Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Your Trusted School Photography Partner Since 1947
Van Gough School Photographers has been a leader in the school photography industry for over 70 years. Founded in 1947 by Joseph Zucco and Juanita Zucco, our family-owned business began as Picture Master Color Lab with a mission to deliver studio-quality images in school settings at affordable prices. Over seven decades, our company has evolved into a premier provider of school portraits, yearbooks, and personalized photo products, serving schools, students, and families with unmatched quality and service. Our team includes professional photographers, graphic designers, and production specialists who work together under one roof in our 40,000-square-foot Barrington, IL facility to ensure rapid turnaround and exceptional consistency. We invest heavily in the latest technology, including green screen innovations, to create customizable, long-lasting images that capture every childs unique spirit.Our photographers are full-time, background-checked professionals who prioritize comfort and confidence during sessions. With a dedicated sales force, organized staff, and customer service team, we handle every detail of Picture Day seamlessly for administrators while offering families diverse options for prints, keepsakes, and gifts. Our commitment to quality extends to our materials, processes, and training programs, which maintain our status as an industry leader. We take pride in being part of the communities we serve and operate with a philosophy that a smile shared is a smile multiplied, striving to make every interaction a positive one.
Services
School Portraits
Yearbook Printing
Online Ordering
Fundraising Programs
Photo Products
Details
- Year established: 1947
Highlights and features
- We've provided school photography services since 1947 with continuous family leadership
- Our sales representatives double as photographers for personalized service
- We guarantee satisfaction with professional-grade portraits and products
- Our flexible commission program offers cash rewards or double product value
- We utilize green screen technology for customizable portrait backgrounds
What people say
Very easy process
Wonderful demeanor with children
Yearbook looks AWESOME
Stellar customer service
Prompt attention
Services
School Portraits
We specialize in professional school portrait photography with customized posing and background options. Our trained photographers create comfortable environments to capture natural expressions while maintaining strict quality standards through advanced equipment and techniques. Sessions accommodate diverse needs including fall, spring, and graduation events with coordinated product options for families.
Yearbook Printing
Our comprehensive yearbook services include design, printing, and distribution with flexible deadlines and customization features. Utilizing our in-house production facility, we combine traditional layouts with innovative digital elements including green screen technology. The process prioritizes administrator convenience through seamless ordering systems and customizable fundraising components that benefit schools.
Online Ordering
Our user-friendly ordering system streamlines portrait purchases for families while reducing administrative burdens. The platform supports multiple products including prints, canvases, and keepsakes with real-time inventory tracking. Integrated security measures protect customer data while intuitive navigation ensures accessibility for all digital skill levels, maintaining our commitment to modern convenience.
Fundraising Programs
We offer innovative fundraising solutions that allow schools to earn either cash commissions or double product value. The program integrates seamlessly with portrait sales through structured percentage allocations on all purchases. Schools receive dedicated support for campaign organization while maintaining complete financial transparency throughout the process.
Photo Products
Beyond traditional prints, we create personalized keepsakes including canvases, photo calendars, and specialty gifts using durable materials for long-term preservation. Our product line incorporates current design trends while maintaining compatibility with yearbook layouts. All items meet our strict quality standards for color accuracy and archival longevity.
People
Kristin
Photographer
Professional photographer with extensive experience capturing school portraits. Prioritizes child comfort and natural expression during sessions while maintaining technical excellence. Recognized for exceptional interpersonal skills with students and staff.
Questions
What photography services do you offer for schools?
We provide full-cycle school photography including portrait sessions for students and staff, yearbook creation, event photography for sports and graduations, and personalized keepsake items.
How does the online ordering system work?
Our platform allows parents to select packages, customize products, and complete purchases securely. Administrators receive order summaries while we handle fulfillment directly to customers.
Can schools earn money through your services?
Yes! Our commission program lets schools earn either cash payments or double value in printed materials and promotional items based on portrait sales.
What makes your yearbooks unique?
We combine traditional layouts with digital enhancements like green screen technology, customizable templates, and flexible deadlines to create modern, engaging yearbooks that reflect each school's identity.
Do you offer guarantees on your work?
We guarantee customer satisfaction through our quality control processes. If any product doesn't meet our standards, we'll re-shoot portraits or remake items at no additional cost.
How long have you served schools in Colorado?
We've proudly served Colorado schools since our founding in 1947, maintaining our family-owned commitment to quality while evolving with changing technology and educational needs.
Reviews (6)
VickyVirginia P.
Nov 30, 2021
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I wish the school worked with a more professional service. Not happy with the print quality and the backgrounds are terrible. Tons of options but really bad taste in my opinion. Also I received the pictures printed on a sheet of photo paper that I have to cut. Really? $40 for just a poor quality print? It's not even an option to have them trim the images. Super disappointing.
Brenna Black
Nov 19, 2021
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Positive:Quality,Value
Really great photos of our 4yo! I was expecting the usual forced smile, but we got the genuine thing. The photo packages were very reasonable (compared to our other kiddos company) and the wide variety of background selections were fun to pick from.
Really great photos of our 4yo! I was expecting the usual forced smile, but we got the genuine thing. The photo packages were very reasonable (compared to our other kiddos company) and the wide variety of background selections were fun to pick from.
A. Burton
Oct 28, 2021
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Paying additional postage at pick up from post office? Why? You should figure that in your price, or sort it out with the post office.
Bahja Wells
Oct 21, 2021
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My daughter tends to lose paperwork that is suppose to get back home and had lost her school pics form her school provided...I reached out to Van Gogh and thankfully they were able to pull her photos up so I can order online. Thank you thank you thank you Van Gogh School Photography! Thanks for still having her photos even over a month after she even took them! Her pics looked great. I'm excited to get them in the mail. It's so helpful they don't get rid of pics right away. I'm glad we can avoid school retakes .
Daniel Yarmon
Mar 30, 2021
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They let my daughter take a picture with her head phones on her neck, two stuffed animals, and her phone in her hands!?!? Who would pay for that!?!? We just wanted a nice memorable elementary graduation picture of our daughter. What a joke!
Brian Banks
Feb 25, 2021
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Lost my girls school photo but Jim called me and we were able to find the digital in there system and locate my daughters pic under another students name
