Studio on wheels: How Misty Huss runs picture day from a mobile studio.
January 16th, 2026
Picture day has a reputation. Ask any parent, coach, or school athletic director, and you’ll probably start to notice a bit of a trend in words: crazy, slow, never-ending, disruptive, and stressful. This bad rep wasn’t a secret to Misty Huss. As a parent and coach, she lived both sides of this process.
But it wasn’t until she stepped into her role as a sports photographer that she fully recognized the need for a better approach.
“Coaches are notorious haters of picture day. My goal is always to get these kids in and out without waiting around. They can go right to practice, and they (the coaches) love it.” -Misty Huss
That realization led her to build something truly remarkable—a mobile portrait studio on wheels—a completely customized trailer she could take from job to job, rain or shine, snow or wind. Along with her NextZen website, this has become the foundation of a sports volume business that runs with precision, creativity, and a whole lot of calm, even on the biggest picture days.
From side hustle to mobile command center.
Creating a volume photography business wasn’t even on Misty’s radar. Photography lived alongside a demanding corporate career. It was a meaningful hobby and side hustle, but not part of her “life plan”.
Then 2020 arrived and changed everything.
Like many companies trying to survive the tough financial times brought on by COVID, hers underwent massive layoffs. For nearly a year, her days were spent sending resumes, applying for new roles, and trying to reenter the corporate world. After months of relentless effort, only a handful of interviews came through.
Finally, her husband decided to step in with a simple but pivotal nudge. He told her to stop chasing what wasn’t opening up to her and to put her energy into something she loved. She was a strong photographer. She had the eye. And she had his full support to go all in.
After that, the planets somehow aligned. A national photography company pulled out of Colorado entirely, and schools were suddenly left stranded without a solution. Because Misty had coached and photographed games, athletic directors already knew her. The calls started coming in. Do you shoot teams? Do you do individual portraits?
She hadn’t, but she could.
What started as a hobby and a side job slowly transformed into something much bigger. Not overnight, and not without rough, hard-learned lessons. Yet her business would eventually grow, evolving through tried-and-tested workflows and extraordinary care for her clients to become the powerful mobile command center it is today.
Why a mobile studio? Fixing picture day for coaches, parents, and schools.
Photographing youth sports is anything but predictable. Weather delays. Long lines. Kids are missing practice. Coaches are anxiously pacing. Misty didn’t want to just patch these issues over with small improvements; she tried to remove the pain points altogether.
From her perspective, coaches are often the toughest crowd to win over. They’re focused on practice schedules, field time, player development, and keeping things moving. Picture day is the wrench in all of that. Misty understood that frustration deeply, so she built her approach around speed, predictability, and keeping the disruptions to a minimum.
Here’s how her mobile studio flips the script.
1. No more weather delays.
Outdoor picture days sound great. Blue skies, warm sun, players in their element. Until the inevitable happens—rain, bitter cold, snow, wind, extreme heat. But with an indoor studio on wheels, rescheduling becomes a thing of the past. The trailer provides a perfectly controlled environment, so picture day happens as planned, regardless of Mother Nature’s shenanigans.
For schools and sports leagues, that reliability alone is huge. No retake days. No last-minute calls and messages to parents. No scrambling.
2. On location, ready to go.
Instead of asking parents to arrange travel off campus, the studio comes right to them. Schools don’t have to reserve dedicated gym space. Coaches don’t have to delay practice. Kids step out, get photographed, and head straight back.
That efficiency matters. Misty makes it clear to coaches from the start that her goal is simple: get kids in and out with as little waiting as possible. When coaches realize practice stays on track, all resistance disappears.
3. Faster throughput.
Inside the trailer, there’s room for two photographers to work simultaneously. That means twice as many athletes can be photographed within the same time window. For large teams, this is an absolute game-changer. Hundreds of kids can move through smoothly, without long lines or rushed sessions.
Inside the trailer: How a mobile studio runs on picture day.
The trailer may be mobile, but what takes place inside it is anything but improvised. Misty treats every picture day like a well-oiled machine—one that depends on preparation and consistency.
Prep for success.
Early call times and long days make it easy to forget things, which can turn into big problems. Misty relies on detailed checklists. Every shoot starts with the same list, the exact gear, and the right supplies.
That approach reduces stress and prevents last-minute problem-solving, which can drain energy from the shoot itself.
“My workflow starts well before we ever set foot on site. I have a set list of ‘these are the exact things that I have to take every single time.’” -Misty Huss
Roll up, plug in, and start on time.
Most of the studio setup lives permanently inside the trailer. Backdrops, lighting, props, and power are already in place. When Misty’s team arrives on site, they quickly unpack, plug in, and set up.
By the scheduled start time, athletes are already lined up and moving through. Regardless of whether the shoot lasts two hours or eight, the momentum is unwavering from start to finish.
