Iris professional photo booth
Free professional photos for students and recent graduates, provided by Career and Professional Development
Free professional photos for students for your LinkedIn profile, your Handshake profile, and other professional purposes.
- Introduced in fall semester 2022!
- Career and Professional Development is pleased to offer our Iris professional photo booth, a new, improved service of free professional photos for students and alumni who have graduated within the past two years.
- Available by appointment Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm.
(excluding dates/times the university or CPD are closed noted in office hours) - Please read below for complete information.
- This service is free for Virginia Tech students and alumni.
- Yes. In order to ensure you have a guaranteed timeslot to use the photo booth, you must schedule an appointment in Handshake; select "Professional Photos."
- This will be a 15-minute appointment; plan to arrive, ready for your photo session, at least five minutes early.
- You must schedule your appointment at least 24 hours in advance.
- If you need to cancel: You must view and cancel your appointment on Handshake, or call us immediately if you cannot cancel on Handshake.
- This service is provided as a courtesy to all students. Skipping a scheduled appointment not only deprives other students of that time slot, but is also unprofessional. We reserve the right to block you from making future appointments during the semester if we see a pattern of not showing up for your scheduled time.
- Iris can be used by currently-enrolled students and by alumni within two years of graduation.
- For summer 2023, through August 18, Virginia Tech faculty and staff may use iris free of charge, by appointment. For more information and whom to contact, see this Virginia Tech news article for details.
- The Iris photo booth is self-service with a touch screen, high-quality lighting, and camera equipment.
- Information about getting ready for your photo, on the Iris photo booth website.
- When your appointment begins, you will enter the Iris booth, sit on the adjustable stool, and follow the prompts on the screen.
- You will enter your VT email address and accept terms to continue.
- To take and edit your photos, continue to follow the prompts on the screen.
- Your photos are immediately emailed to you for downloading, and you can then do additional edits.
- The Iris professional photo booth is self-service and wheelchair accessible. Staff are available to assist you if needed.
- If you need assistance or accommodation to schedule or use the Iris professional photo booth, please contact Ashley L. Roberts at ashleylr@vt.edu or 540-231-4974.
- As little as 20 minutes in Smith Career Center.
- Arrive, ready and wearing your professional attire, five minutes before the start time of your 15-minute appointment.
- Once you enter the booth, the process should take about five to seven minutes.
- Remember to allow extra time before your appointment if you need to change into your professional clothing.
- The booth will take a series of three photos during your session. You must have all three photos taken during your session in order for the photos to be saved properly in the system.
- Your photos will be emailed to you immediately after your session.
- Yes. While you are in the photo booth, you will have the option to retake your photos and/or edit them as needed. Editing includes teeth whitening, blemish removal, skin softening, etc.
- You can do further edits after your session: Your photos are emailed to you, so you can download and edit them.
- There is currently no limit to how many times a student, alumnus, or alumna may schedule an appointment to use the Iris professional photo booth.
- However, at the discretion of Career and Professional Development, and depending on the circumstances, a person who no-shows could be blocked from use for the remainder of the semester. No-showing for a scheduled appointment deprives other students of that time slot, and is unprofessional.
- Smith Career Center, second floor accessible by stairs or elevator.
- On arrival on your appointment date, use the Handshake kiosk to swipe your Hokie Passport to check in for your appointment. Signage will direct you where to go.
- Dress professionally, and be aware the portrait will not include your lower body, so you can dress accordingly.
- Professional attire generally means a dark-colored suit and solid-colored shirt or blouse.
- It's fine to wear a white shirt/blouse under a dark jacket. But avoid wearing white as your outer layer (white jacket, or white shirt/blouse without a dark jacket over it). Why? The portrait background is light, so a white outer layer might not give sufficient contrast.
- For tips, see how to dress for an interview.
- More about getting ready for your photo, on the Iris photo booth website.
- Yes. You can arrive early and use a restroom to change clothing. There are restrooms on the hallway of both the first and second floors of Smith Career Center.
- Allow sufficient time to do this, so your use of the photo booth starts and ends on time.
- CPD offers Virginia Tech students the opportunity to shop for free professional attire through our Career Outfitters program, which is also an appointment-based service (offered during fall and spring semesters; not available in summer, because it is staffed by a student intern). Learn more about Career Outfitters.
- Be aware that the inventory for Career Outfitters is based on donations, so there is no guarantee you will find exactly what you want or need. So, we advise that you not schedule your photo booth appointment until you are sure you have attire that will serve your needs for your professional photo.
- As stated above, the photo booth is available to alumni who have graduated within the past two years.
- For summer 2023, through August 18, Virginia Tech faculty and staff may use iris free of charge, by appointment.
- To make an appointment, email Ashley L. Roberts at ashleylr@vt.edu, SUBJECT LINE: iris photo booth appointment request. Be patient for a response. There is no need to call.
- DO NOT attempt to use Handshake to make an appointment. Faculty and staff cannot make appointments in Handshake.
Appointments for iris opened in Handshake on Monday, September 12, 2022.
Appointments are available to currently-enrolled students and alumni within two years after graduation.
Contact for questions not addressed on this page:
If you have questions or need assistance scheduling or using the Iris professional photo booth, please contact Ashley L. Roberts at ashleylr@vt.edu or 540-231-4974.