People Portraits

Bell’s Furry Friends Photography offers people portrait sessions through Bell Imaging & Design, LLC. Sessions are available for high school seniors, families, couples, and individuals. Most work happens outdoors at a location you pick, or at our outdoor studio on Coldbrook Road in Hermon.

Portrait sessions are built around who you are at that moment. We talk before the shoot, work at a spot where you feel comfortable, and keep the session moving so you are not stuck posing against a studio wall.

Senior Portraits

Senior portraits are a rite of passage, but they do not have to look stiff or generic. Most seniors want photos that show who they actually are, not a stock pose copied from a catalog.

Sessions stay active. Sports gear, instruments, pets, trucks, letter jackets, and other props tied to your hobbies are welcome. Most seniors choose the greater Bangor area as a backdrop, though we can work at the Coldbrook Road studio or another Maine location you prefer.

Senior portrait sessions usually run 45 to 90 minutes, depending on location and how many outfit changes you want. A typical senior session produces 25 to 75 images for you to review online or in person. Proofing is done online or in person; we stopped mailing proof books in 2011 to cut paper waste.

As a courtesy, Bell Imaging & Design submits the image you choose for the yearbook at no extra charge. Parents are welcome at senior sessions. Most teens relax more when a parent is nearby, even if they do not appear in every photo.

Have fun in a relaxed and custom senior portrait session as unique as you are. Your furry friends and hobbies are welcome at these sessions.

Option 1: Imaging …………. $550

Session, image prep & online gallery
Image review & ordering appointment
Up to 10 digital images (jpg format) provided as part of your package (digital download or USB)
Complimentary cap and gown session around graduation with 5″x7″ print

Option 2: Design ……………$800

Session, image prep & online gallery
Image review & ordering appointment
8×8 press-printed album with matching digital images (jpg format) provided as a digital download or on a USB
Complimentary cap and gown session around graduation with 5”x7” print

Seniors seeking only a simple yearbook photo session and planning to buy prints or products a la carte have an option for $250. Email Deb for information.

Schedule your session or learn more: Contact Deb Bell Email debrabell@bellphotostudio.com or call 207-356-2353

Family, Couple, and Individual Portraits

Family portraits are one of the few photos you will still look at years from now. They show how your family looked at a specific stage, before kids grow up or grandparents move away.

In an ideal year, families would update their portrait annually once children are in the picture. Every two to three years is a practical schedule for most households. Sessions can happen at your home, a favorite Maine spot, or our outdoor studio in Hermon.

Couples book for anniversaries, engagements, or photos before a wedding. Individual sessions work for professional headshots, milestone birthdays, or a single portrait for your wall at home. Singles and couples portraits can stand on their own or start a family album you add to over time.

Pets are family too. Dogs and other pets are welcome in family and senior sessions when it makes sense for your photos.

How a Session Works

Each portrait session includes a pre-session consultation, the session itself, and an in-person ordering appointment after you choose your favorites.

We talk before the session by phone or in person. You tell me who is being photographed, what the photos are for, and whether you have a location in mind. I bring the camera gear. You bring the people.

Deb Bell has a journalism degree from the University of Maine at Orono and has worked professionally since 2005. Her background at the Bangor Daily News as a writer, photographer, and page designer shapes how she runs a session. The approach is closer to documentary work than studio portraiture, which helps people relax and focus on each other instead of the camera.

What to Wear and Bring

Solid colors photograph cleanly. Busy patterns and large logos on shirts can distract from faces. For seniors, plan two outfits: one dressy and one casual. Layers help in spring and fall when Maine weather shifts within an hour.

Bring anything that tells your story. If an item matters to you, say so when we plan the session.

Hair and makeup before a session can be arranged through Anthony John’s Day Spa on Stillwater Avenue in Bangor. Schedule the salon appointment about two and a half hours before your session if you want hair and makeup done there.

Locations

The Coldbrook Road studio in Hermon includes a field, a wooden fence, wooded paths, and access to the snowmobile club bridge over Cold Brook. Clients also book sessions in downtown Bangor, at Cascade Park, along the Kenduskeag Trail, and at other Maine spots.

Sessions run in all four seasons. Snow, fall color, and late-day summer light each change the look of outdoor portraits. We pick a backup plan if rain is in the forecast.

Travel fees may apply for locations more than 60 miles round trip from Bangor. Maine sales tax applies to session fees.

After Your Session

After you choose your favorites, you order prints, wall art, albums, and other products individually. Session fees cover photography and proofing; digital files and printed products are purchased separately unless your package says otherwise.

Custom senior announcements can be designed and printed through Bell Imaging & Design. Ask about layout and quantity when you order prints.