About Bell Imaging & Design

Debra Bell, owner, designer, and head photographer

I received my first camera, a Kodak 110, when I was just a tween and with it came the opportunity to be creative. In middle school, I graduated to my mother's point-and-shoot 35mm camera and was allowed to “play” (supervised, of course) with my father’s Pentax 35mm SLR camera. The Pentax opened up creative avenues, high school and college photography classes bolstered that passion, and a degree in journalism solidified my style. Working for five years in a print shop after college taught me about the printing process, design, project development, and customer service.

When I got engaged, I learned how difficult it was to find a photographer that fit into our $5,000 wedding budget. While my family offered to do the photography for us, I wanted them to focus on having fun. After much searching, we found a photographer who fit our budget. He did a great job with the photos and one candid shot got me thinking: I could do more than make beautiful images for my family. I could make others smile. And with that realization, Bell Imaging & Design was born.

When I'm not working with clients, I’m a wife, a friend, and a pet lover. My husband and I are pet parents to Maine Coon Cat Olivia and retired racing greyhound Laura. I volunteer with Maine Greyhound Placement Service as newsletter editor and designer and I also work on the organization’s annual calendar. I am also on the membership committee for the Paul Bunyan chapter of Business Networking International.

Charitable work is important to me as a business owner and as a member of the community. I was a Girl Scout for 13 years and it instilled in me the meaning of community. I’m involved with the following organizations:

• Maine Greyhound Placement Service, located in Augusta, Maine
• Furry Friends Food Bank. This superb organization provides food and supplies to help seniors and people with disabilities keep their pets at home. A portion of the session fee from each pet portrait session goes to Furry Friends Food Bank.
• Operation Smile, an organization that provides surgery for children with cleft palates and cleft lips. A portion from each portrait session in October through November goes to this charity.
• Bangor Humane Society, located locally in Bangor, Maine. As an adoptive pet parent, I know how much joy these animals can bring. I’m happy to help however I can.

Jesse Schwarcz, associate photographer

Jesse Schwarcz has been a member of the Bell Imaging & Design family since 2010. She is a student at the New England School of Communication, owner of Schwarcz Photography, a freelance photographer with the Bangor Daily News, and animal lover extraordinaire. Jesse helps Debra with pet portraits, events, and weddings and is often called on for additional assisting assignments.

Jesse is a dog owner and specializes in laborador dog and equestrian photography. She has been hired by SmartPak to provide some catalog photos. Jesse got her start photographing chickens, including her prized chicken Mallory.