Shelby Studio

What Shelby Studio does

The Shelby Studio is a portrait photography business founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Jacob and Natalie Shelby, originally based in Houston, Texas and relocated to The Hague, Netherlands in 2019. The studio offers family, maternity, newborn, couples, senior, and personal branding portrait sessions, with delivery taking place either at the studio or on-location at clients' homes, businesses, or outdoor settings across the Netherlands. Core photographic output is supported by professional equipment, natural lighting techniques, and in-house retouching capabilities, with Natalie Shelby positioned as a specialist retouch artist with over a decade of professional experience.

The studio's product portfolio centers on a uniform €899 session package that includes a design and styling consultation, the photoshoot itself, and a custom photo album, with optional add-on purchases of digital files, prints, canvases, wall art, and heirloom-quality albums hand-stitched by Italian artisans on archival paper. Hair styling and makeup services are bundled into the session at no additional charge. The business model is deliberately high-touch: orders are placed in person during a dedicated ordering appointment rather than through an online gallery, with an additional ordering appointment available for €100. The headcount is 2-3 individuals (the two founders plus a production assistant), and the business is privately held, bootstrapped, and family-owned with no external investors identified.

The go-to-market relies on content marketing through an extensive blog, organic social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, an email newsletter, and local partnerships with complementary businesses (maternity boutiques, children's stores, preschools, salons) that drive referrals within the target demographic of families and expectant mothers. Customer concentration is overwhelmingly B2C with episodic B2B work (e.g., school portraits for Spanish School 4Kids), and revenue derives entirely from one-time session fees and product add-ons.

Name

Shelby Studio

Legal name

The Shelby Studio

Website

https://theshelbystudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Shelby Studio is a privately held, family-owned portrait photography business operating from The Hague, Netherlands, offering family, maternity, newborn, couples, and personal branding sessions at €899 per session inclusive of styling consultation and a custom album, serving B2C families and expectant mothers with high-touch in-person service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Photography Sessions: Base session fee includes design and styling consultation, the photoshoot, and a custom photo album displaying photos. Sessions are €899.
2. Digital Photo Files: Optional digital copies of photos available for purchase separately.
3. Print and Wall Art Products: Prints, canvases, wall art, and albums available for purchase. Albums are hand-stitched by Italian artisans, printed on archival quality paper lasting up to a century.
4. Additional Ordering Appointment: Additional ordering appointment can be scheduled for €100 if needed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Shelby Studio provides portrait photography sessions including family, maternity, newborn, senior, couples, and personal branding photos. Each €899 session bundles a design and styling consultation, the photoshoot itself, and a custom photo album, with additional prints, wall art, and digital files sold during an in-person ordering appointment. Sessions are delivered in-studio at The Hague and on-location across the Netherlands.

Product overview

The Shelby Studio is a portrait photography studio offering family, maternity, newborn, and personal branding photography services primarily in the Netherlands (The Hague area). The core offering is a unified portrait session experience priced at €899, which includes the design and styling consultation, the photoshoot itself, and a custom photo album. Additional add-on products include custom photo albums (crafted by Italian artisans) and wall art/canvas prints. The studio provides in-studio sessions and on-location shoots across the Netherlands, with styling consultation, hair styling, and makeup services included as part of the experience. The business model centers on an in-person ordering appointment rather than an online gallery system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Albums can last up to a century under normal conditions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• FUNdamentally ToysminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 December 2018The studio photographed children playing with toys at the local Houston toy store as part of their marketing campaign. Parents were invited through FUNdamentally Toys' email list and the shoot took place over two days.
• Spanish School 4KidsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2018The studio provided preschool photography services for the Spanish immersion preschool in Houston. The school owner, Abigail Moran, partnered with them for school portrait sessions.
• A Pea in the Pod (Rice Village)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 November 2017Joint VIP maternity event where moms-to-be could try maternity clothes and get baby pump photos. The studio provided photography services while the store showcased their maternity wear collection. Laura Elton, store manager, collaborated on event planning.
• Beautique Day Spa & SalonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 November 2017Donated gift certificates for the A Pea in the Pod VIP maternity event.
• The Boardroom Salon for MenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 November 2017Donated gift certificates for the A Pea in the Pod VIP maternity event.
• FLO ParisminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 November 2017Provided cakes for the A Pea in the Pod VIP maternity event.
• Chloe Dao BoutiqueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoutique in Rice Village that works closely with the studio, offering clients great options for acquiring outfits for photoshoots at no additional cost.
• Itsy Bitsy BoutiqueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChildren's boutique in River Oaks that offers clients photo-ready clothing options. Studio recommends this location for children's portrait outfits.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Flytographer: Global marketplace connecting travelers with local portrait and vacation photographers. Adjacent comparable to Shelby's lifestyle on-location sessions for international and expat clients in the Netherlands, though delivered via marketplace booking rather than a dedicated studio.
• Snappr: Online marketplace for booking professional photographers across portrait, headshot, and commercial use cases. Comparable on the headshot and personal branding segments Shelby serves, with a markedly different self-service digital ordering model.

Broad incumbents

• Lifetouch: Large-scale U.S. and Canadian school, family, and portrait photography company. Overlaps with Shelby Studio on family and senior portraiture but operates at much greater scale, with a school-day-driven distribution model.
• Portrait Innovations: Multi-location U.S. portrait studio chain offering family, child, and senior portraits with on-site viewing and ordering. Comparable to Shelby Studio on the portrait subject focus and in-person sales motion, but at chain scale rather than independent-boutique scale.

Regional players

• Splento: London-based professional photography platform offering on-demand portrait, event, and commercial photographers. Comparable on the headshot/personal-branding segment but operates primarily in the UK via an online booking and delivery model.
• Gemmell's Photography: Long-established UK portrait photography studio known for family and newborn portraiture with premium wall-art and album products. Highly comparable on positioning (boutique, premium, in-person ordering) but serves the UK rather than the Dutch market.

Direct peers

• Bella Baby Photography: Hospital and studio-based newborn and family portrait photography business operating across multiple U.S. markets. Directly comparable to Shelby Studio on the newborn portrait segment, complementary product mix, and in-person sales approach.
• Mom365: Specializes in newborn, maternity, and family photography with in-hospital and studio sessions, including milestone programs. Comparable to Shelby Studio on maternity/newborn focus and premium add-on product strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheShelbyStudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/theshelbystudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-shelby-studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Shelby Studio