Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Mitchell.
Rob, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve spent over 30 years in the printing and photography industry — starting out in a wholesale photo lab, then moving to a pro photo lab, and later spending two decades with a printing company. Those years taught me everything about craftsmanship, color, and what great service really means.
In 2014, my wife and I bought Yellow Lab Imaging, a small photo lab with deep Kansas City roots. It originally started in the 1990s as Evolution Photographic, later became EPG Imaging, and eventually Yellow Lab Photo Boutique before we took over and merged it all into one name — Yellow Lab Imaging.
For years, I ran the retail storefront in Mission, Kansas. But when COVID hit in 2020, we made a tough but necessary decision: to close the store, move the business home, and transition completely online. That decision changed everything. It allowed us to serve customers nationwide while keeping the same personal, hands-on quality we’d built our reputation on.
In 2023, after losing my father and my wife’s sister just weeks apart, we decided to make a big life change and move to Maryville, Tennessee, in 2024— bringing Yellow Lab Imaging with us.
Today, we’re a fully online print lab focused on one thing: delivering gallery-quality prints with speed, care, and personal service you can feel.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t always been smooth, but every challenge has pushed us forward.
When we bought the business, we had to rebuild nearly everything — from equipment to customer base. Then COVID hit in 2020, forcing us to close our storefront and shift fully online. That was a tough transition, but it ended up being one of our best decisions.
In 2023, losing my dad and my wife’s sister back-to-back was the hardest season of all. It made us step back, refocus, and eventually start fresh in Tennessee.
The truth is, those moments taught me resilience — and reminded me why I started this journey in the first place: to do meaningful work and take care of people through every print we make.
As you know, we’re big fans of Yellow Lab Imaging. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Yellow Lab Imaging, we specialize in professional-quality photo prints — print options like lustre, pearl, canvas, metal, and gallery mounts. Basically, if it’s something you can hang on a wall or gift to someone special, we make it look amazing.
What makes us different is how personal we are. Every single order goes through my hands — I check the color, the paper, the finish — everything. There’s no big production line here. Just me making sure every print that leaves the lab is something I’d be proud to hang in my own home.
We’ve built a reputation for fast turnaround, spot-on color, and customer service that actually feels human. When you message us, you’re talking directly to me — not some automated system or support team halfway across the country.
What I’m most proud of is the trust people have in us. Our customers know their photos matter to us as much as they do to them.
At the end of the day, that’s what Yellow Lab Imaging is all about — helping people turn their favorite moments into something real, something they can hold, frame, and be proud of.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’ve definitely taken my share of risks — some planned, some life just threw my way.
Buying Yellow Lab Imaging back in 2014 was a big one. I had a steady career, and stepping out on my own meant leaving behind a lot of security. But I believed in what the business could become — a place where quality and personal service actually meant something.
Then came 2020. COVID shut everything down, and we had to decide whether to fight to keep the storefront open or completely reinvent the business. We chose to close the doors and move everything online. At the time, that felt like jumping off a cliff. But looking back, it was the best move we ever made.
To me, risk is really about trust — trusting your instincts, trusting the work you’ve put in, and trusting that even if it’s hard, it’s going to lead somewhere better.
The best part? Every major leap I’ve taken has led to growth, freedom, and a stronger connection to the people we serve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yellowlabimaging.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yellowlabimaging
