Ymaphoto

What Ymaphoto does

Ymaphoto is a solo-operated portrait photography studio founded in 2012 by Youssef Abdelmalek and headquartered at Touchdown Coworking, 2030 Bristol Circle, Oakville, Ontario, serving clients across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. The studio specializes in professional headshots and portraits across four primary verticals: actor headshots (recommended by top Toronto talent agencies for 15+ years), executive and corporate headshots, personal branding photography, and political/public figure portraits, with an event photography service as a secondary offering. Core delivery is built around a proprietary methodology the studio brands as "Photogenic Engineered," which combines psychology, on-set direction, and intentional lighting, supplemented by large-screen live image review during sessions to allow clients to see frames as they are captured and to participate in real-time selection.

The business operates on a one-time, per-session pricing model with published tiers ranging from $300+ HST for an Actor Mini Session to $2,000+ HST for a Custom Personal Branding session, plus optional add-ons (notably a $300+ HST hair and makeup service) and individually quoted corporate team and political engagements. Payment is collected by e-transfer before the session date, with payment plans available on request for larger packages. The go-to-market is consultation-led: prospective clients book a free 15–20 minute pre-session strategy call via Calendly, with the founder responding personally to inquiries within 24 hours, and demand is generated primarily through SEO-optimized educational blog content targeting Toronto and Oakville headshot queries and through referrals from the established Toronto talent agency network. There is no evidence of external funding, parent company, or institutional ownership; the studio operates as an independent founder-led practice with a 5,000+ cumulative client base built over 15+ years.

Name

Ymaphoto

Legal name

Ymaphoto

Website

https://ymaphoto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ymaphoto is a solo-operated portrait photography studio in Oakville, Ontario, founded in 2012 by Youssef Abdelmalek, specializing in actor, executive, personal branding, and political headshots for clients across Toronto and the GTA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Photography Services

NAICS

Photography Studios, Portrait (541921), Commercial Photography (541922)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAMAI

Photography & Still Production (Stills, Product, Lifestyle)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Production Services for Advertising (Commercial Production, Post)

SECONDARYHSALAHAO

Makeup for Photography/Headshots

Home & Personal Services/Personal Care & Beauty Services/Makeup Services

Keywords

• Portrait photography services
• Professional headshot photography
• Actor headshot sessions
• Executive portrait photography
• Personal branding photography

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Portrait Photography Sessions: One-time photography session fees for actor headshots, executive portraits, personal branding, and political/public figure imagery. Revenue derived from session fees plus optional add-ons like hair and makeup. Standard payment via e-transfer before session date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ymaphoto is a portrait photography studio specializing in professional headshots and portraits for actors, executives, corporate teams, personal branding clients, and political/public figures. Sessions are conducted at the Oakville studio or on location across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, using a psychology-based "Photogenic Engineered" methodology that combines direction, controlled lighting, and real-time monitor review to produce images engineered for specific platforms. Deliverables include custom-retouched files ready for casting submissions, LinkedIn, campaign materials, and brand communications.

Product overview

Ymaphoto is a portrait photography studio offering a portfolio of specialized photography services centered around professional headshots and portraits. The core offerings include Actor Headshots for performers recommended by Toronto talent agencies, Executive & Corporate Headshots for C-suite and leadership teams, Personal Branding Photography for entrepreneurs and public-facing professionals, Event Photography for corporate functions, and Political & Public Figure Portraits. Sessions are structured at various price tiers (Mini Sessions from $300+, Full Sessions from $550+, and Custom-Designed Sessions from $2,000+) with add-on services such as professional hair and makeup. All sessions include pre-session consultation, real-time monitor review, custom retouching, and file delivery for unlimited professional use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Actor Headshots

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ people photographed over 15+ years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Touchdown CoworkingminorOthersStudio space partnership at Bristol Circle location in Oakville. Coworking facility provides the portrait studio environment with controlled lighting and equipment setup.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ian Spanier Photography: Commercial and editorial portrait photographer based in New York serving entertainment, corporate, and personal branding clients. Comparable in serving celebrity, executive, and personal brand portrait needs with similar premium positioning and methodology emphasis.
• Peter Hurley: Famous NYC-based headshot photographer specializing in actor and corporate executive portraits with a similar premium methodology-led positioning. Peter Hurley represents the leading comparable model for sole-practitioner headshot photography built around a personal brand and proprietary methodology.
• The Headshot Truck: Mobile headshot photography service that brings studio-grade portrait equipment directly to client offices across multiple US cities. Operates in the same actor and corporate headshot category as Ymaphoto but with a differentiated on-location delivery model.
• Heidi Hope Headshots: Toronto-based portrait photographer specializing in actor and corporate headshots across the GTA. Direct regional competitor serving the same Toronto actor and executive client segments that Ymaphoto targets.
• Headshots.com: Online headshot booking platform connecting clients with professional photographers for corporate, actor, and executive portraits. Directly comparable as a multi-photographer headshot service operating in the same professional headshot category as Ymaphoto.

Emerging players

• Brooke Shaden: Portrait and fine-art photographer who has built an education platform around her creative methodology and lighting techniques. Comparable to Ymaphoto in photography craft and methodology-led branding, with an emerging focus on training and content productization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ymastudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/ymaphoto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ymaphoto

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 Ymaphoto