Case Study · Portland Seminary
The year Portland Seminary's team got to eat lunch at commencement
How a seminary went from splitting the job between two vendors to handing Kolstad Media the whole day.
Commencement Photography & Event Coverage · Portland, OR
10 hours
Two ceremonies, one team, 9am to 7pm
3 portraits
Hooding, dean and diploma, and backdrop for every graduate
9 in 10
Graduates opened and responded to their gallery emails
Year 2
From splitting the job to owning the whole day
Where they started
Commencement is Portland Seminary's biggest day of the year. The team is on site from 9am to 7pm hosting two ceremonies, with hundreds of families watching graduates cross the stage after years of work.
For photography, the seminary used a large, university-endorsed commencement company. It was the safe choice. But the team wanted more than posed portraits. They wanted event coverage that felt alive on social media, and they liked the idea of supporting a local, independent company. So the first season, they split the job: portraits went to the big vendor, and Kolstad Media covered the event and social content.
The proofs came back green
Then the incumbent delivered their proofs. Every photo had a green tinge.
In Heather Rainey's words: "When the other company provided proofs that all had a green tinge, we knew that shifting entirely to Kolstad Media was the way to go." The next season, the whole day was ours.
What the full day looked like
Two ceremonies, ten hours on site. Every graduate received a three-portrait set: the hooding moment, the dean and diploma, and a formal backdrop portrait. Around the ceremonies, our team captured the candid event coverage the seminary wanted in the first place.
Afterward, every graduate got a personal email with their own gallery, not a link buried on a school webpage. More than nine in ten graduates opened and responded to their gallery emails.
Most of the work that made the day smooth happened before it. As Heather put it, questions get answered on both sides before anyone sets foot in the venue, so graduation day itself holds no surprises.
“I honestly never worried about the coverage. I work with a lot of different types of vendors and Caleb is easily one of the most professional and easy to work with individuals I contract. He delivers what he promises with confidence and the quality is outstanding. I know if there were an issue, Caleb would handle it with integrity.”
Heather Rainey
Program and Operations Manager, Portland Seminary
“It gave us space to actually eat our lunch! Knowing we can just point the Kolstad Media team where we want them and they'll make it happen is a gift. It's less about the actual time saved and more about the mental load that is lifted. It's one aspect of the day that I know I don't have to worry about.”
Heather Rainey
Program and Operations Manager, Portland Seminary
Your biggest day deserves a team like this
Commencement, campaign launch, or the film your mission has been waiting for. Tell us what is coming and we will help you plan it early.