Capturing Dark Academia in the Library Stacks
There’s something captivating about the dark academia aesthetic—moody, intellectual, and filled with the allure of hidden knowledge. If there is one thing I love it is a dark and moody vibe. Recently, I had the chance to bring this theme to life in a grad session, set against the dimly lit stacks of books. So this session was the perfect combination of vintage charm and academic intrigue. Just breath in the old book smell and prepare yourself for this dark academia grad session.
How it all started
I met Audrey when I lived in the DFW area and I was mainly focusing on senior portraits. She was on my senior model team so I was able to take so many cute photos over the course of her high school senior year. Now flash forward four years I have moved to Lubbock, Texas. Audrey graduated high school and came to Lubbock for college. I say time and time again, one of my favorite things is being able to have multiple sessions with people. I tend to become attached to my clients because they are so cool and I just want to take all the photos of them. Being able to celebrate and capture someones life time and time again is such a surreal experience.
This shoot was a perfect reminder of the power of atmosphere. Framing the shots was an exciting challenge. Shooting from between the bookshelves added a sense of depth, creating immersive images that made the viewer feel part of the scene. The narrow aisles and towering shelves naturally drew the eye toward the model, amplifying the overall mood. Setting up the composition of each shot was cool with all the leading lines of the shelves and overhead lights.
So now that you have ventured this far, be sure to check out this blog post if you are currently looking for a senior photographer. For more dark academia content check out a senior photoshoot I did in a dark academia vibe house. And for current updates check out my TikTok and Instagram.