“With the trailer, we roll up and unpack, plug everything in, and get everything set up. That way, as soon as our start time is, I’ve got teams outside. We hit the ground running, and we are just constantly processing [kids] through: working two hours, eight hours, ten hours, depending on the size of the organization.” – Misty Huss
The team behind the trailer.
As Misty’s business continued to grow, it became clear that her solo operation wasn’t serving her anymore. Scaling meant building a team she could trust.
“As a business owner, one of the things you obviously have to think about is scaling. I used to be a one-woman show, but I cannot handle that volume and increase my client base year over year.”– Misty Huss
Her crew is primarily women-led, with trained photographers and assistants who step in on large shoot days. Having another photographer allows the mobile studio to maintain its rhythm and flow. Assistants keep the kids organized and support the overall experience.
Even her husband plays a role on busy days, helping with setup and spending time outside the trailer talking one-on-one with parents and coaches. He hands out cards with gallery information and answers questions, which helps everything run more smoothly.
This team effort is what keeps the business of capturing memories a success.
Posing, props, and experience inside the mobile studio.
Efficiency doesn’t mean giving up creativity. Inside the trailer, Misty has created an experience that still feels personal, especially for older athletes.
At the high school level, athletes are given greater freedom to choose props such as chains and sledgehammers, reflecting the visual content they see across social media and sports culture. Posing charts are located both inside and outside the trailer. Athletes take a quick look, choose what works for them, and step into the studio ready to go. That small detail reduces anxiety and the resulting hesitation, keeping everything flowing.
Zenfolio as the backbone of a sports volume photography business.
The mobile studio handles the physical logistics of picture day. Zenfolio supports everything from before the shoot, through the shoot, and after the shoot.
Turning rosters into galleries in a minute.
Most sports leagues provide full team rosters in advance of picture day. Misty uses that information to create a CSV file, which she uploads directly into her NextZen account at the folder level. Galleries are created automatically based on that data.
What once took significant time now takes about a minute. Beyond the time savings, this also reduces errors and keeps the gallery organization consistent across clients.
QR cards, registration, and mobile-first orders.
On picture day, each player receives a card with a QR code and gallery details. Parents or athletes can scan the code with their phone or other mobile device, pre-register, and be ready before images are even uploaded.
Once photos are live, notifications are sent out to them directly. This means the coach or school doesn’t have to play the middleman for communication, leading to fewer missed emails and more sales over time.
“I will tell you, and it should be no surprise to anybody. Most people are transacting on their phones more and more. I would easily say anywhere from 50 to 60% of my clients are transacting on the phone, from start to finish.”– Misty Huss
Mobile ordering has become the norm. A large number of customers now handle the entire process on their phones, from viewing to checkout. NextZen delivers an exceptional mobile-first experience, seamlessly integrating galleries, a website, and ordering.
Tax and reliability that matter at scale.
As volume increased, taxes became a serious consideration. Different counties bring different tax requirements, and mistakes can be costly. NextZen handles all tax collection and remittance on Misty’s behalf, removing a significant operational burden and financial worry.
Reliability is imperative for all online businesses…big or small. Galleries need to be accessible around the clock. Parents, coaches, and students expect access when it aligns with their busy lives. Zenfolio’s consistent uptime gives Misty confidence that her business is always up and running. Dependability is critical.
“Another reason I trust in Zenfolio so much is that I have never encountered a time when the site goes down. I know, 24 hours a day, it’s going to be there.” – Misty Huss
Advice for photographers considering volume sports and mobile studios.
- Solve the problems first.
Before investing in trailers or equipment, think about what actually frustrates people about photo day. Long lines, weather delays, missed practice time, paperwork, and a confusing ordering process–Build your approach around removing those pain points. - Create a system.
Big shoots move fast. Checklists, repeatable setups, and well-defined workflows keep things running smoothly. - Design for speed, keep the personality.
High throughput doesn’t have to mean cookie-cutter portraits. With posing guides, props, and lighting ready to go, you can create more fun and more energy! - Think mobile from the start.
Meet people where they are–on their phones! A mobile-friendly experience from start to finish removes barriers and simplifies purchasing. - Plan for help sooner than you think.
To scale, volume sports photography cannot be a solo endeavor. Having assistants, second shooters, or someone to manage the flow and communication can make all the difference between a stressful day and a smooth one. - Choose tools that grow with you.
Manual gallery creation, individual emails, and tax reporting won’t hold up long if you are shooting at large volumes. Look for platforms that handle automation and reliability so your business can grow without adding additional complexity.
If Misty’s “studio on wheels” story has you rethinking what picture day could look like, explore how Zenfolio’s volume tools can power your own mobile-friendly workflow. From CSV bulk gallery creation to QR code registration and mobile-first checkout, you can spend less time on admin, more time doing what you love, and creating memorable experiences for your clients that last forever. Scale your photography business—try Zenfolio for free.
