First, the studio is getting a new phone number: (207) 356-2353. This number will allow my clients and prospective clients to contact me directly any time, anywhere. The current phone number to the studio, (207) 848-8060 will be operational until December 2010. No more waiting! You deserve to get a direct line to moi!

I’m in the process of rebranding Bell Imaging & Design to better serve my clients and prospective clients. That includes the addition of a second shooter for wedding packages in 2011. If you’ve already booked your wedding for 2011, then no worries: The price of your package will not increase.

In addition, a new pricing structure and new products will be a great way for families to make smiles bloom.

I look forward to working with tons of new (and returning) faces this year! Let me know how I can turn your “special moments into memories.”

Deb

Pine Tree Camp IS NOT a place where people mope or feel badly. It’s a place where kids can swim, kayak, act, make arts and crafts and make friends. They share a special bond with their counselors. They hang out in a fully-accessible tree house. They sing and make music. They smile (a LOT). And for the time they are at PTC, they can simply be kids having a good time.

I was recently featured on their blog and I am honored. I hope what my camera captured helps share the inspirational story of this wonderful camp, its awesome counselors and even more awesome campers.

Visit http://pinetreecamp.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/through-a-lens/ to see the blog post. While you’re there, read some of what the campers have to say. You won’t be sorry.

Keep on going strong Pine Tree Camp! And thank you, for sharing a sunny summer day with me.

Our greyhound, Laura, was adopted from Maine Greyhound Placement Service in Augusta, Maine. I never expected to become a dog person, but that’s what I have become.

After all, you know that you’re a dog person when you reach in your pocket and it either has a dog poop bag or a bunch of left-over treats.

When we adopted our greyhound, I never expected that I would become heavily invested in the group, but now we do playdates, open houses, meet and greets, and I’ve taken over the annual calendar design as well as the newsletter (effective September 2010). That said, one of my favorite guilty (dog) pleasures is the Drawthedog.com Web site. Not only is it fun to watch the cartoons be drawn right in front of you, but they give back to rescue groups, like Maine Greyhound Placement. And they allow some of their graphics to be used for fund-raising and projects like the calendar. If you haven’t seen it, or want to see what Draw The Dog does for rescue groups, visit the link at the bottom of this post.

So what does this mean for you? It means I’m doing a bunch of fun promotions this year to showcase your pampered pooch!

1. Cards to feed hungry pets. I’m currently looking for puppies (age 2 and under) to come for a free photo and play session in the play yard at Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, Maine. The session is free and your pup’s photo will be used on special edition note cards to benefit Furry Friends Food Bank at Eastern Area Agency on Aging. The Food Bank is close to my heart because it helps keep cats and dogs in the homes of seniors and people with disabilities by providing food and litter. A portion of every card sold goes to Furry Friends Food Bank (find out more at www.eaaa.org).

2. Holiday Pet Portraits are back! Start planning now for those unique holiday cards starring your pet! A date will be set soon for the portraits, so keep checking in to learn more! Our pet portrait event was VERY popular last year!

3. October is Family Portrait Month. I talked about this a bit in my last blog post, but Family Portrait Month also benefits Operation Smile which helps children with cleft palates and cleft lips obtain the surgical help they need. Consider bringing your pet to a family portrait session (in your home, at a park, or at my scenic studio in Hermon). After all, they’re a member of the family!

Have a happy, safe, cool summer and remember to not leave your pet in the car even for a few minutes in the summer heat. You wouldn’t put them in your oven at home and turn on the heat, so why would you leave them in the car?

Remember to visit DrawtheDog.com to learn and have fun

That’s why this year, I’m once again participating in Family Portrait Month through the Professional Photographers of America. I participated last year and donated $240 to Operation Smile, an organization that helps children with cleft lips and cleft palates obtain the surgery they need to not only improve their quality of life, but in many cases to be able to smile. A donation of $240 covers the cost of one surgery.

But I can’t do this alone: I need your help. And I’ll make it worth your while!

In the month of October I’ll be offering half-price portrait sittings for families, couples, and pets. That means that for $85, you’ll be able to update your photo album or get that holiday card photo taken and $10 from every session will go toward Operation Smile IN YOUR NAME!

But it gets even better! Purchase prints or cards from me between October 1 and November 30 and I’ll donate another $10 per order of $50 or more to Operation Smile.

Family portrait sessions will fill fast, so please contact me to schedule yours.

Find out more about Operation Smile at www.operationsmile.com!

Each group is unique: BNI is focused on helping gain qualified referrals. Tuesday Forum is focused on providing a supportive environment for women in business learn about themselves and about business. But both groups are dedicated to connecting.

