What Irvin Simon Photographers does

Irvin Simon Photographers is a family-owned school photography company founded in 1946 in Long Island, New York, and headquartered in Elmont, NY. The company specializes in K-12 school Picture Day photography, senior portraits, yearbook production, and adjacent verticals including camp, youth sports, and family portraits, serving hundreds of schools primarily in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT). Its product portfolio spans core school and senior portraits, Freestyle and family portraits, yearbooks built on Pictavo online software, Student ID and KidSafe cards, sports and camp photography, professional retouching services, and custom photo gifts sold through PictureDay.com.

The company's underlying technology stack centers on a proprietary online ordering platform (PictureDay.com) that enables parents to view and order portraits remotely, eliminating the need for schools to collect payments or paper forms. Yearbook production is supported by Pictavo software, offering templates, art libraries, access controls, and collaboration tools. On-site production is standardized on the Panasonic LUMIX S5II full-frame mirrorless camera system with custom firmware for volume photography, including customizable frame guides, barcode scanning integration, and locked camera configurations, following a year-long pilot completed in 2025 and formalized as a strategic partnership in March 2026. The company employs 101-250 people and operates a dedicated Account Manager sales motion targeting schools and PTAs.

The revenue model is transaction-based across multiple streams: school Picture Day packages, yearbook sales and production, camp and sports photography, and custom photo gift products. Go-to-market combines direct B2B sales to schools (via Account Managers, phone, and proposal forms) with direct-to-consumer online ordering for parents through PictureDay.com. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but the company offers a Family Plan Rebate Program (free third student package for families with 3+ students) and a Picture Day Pay prepayment system. Schools may receive commissions or free services in exchange for hosting Picture Day, and the company's fundraising programs have reportedly helped schools raise millions of dollars over time.

Name

Irvin Simon Photographers

Legal name

Irvin Simon Photographers

Website

https://irvinsimon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Irvin Simon Photographers is a family-owned school photography company founded in 1946, serving K-12 schools, camps, and youth sports organizations primarily in the tri-state area with Picture Day, senior portraits, yearbooks, and custom photo products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

School Photography Services

NAICS

Photography Studios, Portrait (541921), Photographic Services (54192), Commercial Photography (541922)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Party Photography & Videography Services (HSACACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)

Keywords

• School photography
• Yearbook production
• Senior portraits
• Picture day services
• Camp photography

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. School Photography Services: Revenue from photographing students at schools during Picture Day events. Parents purchase photo packages (prints, digital images, custom products) after the event through the online ordering system. Schools may receive commissions or free services in exchange for hosting Picture Day.
2. Yearbook Sales and Production: Revenue from designing, printing, and selling yearbooks to schools. Includes cover customization options, personalization, binding choices, and various add-on services.
3. Camp and Sports Photography: Photography services for summer camps and youth sports organizations, with photo packages sold directly to families.
4. Custom Photo Products and Gifts: Custom photo gifts including mugs, magnets, ornaments, calendar clings, mounted prints, and travel mugs sold through PictureDay.com.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Irvin Simon Photographers delivers school photography services including Picture Day student portraits, senior portraits, and yearbook design and production for K-12 schools, summer camps, and youth sports organizations. Parents and families order prints, digital images, yearbooks, and custom photo gifts through the company's PictureDay.com online ordering platform, with products shipped directly to homes.

