Before Heather Diehl and Samantha Lewis tackled end-of-semester projects, papers and exams, they survived a different busy season: graduation photos.

These two seniors were among the go-to photographers their classmates hired to capture images that serve as memories of their time in Chapel Hill.

From the day students could purchase caps and gowns in mid-March through April, Diehl and Lewis combined for 90-plus photoshoots, creating pictures at traditional University landmarks — like the Old Well, Bell Tower and Kenan Stadium — to Coker Arboretum, the Dean E. Smith Center and inside research labs.

The daily routine Diehl grew accustomed to? “Arriving to the Old Well at 7 a.m.,” classes from 9 a.m. into the afternoon, photo editing, a quick nap and more photos later.

Photographer Heather Diehl ’25 directs Riley Quartermain ’25 while making graduation photos for her near the steps of Wilson Library on April 21, 2025, on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

But the work was enjoyable for Diehl and Lewis, who both made photography and photojournalism a big part of their Carolina experience through roles at The Daily Tar Heel, class projects and internships.

Photographing their fellow graduates was a full-circle way to end college. Diehl even worked with someone she met at first-year orientation.

“I was like ‘this is so full circle.’ You’re one of the first people I met at Carolina,” Diehl said. “It makes me very sentimental in a lot of ways.”

Photographer Samantha Lewis ’25 (in background) makes graduation photos for seniors (left to right) Shaena Riddles, Brittany Harrelson and Nick Clementi as they cross East Cameron Avenue in front of the Old Well on April 16, 2025, on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

‘This girl is good’

Shaena Riddles, Brittany Harrelson and Nick Clementi got up early on a mid-April morning and put on their graduation garb.

These three friends met at Granville Towers as first-years. Lewis made photos of them at the Old Well, and the photoshoot spanned campus, with stops in front of South Building near the University seal, the steps of Wilson Library and the Bell Tower.

“We actually met her freshman year, too,” Riddles, a chemistry major from Greensboro, said of Lewis.

While Lewis greatly enjoys photographing her buds, most assignments are with people she’s never met.

“I posted myself on Parents of UNC and UNC ’25,” referring to Facebook groups. “I’ve been pushing it out on my social media for a while. A lot of strangers found me that way. Someone put my Instagram on Reddit and was like, ‘This girl is good.’”

Word-of-mouth marketing and social media also helped Diehl.

Riley Quartermain, an English and comparative literature major and member of the golf team, scrolled through Instagram and saw someone post their graduation photos, taken by Diehl.

Impressed, she thought Diehl’s photos went beyond what you typically see. Quartermain also liked the idea of supporting a fellow student.

Diehl, a media and journalism major at the UNC Hussman School, said making graduation photos and marketing her photography have helped prepare her for future freelance photography opportunities. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Photos that live on

Diehl has made graduation photos since she was a first-year, and Lewis began her sophomore year. Both have seen growth in the number of photoshoots and how they photograph and operate as freelancers.

“The first year I did maybe three or four,” Diehl said.

Lewis looks back at a photoshoot with an entire fraternity class as a confidence-builder.

“I’m feeling really intimidated, but then I jump into it and it’s like, ‘I do know what I’m doing.’ This is fun, and I’m good at the creative direction.”

One of Diehl’s memorable photoshoots came with a friend who conducted neuroscience research involving the brains of rats. She photographed her in her lab coat in the lab as she explained her work.

One of the most rewarding parts of making graduation photos for Lewis is seeing them appear on social media. “Even if they don’t social post them, they get very quietly added as a profile picture. I think that is one of my very favorite things to see online,” said Lewis, who’s double majoring in media and journalism and communication studies. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Both have had their own graduation photos taken. Lewis had hers done by a fellow student, Hannah Zinn, and one of Diehl’s friends took hers — in the rain at Kenan Stadium with press passes dangling from her arms.

After graduating, Diehl will intern at the Boston Globe, and Lewis will join the Disney College Program in August.

They’re glad they played an important role for fellow graduates and recent alumni.

“These photos will live on for all of these clients for a long time,” Lewis said. “It’s really important that they’re happy.”