Panasonic LUMIX and Irvin Simon announce names LUMIX as official camera provider

Panasonic LUMIX and Irvin Simon Photographers, a New York-based national leader in volume portrait photography, today announced a strategic partnership designating Panasonic LUMIX as the official provider of camera systems for Irvin Simon Photographers. As part of the agreement, Irvin Simon will standardize on the Panasonic LUMIX S5II full-frame mirrorless camera system, including LUMIX S-series lenses and volume-licensed firmware, across its photography operations.

Irvin Simon Photographers operates PictureDay.com, an online destination where families view and purchase school photographs. The platform plays a central role in the end-to-end Picture Day experience, connecting capture, data accuracy, production, and fulfillment. The partnership with Panasonic LUMIX strengthens this ecosystem by supporting consistent, high-quality image capture at the very start of the workflow.

“Our focus has always been on capturing beautiful portraits and creating exceptional Picture Day experiences for the school communities we serve,” said Eric Miller, President & CEO of Irvin Simon Photographers. “To do that at scale, we need tools that are not only capable of producing outstanding image quality, but also reliable, intuitive, and consistent in real-world environments. The LUMIX S5II platform allows us to support both our photographers and our customers at the highest level.”

From an in-the-field perspective, system consistency helps photographers stay focused on students rather than technology.

“When Picture Day runs smoothly, it shows both in the finished product and in the experience that schools have with our teams,” said Casey Kepple, Photography Operations Manager at Irvin Simon Photographers. “Standardizing on the S5II simplifies training, improves consistency, and allows photographers to stay focused on engaging students and capturing great expressions.”

“Throughout 2025, we conducted in-the-field testing and a structured pilot program across live Picture Day environments,” said Jennifer McSorley, Director of Production and Information Technology at Irvin Simon Photographers. “The Panasonic results were outstanding. The performance, reliability, and workflow controls consistently met, and often exceeded, our expectations in real operating conditions.”

“Our team identified three core requirements for our next camera system,” said Miller. “First, we needed customizable frame guides tailored precisely to our portrait workflows. Second, we required barcode scanning directly to the camera, ensuring each student ID is embedded in the image file at the moment of capture. Third, we needed camera-level customization and safeguards that prevent accidental setting changes or missed barcode scans.”

“LUMIX allows us to store and quickly recall up to ten custom frame masks directly in the camera,” said Kepple. “That capability is critical for maintaining consistent composition across different Picture Day setups while keeping photographers moving efficiently.”

Barcode integration and enforcement features further support data accuracy and customization and configuration control were equally important from a production and technology standpoint.

“Using the camera’s custom modes, we can store up to twelve distinct camera configurations for different shooting scenarios,” saidMcSorley. “Those modes can be configured so that when selected, critical controls are locked, eliminating accidental changes to aperture or shutter speed. This level of control is essential for ensuring consistent results across our large fleet of cameras.”