Product overview

Irvin Simon Photographers operates as a comprehensive school photography and yearbook service provider with a unified portfolio centered on Picture Day and related products. The core offering consists of school photos and senior portraits, supported by creative options like Freestyle Portraits and supplementary services including sports photography, camp photography, and family portraits. The company also provides yearbook creation services using the Pictavo online software platform, which includes templates, cover customization options (full-color, leatherette, lenticular), and an online community feature for photo uploads and ad design. Additional products include Student ID Cards, KidSafe ID Cards, photo retouching services, and custom photo gifts (mugs, ornaments, magnets, calendars). The service integrates online ordering through PictureDay.com and direct shipping to families, supported by a Picture Day Planning Guide for schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Photos (Picture Day) Core school photography service delivering student portraits on Picture Day for K-12 schools. Includes dedicated Picture Day planning, high-resolution digital images for yearbooks, and supplementary offerings such as Student ID Cards, Student Stickers, and Yearbooks.
• Senior Portraits High school senior photography program offering a comprehensive selection of poses, backgrounds, and styles with a personalized start-to-finish experience for faculty, yearbook advisors, parents, and students, including seamless integration with yearbook providers and online viewing and ordering.
• Freestyle Portraits Creative portrait option allowing students to showcase individuality through non-traditional photos, capturing authentic moments beyond conventional school portraits with fun poses and props.
• Sports Photography Professional sports photography services for youth athletes, delivered by an experienced sports photography team to capture young athletes in action.
• Camp Photography Specialized photography services for camps, with photographers trained to handle the unique challenges of working with children in camp environments.
• Family Portraits Family portrait program offered to school clients, providing families with a wide selection of poses and looks with seamless online ordering and direct shipping to parents.
• Yearbooks Yearbook creation service using Pictavo online software, featuring professionally designed templates, cover options (including full-color, leatherette, and lenticular covers), customization tools, online community for photo uploads and ad design, and webinar support for yearbook advisors.
• Student ID Cards Student identification card production services included with school photography programs.
• KidSafe ID Cards Safety-focused identification cards for students.
• Photo Gifts Custom photo gift products including personalized mugs, travel mugs, water bottles, magnets, calendar clings, mounted prints, and holiday ornaments featuring school portraits, sold through PictureDay.com.
• Photo Retouching Services Professional retouching options including Premium Facial Retouching (blemish reduction, skin smoothing), Teeth Whitening, and Stray Hair Reduction services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Schools have raised millions of dollars through fundraising programs

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Panasonic LUMIXcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 March 2026Strategic partnership designating Panasonic LUMIX as the official camera provider for Irvin Simon. The company standardizes on the LUMIX S5II full-frame mirrorless camera system with custom firmware for volume photography workflows, including customizable frame guides, barcode scanning integration, and locked camera configurations. The partnership followed a year-long pilot program and in-field testing throughout 2025.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Herff Jones: Yearbook, graduation, and class-ring provider serving US high schools. Comparable on yearbook production and senior/graduation photography adjacencies.
• Jostens: Major provider of yearbooks, class rings, and graduation products to K-12 schools. Directly overlaps with Irvin Simon's yearbook and senior portrait offerings.
• Dorian Studio: School and youth photography company offering Picture Day, senior portraits, and yearbook services. Comparable in service mix and K-12 channel focus.
• Inter-State Studio: Regional school photography company serving K-12 schools with Picture Day and related products. Closely comparable as a direct competitor in school portrait services.
• SchoolPix: Online school photo ordering platform used by many schools and photographers for Picture Day delivery. Comparable technology layer in the parent-ordering workflow.
• Lifetouch (Shutterfly): The largest US school photography company, now part of Shutterfly. Directly comparable as a national K-12 Picture Day, yearbook, and class portrait provider with enterprise-scale operations.
• Marathon Press: Yearbook printing and design company serving schools. Comparable on the yearbook production side of Irvin Simon's offering.
• Walsworth Yearbooks: Yearbook publisher and producer serving K-12 schools with design, printing, and software tools. Comparable as a Pictavo-adjacent yearbook provider.

Emerging players

• Picture Day by GotPhoto: Software platform providing online photo sales, workflow, and lab services to volume school photographers. Comparable as an enabling technology layer rather than a direct photographer competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Balfour: Large incumbent in school memory products including yearbooks, class rings, and graduation announcements. Comparable on yearbook and graduation adjacent offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irvin Simon Photographers