Daycare
& Preschool
Photographers

We Make Picture Day

Easy.

Safe.

Fun.

Child's Play.

Let Picture Day Be Our Specialty— Not Yours.

Tired of stressing over
photo days?

We're the photography superheroes who swoop in and rescue directors from picture day nightmares with our super-easy process and play-centered photography.

We're Shining Star Studios

You're Going to L♥ve How Easy This Is

Send Us Your Info

All we need are student names, classroom, and parent contact. We do the rest!
We even bring our own assistants and take care of parent communication.

Let Us Handle the Details

No more tracking down order forms or keeping tabs on money envelopes! And if a parent has an issue, we'll quickly resolve it so that you don't get stuck in the middle.

Choose Your Delivery

Don't like passing out pictures? We'll ship each order directly to the parent. Want to save parents the shipping? We can send a bulk order to you to pass out.

A Small Business with Big Benefits

Thousands of Students Photographed

We specialize in high-volume, school photography. You get secure, private, password protected galleries for each family— just like the big companies deliver. We're small business owners who love our clients, so you receive a local, personal touch without sacrificing the "big company" features. It's the best of both worlds, delivered.

Why Directors L♥ve Us

Team

We bring our own assistants — and plenty of them. Your staff won’t be stretched thin or pulled from their classrooms.

Details

We handle all communication & payments online. No envelopes, no money collection, no follow-up headaches.

Delivery

Flexible delivery options. We'll ship directly to families or send orders to the school for free group delivery — it's your choice.

Protection

We provide secure, private, online galleries for each family. Parents only see their own children’s photos — no snooping!

They give personalized time, care, and dedication to each individual. Parents love the photos which makes all the hard work, the tickles, the silly faces to get that smile, WORTH IT!

Alicia O'Reilly

Director | Legacy Academy Woodruff Rd.

Why Parents L♥ve Us

Family Galleries

One gallery for the whole family. Parents receive sibling and group portraits bundled together, with special discounted pricing.

Authentic Smiles

We never force expressions— we play and patiently interact with kids to get real smiles. Be sure to ask about our "secret weapon."

Affordable Digitals

Parents can buy a single digital download or the full set. There are no minimums or required package purchases.

Print Sizes

Our prints fit real frames. All paper prints match common sizes you’ll find at your local stores.

We had my kids pictures taken with this company and I am beyond impressed!!! From her being able to get my 9 month old to sit still, smile and then a actual group pic of all three children together.... it’s like magic! The prints are super good, clear quality! She was able to capture each one of my children’s personality flawlessly. These are photos I will cherish forever!

Heather Walls

Parent | Kid to Kid

Why Kids ♥ Us

They Have Fun

Our friendly photographers love to play. We bring interactive sets with real props. We don't use green screens — ever. We let kids have fun with their environment.

They Feel Safe

If a child needs a break or a trusted adult, we pause immediately. With our child-centered approach, we don't ever force kids to smile if they aren’t in the mood.

L♥ve Notes

Katie Deweese

Director | Legacy Academy Feaster Rd.

"They should be nicknamed Knight in Shining Armor Studios !"

My biggest problem with other photography companies we had come is that they had all these rules we had to follow, and they could never adjust a schedule to benefit the children. Plus, they never seemed happy to be there or have patience with more challenging children.

From my first interaction with Shining Star Studios, it was already a breath of fresh air. Esther & Michael were able to solve all our picture day problems just by being them. They are creative, helpful, flexible, professional & dependable. They work so hard & obviously love working with children.

They have ignited a love for picture days in me that I never thought would happen!

They are very friendly. They engage the children and don’t get perturbed if they have uncooperative children. My favorite part is that they offer different themes throughout the year. It’s not just a one-time thing. The parents like the different backgrounds for different seasons, and the pictures are always great.

Mary Charping
Teacher, Brushy Creek Weekday Preschool
They are very knowledgeable, easy to work with, and great with kids!

Meghan Goins
Parent

Meet Our Play Makers

Being a "Kid Magnet" is the first requirement of all our photographers.

Esther Gambrell
Owner & Chief Creator

Esther has been photographing children professionally since 2007. As a homeschool mom of five kiddos herself, she understands how to create fun in every day situations. She makes people forget they're being photographed.
Michael Gambrell
Studio Manager

Besides bringing out the quiet joy in shyer kids, engineering and data handling are Michael's jam. He brings calm to the chaos.
Grace Hammond
Lead Photographer

As the oldest of ten kids, Grace brings a lot of fun and experience to the set. Kids naturally gravitate to her.
Hal Cook
Greenville District Manager

Hal produces high level, quality images that our clients have come to expect and handles all our large wedding, head shots, and senior leads.
Elena Moye
Set Assistant

Elana helps everything on set run smoothly. From taming flyaways, to fixing necklace clasps, to making your kiddos laugh: this girl does it all.
Chris Hartwick
Creative Director

With over 25 years experience as a graphic designer, Chris creates eye-catching marketing assets for our clients. Whether you need staff IDs or business cards, we have you covered.
Billy Plaza
Editor

Billy handles the majority of our editing and finishing touches during our peak seasons. He's the reason we have work/life balance.