About Us

Our History

Stanley Baker established a school photography business in 1964 with his business partner, George Wheatman.

They timed it well, just as colour school photography was becoming widely available. The business grew steadily over the next twenty years but in 1984 the partners went their separate ways.

Stanley Baker Studios Ltd was set up with only 6 employees and a small office in Colchester.

Today…

…we have team of around 30 people and two dogs on the payroll. (Maddie and Bailey get paid in dog biscuits!) Our office is an old school building circa 1880 but on the inside is a very modern photo lab. Here we produce the photographs taken by 14 photographers in 500 schools twice a year! Hectic at times but the holidays are good.

Our continued steady growth has been achieved by consistently delivering a reliable and professional service to schools and by taking much of the administration away from already busy school staff with our online shopping site www.photoordering.co.uk. All of our orders are placed online and delivered free of charge to customers homes, meaning no more orders passing through your school.

We are approved suppliers of school photography with Capita Sims and provide names data for all school administration systems. This data also enables us to quickly and efficiently identify pupils in the event of a parent enquiry. Our customer service is very important to us – and you!

Parents are free to choose digital downloads, photo packages, single print options, canvas prints and a wide range of frames as well as many gift ideas, all home delivered within 2-5 days. Our customer support team of Lisa, Carly, Diane and Karen take great care of all enquiries from the first booking of a school, through courtesy calls to check satisfaction levels, onto resolving parent enquiries. We know that happy customers stay with us!

Behind the Camera…

The Office Team…