signifying that you are joining them and all other graduates.

So a photo of them with the tassel on the left would be correct since it is suppose to be a portrait of them as a graduate.

dad_of_four · Jan 14, 2016

This is typed kinda tongue-in-cheek, but:

If the viewer of your photos is concerned about what side the tassel is on,
then you have a boring photograph.

MUTURI KANINI · Jan 14, 2016

dad_of_four said:
This is typed kinda tongue-in-cheek, but:

If the viewer of your photos is concerned about what side the tassel is on,
then you have a boring photograph.

for the 'sophisticated types' putting it on the right side is considered a faux pas and the photographer comes out looking ignorant....imagine a scenario where you are taking photos of a vice chancellor etc in official regalia....

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what is correct position of graduation tassel in portraits (left or right?)

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