That’s what I love about my role as a photographer: I help people connect. Maybe it’s not through building business contacts or drumming up business… but when a friend’s toilet is busted, a co-worker needs a person to go to for car repairs, or a bride-to-be needs a recommendation for a florist in the area, I’m able to help connect them with the right person.

Remember this: You are unique. Your photos should be as well.

Photographs also help people connect on an emotional level. For wedding clients, their photographs remind them of the fun, romance, and beauty of the Big Day. For portrait clients, knowing that the photograph I took will grace their walls, wallets, or desks and elicit a smile is a honor. For pet clients, it’s all about making sure Fluffy looks great while also having fun… and sometimes it’s the goofy “outtakes” that mean the most.

My clients — new or exisiting — learn very quickly that their pictures are going to be far from mass market. They’re going to be unique… as they should be.

How do I make portraits unique? Often it’s in simple ways:

1. Meeting at the client’s home or office or at a favorite park or other location.

2. Including the client’s favorite items… could be a flower garden, a special stuffed toy for a child, or catching a high school senior doing something he loves… like fishing.

3. Taking time to allow young clients or pets warm up to the surroundings and the photographer.

4. Listening to ideas and suggestions. I’m willing to try almost anything photographically.

For babies, children, and pets especially (and parents and pet owners too), a trip to a photographic studio can be a bit traumatic. It’s a big unknown and for some, it’s difficult to focus on the photographer. That can lead parents/pet owners to being stressed out. I don’t want any of my clients to be stressed out. That’s why I’ll come to you!

For high school seniors, the senior portrait is one of two things: a big deal or a big hassle. In either situation, I’m ready to make it easy on the senior. We’ll do things you enjoy, have fun trying different locations, and just take time to relax. I’ve been doing H.S. senior photography for over 6 years and I understand how important it is to both the senior and to mom and dad. You deserve to have a session as unique as you are, not just be “another brick in the wall”.

This summer I’m looking forward to my 30th wedding, a busy schedule of high school senior photos and debuting a new product line! Keep checking in! Big things are coming!

Have a beautiful day!

Deb Bell

What does that mean for you? Many photographers use this program to help increase awareness and sales for senior portraits. This will be my first year offering this cool program. I wish this program had been around when I was a HS junior.

It works like this:

1. You’ll receive a free portrait session, proof book, and facebook gallery to show to your friends. In addition, you’ll receive 50 senior portrait ambassador business cards with your photograph on them.
2. Simply show your prints/galleries off to other high school juniors/seniors, talk up my business, and encourage them to come book a session with me by giving them one of your cards.
3. When one of your friends books a session with me, she’ll receive a 10% discount and you’ll receive a $20 print credit. If 8 or more of your friends books, you’ll receive a free signature album featuring your photos!

If you’re interested, please e-mail me and tell me a little about yourself. I’m only accepting two students per school. I’ll be doing ambassador shoots through April, May and June but may schedule some in July if need be.

This program is for HS juniors who are interested in actively promoting my business while also earning referral credits. How much easier could it be?

Enjoy spring and talk with you soon!

Deb

I’ve been busy working on reprint orders, doing pet portraits and preparing for the What Women Want expo. What Women Want is at the Bangor Civic Center from 10-4 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday). If you’re interested in lots of opportunities to meet women-centric businesses, come on out.I’ll be having a great giveaway worth over $200.

Admission is free and when you’re done at the expo, take the kiddos to the Y Fair at the Auditorium.

In other news, I can now take credit cards! So if you’d like to pay for a portrait session, a wedding, or gift certificates you can do so with credit card!

Enjoy the lovely weather and remember to come see me Saturday! I would love to talk with you about how to turn YOUR special moments into memories!

Deb

Think Spring!

There’s a spring in my step because while it’s only February in Maine, there’s almost no snow (sorry to my sourthern friends) and I can see green grass. It’s likely we’ll get hammered in April, but I don’t care. I’m ready for spring!

With that in mind, there are a couple of events coming up that I’d like to let you know about!

Keep Your Pets Safe: March 20

Make your pet feel like a star at the pet portrait and ID event at Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor. Did you know that April 20-26, 2010 is National Pet Identification week? In celebration of that, I’ll be at Green Acres Kennel Shop (1653 Union Street in Bangor, ME) on March 20 from 8 a.m.-Noon offering mini pet photography sessions. For $25 you’ll get a 15 minute session, a free 5×7 print, an online gallery to view and purchase additional photos from, and a free pet ID passport to keep your pet’s information in just in case.  Please pre-register by calling Green Acres Kennel at 945-6841. Slots will fill quickly! (Snow date: March 21)

What Women Want Expo: March 27

I know what women want! They want to come to the What Women Want Expo at the Bangor Civic Center from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to meet tons of great businesses that cater to women and families. Come to my booth for a chance to win some great prizes and see my work.

