By Nina Huang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Sky Yang (Photo provided by Sky Yang)
When University of Washington graduate Sky Yang wanted graduation photos with friends, he noticed a gap in the market.
Professional photo sessions were often too expensive for students, while talented student photographers struggled to find steady paid work. Most bookings happened through social media or word of mouth, making it difficult for clients to compare photographers or know whom they could trust.
“I kept running into the same thing,” Yang said. “My friends who shoot couldn’t find steady paid work, and regular people couldn’t find a photographer who was affordable and someone they could trust.”
That realization led Yang to launch SnapMatePhoto in October 2025, a Seattle-based marketplace that aims to simplify the booking process for both photographers and clients.
Yang, who grew up in China and moved to the United States five years ago, graduated from the University of Washington last year with a degree in economics. Although photography had long been a hobby—particularly street photography while traveling—it wasn’t until his senior year that he saw an opportunity to turn his passion into a business.
Friends frequently asked him to photograph their graduation portraits, but many couldn’t afford traditional photography packages. At the same time, he saw student photographers struggling to find clients.
“I thought there should be an easier way to connect people with affordable photographers,” he said.
Yang originally envisioned a platform exclusively for student photographers serving other students. Instead, demand quickly expanded beyond the campus.
Today, SnapMatePhoto connects clients with more than 125 photographers, offering everything from graduation portraits and maternity sessions to birthday celebrations, weddings, nonprofit events, and commercial photography. More than 1,000 clients have signed up for the platform, generating over 1,000 booking requests in just a few months.
Photo provided by Sky Yang
One photographer who joined the platform went from zero bookings to completing more than 30 sessions through SnapMatePhoto.
While the platform welcomes photographers from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels, Yang estimates that roughly 70 to 80% of the photographers currently on the platform are Asian, reflecting both Seattle’s creative community and the strong interest the company has received through word of mouth.
Photographers range from students building their portfolios to experienced professionals, with hourly rates between about $75 and $700. Every photographer’s portfolio is reviewed before joining the platform, and photographers must verify their identities through Stripe and publicly list their pricing before accepting bookings.
For clients, the goal is to make hiring a photographer as straightforward as booking a vacation rental.
Customers submit a booking request, photographers can accept or propose another time, and once payment is completed through the platform, both parties can communicate directly.
Finished galleries are also delivered through SnapMatePhoto, allowing clients to receive their photos and leave reviews in one place.
Photo provided by Sky Yang
Yang says the company eventually wants to become more than just a marketplace.
Currently, many photographers rely on multiple services to manage their business, using separate platforms for portfolios, scheduling, payments, client communication, and gallery delivery.
“We’re trying to build a one-stop platform for photographers,” Yang said. “They shouldn’t need five or six different tools just to get one booking.”
The startup’s early growth earned Yang a spot in the University of Washington Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship’s 2025 accelerator program, which supports promising student-founded startups through mentorship, strategic guidance, and technical resources.
One lesson from the accelerator reshaped the company’s growth strategy.
Yang initially wanted to expand into several major cities immediately. Instead, mentors encouraged him to focus first on building a strong marketplace in Seattle before expanding elsewhere.
That approach has helped establish a growing customer base, while attracting new photographers without significant recruitment efforts. Yang says three to four photographers now apply to join the platform each week, largely through referrals.
SnapMatePhoto has also begun working with community organizations and local businesses, including KidsQuest Children’s Museum in Bellevue, Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub, and the U-District Partnership, providing photographers for holiday events, fundraisers, and community celebrations.
Looking ahead, Yang plans to begin recruiting photographers in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area as the company expands along the West Coast.
For now, however, his focus remains on helping photographers grow sustainable businesses while making professional photography more accessible.
“Photography captures some of the happiest moments in people’s lives,” Yang said. “Seeing customers happy with those memories, while also helping photographers earn income doing something they love, is the most rewarding part.”
To learn more, visit snapmatephoto.com.
Nina can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.
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