What Hotshots Photography does

Hot Shots Imaging operates as a B2B2C photo concessionaire, partnering with tourist attractions, amusement parks, and experiential event operators to capture, sell, and deliver guest photography and video. The company serves several million guests annually across a footprint that includes marquee sites such as Hoover Dam (Bureau of Reclamation), Ruby Falls, Mt. Olympus, Dole Plantation, Dells Army Ducks, WildThing! Jetboats, Bigfoot Zipline, and corporate clients including MillerCoors and The Marvel Experience. Its core platform comprises three proprietary components: StoriCloud, a social media and digital delivery system for guest photos; the Barracuda HD Video System, engineered to capture high-definition video under extreme outdoor conditions; and an On-site/Online imaging solution that supports capture, online sales, and digital fulfillment.

The company monetizes through a revenue-share model with attraction partners plus direct transaction fees on photo and merchandise sales to guests. A bundle of add-on services — including Virtual Studio (green screen), Roving Photography, Thrill Ride Photography, Photo Products, Digital Delivery, and Specialty Merchandise — extends revenue capture per guest at each venue. Operationally, Hot Shots runs decentralized concession teams at each partner site, coordinated by a centralized management team of approximately 12 executives based in Wisconsin Dells, WI. No external funding has been raised; the company is bootstrapped and privately held under CEO Adam Seymer and CFO Jason Field. Growth has been driven by geographic expansion across the U.S. (Southeast, Midwest, West), new venue onboarding, and reported per-venue sales uplifts including a 280% increase at Hoover Dam and a 400% per-capita lift at WildThing! Jetboats.

Name

Hotshots Photography

Legal name

Hot Shots Imaging

Website

https://hotshotsimaging.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hot Shots Imaging is a B2B2C photo concessionaire that operates on-site photography and video capture systems at U.S. tourist attractions, amusement parks, and experiential events, monetizing through revenue-share partnerships and direct guest transactions across dozens of partner venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourist Attraction Photo Concession Services

NAICS

Commercial Photography (541922)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photography & Still Production (Stills, Product, Lifestyle) (MPAAAMAI)

Keywords

• Photo concession services
• Tourist attraction photography
• Thrill ride video capture
• Social media photo platform
• Venue imaging solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Wisconsin Dells

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Photo Concession Revenue Share: Hot Shots operates photo concessions at partner attractions, providing all staff and equipment. The company takes a portion of photo and merchandise sales revenue, returning incremental revenue to the partner venue at no start-up cost or ongoing overhead expense to the attraction.
2. Photo Merchandise Sales: Sale of physical photo products including frames, collages, badges, and magnets customized for each attraction. Revenue generated from impulse purchases at host attractions.
3. Digital Photo Delivery: Digital delivery options utilizing StoriCloud platform, opening new marketplace opportunities after guests complete their visit through online photo purchases and downloads.
4. Video Purchase Sales: Sale of professionally-edited video recordings captured by the Barracuda Video System during thrill rides and extreme tour experiences. Videos available for immediate viewing and purchase after guest experience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hot Shots Imaging operates photo concessions at tourist attractions and entertainment venues, providing all staff, equipment, and operational management at no startup cost to the partner. The company captures guest photos and videos during experiences such as tours, thrill rides, and themed attractions, then sells physical photo merchandise and digital deliverables on-site and through its StoriCloud social media platform, sharing revenue with the host venue.