Senior Portrait Ambassadors WANTED: April-June

I’ll be starting my new senior portrait ambassador program in April. Keep an eye on the blog and my Web site for information about applying to be a senior ambassador and get a FREE portrait session and a chance to brag me up to your friends! Information will be coming in the next couple of weeks!

Portraits in the Park: June

In June I’ll be offering a joint event called Portraits in the Park. The date is still to be determined, but this will be a fun, low-cost way to enjoy the start of summer while also helping you look and feel your best. Keep an eye on the blog for more information!

It’s going to be a busy spring, but tons of fun! Looking forward to helping my clients (and new clients) turn their special moments into memories!

Debra Bell

Emmett came in the other day to have his 9 month photos done. He's grown so fast!

I am a documentary photographer which means I usually come to you or we utilize the beautiful backdrop of mother nature or your home. However, I offer my clients the option of a studio shoot too.

My studio is different than what you see at Sears or Wal-Mart. It’s actually portable. This means I can move from the studio office to a larger room depending on the size of my portrait group. My home, where I do my studio work, is a photographer’s dream: lots of natural light, and also darker rooms that allow me to utilize my studio lights. For me, flexibility is key to producing fabulous photos.

But what does this mean for you? It means I’m able to meet your schedule and personalize your photos. Maybe you have a fabulous garden that you are super proud of. Let’s include it in your photos. Have a shy dog or cat that gets stressed out by travelling? I’ll come to you and meet your pet where it is most comfortable. Have a newborn baby? Coming to your home will reduce your stress and make the little one more comfy.Working out of my own home also helps little ones feel more comfortable since it’s not as strange as a big strange looking room.

I offer a satisfaction guarantee with my portrait work. If you’re not satisfied, I’m not satisfied and I’ll happily reschedule a shoot. I’ve been in the situation where I wasn’t satisfied with photos taken by a studio photographer. I didn’t want to hurt their feelings, so I bought sub-standard photographs. I don’t want my clients to feel the same way, so even if your criticism is harsh (but polite) I will work with you to make sure you have photos you’re happy with.

I also don’t charge a location fee (but will charge mileage if the locaiton is farther than 60 miles from Hermon). The location should be special to you. Don’t feel like you have to settle for a studio shoot because that’s what everyone uses. You are unique. Your photos should be too.

I also offer gift certificates for portrait sessions. What better way to give someone a gift they’ll cherish forever than with a gift certificate for photos. Gift certificates are especially great for new parents whose budgets are already stretched but want fantastic photos of their new addition.

Have a wonderful day and let me know if I can help you turn your special moments into memories.

Debra

As you’ve probably noticed, the blog and Web site both have new looks! I had my Web site redesigned by Nikki Shroeher of Third Shift Designs and when she redid the site, she brought the blog under the site. I am loving the new look and I hope this helps you understand my work, find my rates, and learn a little something in the meantime!

This is officially my fifth year in business, although I began my business in 2003 on a sporadic basis. Bell Imaging & Design wasn’t named and marketed until 2005. So while my photography business is really 8 years old I consider it 5.

Age 5 is when a lot of kids start school and so it made sense this year to focus on learning and teaching. I have some exciting events planned this year for both family photos and pet photos.

Speaking of pet photos, I am excited to announce that I’ll be donating $10 from each pet photography booking to the Furry Friends Food Bank. The Furry Friends Food Bank is part of the Eastern Area Agency on Aging, which provides food and basic pet supplies to seniors who qualify. These seniors benefit from having a pet at home (pets help lower blood pressure, decrease doctor’s visits, provide love and companionship, and are endlessly patient) but when times are tough, some seniors choose to share a meal with the pet before giving them up. And the Furry Friends Food Bank subsists strictly on donations. I love my pets and can’t imagine having to make the choice between feeding them and giving them up. I know how devastated I’d be, so I want to give back… and I’m hoping my pet portrait clients don’t mind!

I was a vendor at the Bangor Bridal Show Jan. 16-17 and I look forward to documenting lots of weddings this year… 6 already on the books. If you’re getting married, my best advice would be not to skimp on your photography. Whether it’s myself or another photographer, your wedding photos will last far longer than the reception, cake, and even your gifts. They become a keepsake and a document to show to future generations. That said, I’d highly recommend hiring a videographer to catch all those moving (literally) moments! I can make lots of recommendations for wedding vendors, so even if you don’t use my services, don’t hesitate to call or e-mail!

Enough jabbering for now! I’m looking forward to a great year serving my clients and helping potential clients. Have a super day!

Debra