Building Volume Photography Communities: Ian Hatch’s Journey from Corporate to Entrepreneur

After dedicating 30 years to school photography and rising to Head of Sales at the UK’s largest school photography company, Ian Hatch found himself unexpectedly redundant at age 54. Rather than retiring or changing careers, he channeled what he candidly calls his “revenge” into something extraordinary – a thriving school photography business that’s grown from a single school to 66 in just three years.

One of the secrets to Hatch’s continued success lies in his innovative “Moving Memories” technology. By linking printed photographs to videos through augmented reality, he’s solved a persistent industry problem: low conversion rates on group photos. When parents purchase a print, they receive a QR code that, when scanned and held over the image, brings their child to life in video form. The genius lies in the exclusivity – the video content is only accessible to those who own the physical print. This approach has transformed typical sales rates from 8-10 per class to nearly 100%, with some classes recording more sales than there are students due to split households wanting their copies.

Alongside his photography business, Hatch has built MOFOTO, a thriving online community that’s grown from just two members to nearly 2,600 photographers worldwide. This Facebook group fills the void left by the decline of traditional industry associations, offering support, advice, and camaraderie to volume photographers at all levels. Hatch extends this community through workshops and roadshows across the U.K., sharing his expertise on starting and scaling a school photography business.

By focusing on his strengths and partnering with specialists for everything else, he’s created a business model that prioritizes work-life balance alongside profitability. “I’m an outsourcer,” he explains. “I don’t like to do any work. I want to be able to use the services out there.”