Product overview

Hot Shots Imaging operates as a turn-key photo concession solution for tourist attractions, combining on-site photo and video capture with social media marketing integration. The portfolio includes three core products: StoriCloud (social media marketing platform for guest-driven viral promotion), Barracuda Video (HD video capture system for extreme conditions), and On-site/Online (integrated imaging solutions). These are supported by specialized capture methods (Virtual Studio green screen, Roving Photography, Thrill Ride Photography) and delivery options (Photo Products, Digital Delivery via StoriCloud, Specialty Merchandise). The company operates on a revenue-sharing model with host partners, providing staff, equipment, and operational management at no cost to venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StoriCloud: A fully-integrated social media marketing platform that allows guests to add venue-specific overlays and custom graphics to photos and upload them to social media.
• Barracuda Video
• On-site/Online

Products and services

• StoriCloud Fully-integrated social media marketing platform that enables guests to add venue-specific overlays and custom graphics to their photos and upload them directly to social media platforms, enabling guest-driven viral marketing at no additional cost to the attraction.
• Barracuda Video System High-definition video capture system designed for extreme tour conditions including boat rides and helicopter tours, featuring waterproof and shockproof cameras, GPS-controlled start/stop, picture-in-picture multi-angle capture, and real-time professional video editing available immediately after the guest experience.
• On-site/Online Imaging Solutions Imaging solutions combining on-site photo and video capture offerings with fully-integrated social media solutions to extend the guest experience and encourage real-time documentation and sharing at tourist attractions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 280% increase in photo/merchandise sales at Hoover Dam location
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB)minorOthersHot Shots Imaging is a proud member of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau, supporting local tourism industry networking and promotion.
• Passenger Vessel Association (PVA)minorOthersIndustry association membership supporting passenger vessel operators and related tourism businesses.
• American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA)minorOthersIndustry association membership demonstrating commitment to animal-containing attractions and entertainment venues.
• Florida Attractions Association (FAA)minorOthersIndustry association membership for Florida-based attractions providing networking and advocacy.
• International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA)minorOthersGlobal trade association for the amusement industry providing networking, education, and advocacy for attractions worldwide.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Getty Images: Getty Images is a global visual content and stock photography marketplace with a large commercial assignment and event-photo business. It is comparable only at the broadest level — professional imagery capture and licensing — and is not a direct competitor in attraction photo concessions.
• Nations Photo Lab: Nations Photo Lab is a professional-grade photo printing and merchandise fulfillment lab used by event and attraction photographers. It is comparable as a photo-merchandise supplier that supports the same kind of souvenir print, frame, and collage outputs Hot Shots sells at attractions.
• Shutterfly: Shutterfly is a major U.S. consumer photo printing, merchandise and digital delivery platform. It is comparable to Hot Shots on the photo-merchandise and digital-delivery side of the business (frames, prints, badges, digital downloads) and represents an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• SmugMug: SmugMug operates a photo storage, sharing, and print-commerce platform for professional and enthusiast photographers. It is comparable to Hot Shots as an enabling technology and digital-delivery layer that could either partner with or compete against StoriCloud for post-visit photo access.

Broad incumbents

• Six Flags (in-park photo operations): Six Flags operates themed entertainment parks across the U.S. and maintains its own on-ride photo and souvenir capture services. It is comparable as a major in-house attraction photo operator representing both a potential competitor and a large prospect for outsourced photo-concession partnerships.
• Cedar Fair (in-park photo operations): Cedar Fair operates one of the largest U.S. regional theme park portfolios and runs its own on-ride photo and merchandise programs. It is comparable as a large in-house photo concession operator at attractions that Hot Shots could partner with — or compete against — for ride-photo capture work.
• Disney PhotoPass: Disney PhotoPass is Disney's in-house photo and video capture service across Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts. It is comparable as a large-scale attraction photo-capture operation with proprietary linking, digital delivery, and merchandise extensions — the principal in-house benchmark Hot Shots is competing against for premium attraction contracts.

Direct peers

• Magic Memories: Magic Memories is the largest dedicated photo and video capture concession operator at tourist attractions worldwide (SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Merlin Entertainments, etc.). It is the most directly comparable competitor to Hot Shots Imaging, operating the same photo-concession, revenue-share model with attractions across multiple geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=QOZg-sBQ-r4
• Facebookfacebook.com/DellsHotShots
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hot-shots-imaging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Hotshots Photography