History

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, what are thousands of pictures worth?

Lots and lots of smiles.

Color Portraits, Inc.  is a family-owned and operated business that has been putting smiles on the faces of students, staff, administrators and families since 1947.  The school photography and photo finishing business began when Joseph Zucco and his wife, Juanita, built Picture Master Color Lab.  Their goal was to produce studio-quality images in a school setting, resulting in professional portraits at an affordable price.

Over time, their four sons and two daughters took over the day-to-day operations of the processing division.  The oldest son, John, took over the operation of the school picture portion of the business.  Today, John and his wife, Deborah, maintain the high-quality photo processing and school photography standards set during the company’s inception under the name Color Portraits, Inc.  Currently, CP serves over 1,200 schools in Illinois, Colorado, Texas, Indiana and Wisconsin.

In addition to owning its own digital photo finishing lab, Color Portraits, Inc. owns a yearbook printing facility as well.  Having these production facilities onsite allows us to ensure quality and guarantee delivery.

About Our Owners

John has been working in the school photography business for over 46 years and Debbie for over 28 years.  In running Color Portraits, their philosophy is simple, “When the customer comes first, the customer will last.”  They are hands-on owners who have created a team that has lasted.  Many of the employees at Color Portraits have been working there for over ten years, some as long as 20 years or more.  Each of these employees takes pride in the part he or she plays in keeping customers happy and maintaining long-term relationships with them.

John and Debbie’s strengths complement each other.  John is the visionary of the company.  His vision defines Color Portraits and keeps the company at the forefront of the industry.   John was the one who took CP from film to digital technology almost ten years ago.  He also spearheaded the purchase of our printing presses and the foray into the world of yearbook printing.  Debbie is the tactician.  She oversees the day-to-day operations of the company and monitors customer satisfaction.  Debbie and her sales team have taken Color Portraits, Inc. from 100 schools in 1980 to 1,200 schools in 2009.  Both John and Debbie receive enormous gratification from working with customers and producing the important photographs that serve as visual reminders of a year in children’s lives.

John and Debbie Zucco, along with their team of over 100 full-time office and photography staff, are proud to have successfully grown Color Portraits, Inc. to a a well-respected school picture and yearbook company.

Color Portraits, Inc. has been putting smiles on the faces of students, parents and administrators since 1947.  We are a family-owned and operated company that currently photographs over 1,200 schools each year in five states.  Color Portraits is a solid company built from traditional values and powered by innovative ideas.

We are fastidious about service and quality.  For this reason, we are not just photographers.  We also own and operate our own digital photo finishing lab and yearbook printing presses within our 40,000 square foot facility.  We do not send our images to an outside contractor for production.  This ensures that our high standards are upheld from beginning to end.