On June 4, 2026, Camayah Visuals was hired by Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui to photograph her handing diplomas to the graduates of Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.
This was our first graduation.
Almost 500 graduates walked across the stage. Every student had a few seconds to receive their diploma, shake hands with the Mayor, and move forward. No second chances. No slowing the ceremony down. Just one moment, one frame, and the responsibility to get it right.
I was nervous, but I was also grateful.
Photographing the Mayor and the Graduates
The assignment was simple on paper. Capture Mayor Siddiqui handing diplomas to the graduating class.
In real time, it moved fast.
Students were walking one after another. Families were cheering. The room was full. The pace did not stop. As a photographer, you have to stay locked in. Focus, frame, shoot, reset, and be ready for the next graduate.
The school also had their own photography team covering the ceremony. One of their photographers was assigned to the same moment I was hired to capture. That could have created confusion because students did not always know which camera to look at. Before the ceremony started, I connected with her. That made a big difference.
Working With Another Photographer
The other photographer was great to work with.
Instead of getting in each other’s way, we worked as a team. We communicated, adjusted, and respected each other’s space. She was using flash, so I made the decision not to use mine. I did not want to interfere with her light or create a distraction during such an important moment.
I trusted my camera, my settings, and the available light. That decision worked.
I was still able to capture clean, sharp, meaningful images of Mayor Siddiqui handing diplomas to the CRLS graduates. Every graduate had their moment documented, and the flow of the ceremony stayed smooth.
After the graduation ceremony, we were able to capture some of the graduates with their families.
That part was special.
Many of the parents are people I grew up with. To see them standing there, proud of their children, hit different. You could see the joy on their faces. You could see the years of sacrifice, support, prayer, love, and encouragement that helped get their children to that day.
Graduation is not just about the student walking across the stage. It is also about the family standing behind them.
As a father, it made me think about our son, Caleb. In three years, God willing, we will be in that same place watching him graduate. Seeing those parents celebrate their children gave me a glimpse of what that moment may feel like for us.
Why This Graduation Mattered
Cambridge is home.
So many of these moments are connected to people, families, schools, and community stories we know personally. That is what made this graduation feel bigger than a photography job.
It was a full circle moment.
We were hired to document a city leader congratulating the next generation of Cambridge graduates. Then after the ceremony, we were able to photograph families celebrating one of the biggest milestones in their children’s lives.
That is the kind of work that matters to us.
Camayah Visuals is not just showing up to take pictures. We are showing up to preserve moments that families, institutions, and the Cambridge community will look back on for years.
Congratulations to the CRLS Class of 2026. Thank you to Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui for bringing us in to document this moment. And thank you to the photographer who worked alongside me with professionalism and grace.
This was our first graduation, but it will not be our last.
