"Debra's only agenda was to exceed our expectations and deliver gorgeous photos that we were involved in creating." ~ Kara
Happy kids take happy pictures. Rainbow lollipops and oinking pigs mean everyone has a good time.
Busy life? No worries. My scheduling system allows me to accommodate most schedules
Proofs in 3 days, final images processed in 7 days.
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“What may be her finest quality and greatest trade secret is her ability to create a safe, comfortable atmosphere for people… I would bring my family to her for portraiture before going to any other photographer in Rochester.”
“From the first moment of meeting Debra she was warm, friendly and full of ideas! Not to mention blessed with a great deal of patience! She took the time to share her ideas, take breaks when our son needed them, and always asked what we wanted or what we were comfortable doing.”
“It was quite last minute, and Debra made it all work out… She was wonderful with our 6 month old and made him smile the whole morning!”
“You are great with kiddos which I’m sure makes your life easier but also makes the pictures shine. You are super accommodating in terms of all of the logistics and planning and, particularly in these recent pictures, you have such an artistic eye for capturing glimpses of personalities and joy. “
“Between going ‘on location’ braving the cold and snow for our maternity pictures, how patient and great you are with the newborn session, and the final products and the app to go with it is priceless. There was really not anything else that we could have asked for.”
Senior Portrait Photography Mt. Morris New York
It was such a blast to go to a brand new location with this senior. We landed at Veteran’s Park in Mt. Morris which has a lot of great backgrounds in a small area (what you’re going for with location based photography!).
Canandaigua, NY Extended Family Photography
Vacations with your family are an excellent time to update your group photos. This family rented a lake house for the week and nailed their color scheme (an impressive feat!).
Village Gate Family Photography Rochester NY
One of these families lives in the Caribbean full time and I might be a little jealous. The Village Gate is an excellent location for the winter because of the varied backgrounds. Also it’s heated. Families getting together for the holidays is one of my favorite kind of sessions. I love the energy of wanting
Pittsford NY Newborn Photography ~ Tessa
Just before the chaos of COVID-19 hit New York, a beautiful baby was born. It was an absolute joy to spend the morning with her, her parents and her two older brothers. Pittsford NY Newborn Photography. Newborn sessions don’t have to be involved. Complicated posing takes a lot of time and patience – but really
Tinker Nature Park Family Photography
Remember summer? I can’t wait for it to come back!! Rebecca and her family and I met at Tinker Nature Park in Henrietta for a beautiful summer session. Tinker Nature Park Family Photography. Her kids were such a joy to be around. They really enjoyed exploring the park, which is one of the really wonderful
Henrietta NY Newborn Photography ~ Finneas
Finneas was a tiny little piece of perfection. His parents were over the moon about his arrival and it was such a joy to share in a moment of their excitement. Henrietta NY Newborn Photography. Some moms don’t feel comfortable being photographed right away, but Malissa was 100% on board. If you can muster up
Highland Park Professional Family Photography ~ Rochester, NY
Highland Park is a prime photography location in Rochester for good reason. Something is always in bloom and there’s plenty of architectural features to take advantage of. You can learn more about how to choose a great location by clicking here. Highland Park professional family photography. You can view more Highland Park sessions by clicking
Henpeck Park Family Photography ~ Roberta
Roberta and her family gathered on a beautiful May day at Henpeck Park – located right on the Canal in Greece. Parks are a great location for family photos because they’re naturally relaxing, especially for kids who can run around in between shots. Henpeck Park Family Photography. For more ideas about how to choose a
Letchworth Engagement Photography ~ Jennifer and Mikey
Letchworth Engagement Photography. A few years ago I had the incredible privilege of photographing Jennifer’s senior portraits, which are still among the top ten most clicked posts on this blog. Then she contacted me to let me know she was getting married! After working through feelings of being old, we met for coffee. It was
Canandaigua NY Family Photography ~ Derrick and Kim
Canandaigua NY Family Photography The last time I photographed this beautiful family was nearly a lifetime ago, when a new, wide-eyed photographer was just starting to work with clients and their oldest was just barely a teenager. You can see these beautiful adults as children by clicking here. Their kids went in together on a
Village Gate Senior Portrait Photography ~ Jayden
Village Gate Senior Portrait Photography ~ Jayden Village Gate Senior Portrait Photography. This was such an amazing session – Jayden simply didn’t take a bad picture and was such a joy to work with. I learned from her mom that she chose me because I “knew how to take photos of black girls.” That warmed
Mini Sessions at Highland Park, Professional Photography ~ Elise
Mini Sessions at Highland Park Elise and her two beautiful daughters came to mini sessions at Highland Park and just squeaked in a session before the rain. The girls were an absolute joy to work with – so joyful and full of life! Their beautiful matching dresses are the kind of thing a boy mom
Debra Wallace specializes in newborn and family photography in Rochester and Ithaca, NY.
Debra grew up in Ithaca where she discovered photography and spent many hours in her basement darkroom. She jumps at the opportunity to wade through Taughannock State Park (which she knows how to pronounce!), hike up Buttermilk Falls or jump off the dock at Mia’s Lakehouse. She always looks forward to giving her camera a good workout in Ithaca.
Debra lives in Rochester, NY where she’s a semi-crunchy home schooling mom and a location connoisseur. She loves trying out new spots in addition to some favorites such as Durand Eastman Park, Tinker Nature Park and Mendon Ponds. To see a gallery of even more Rochester location ideas click here.
Most families go the traditional route where they sit in a loose formation and smile at bad jokes, but if you’d like to get a little wild and crazy you can see some of Debra’s favorite ideas for creative portrait sessions by clicking here.
And last but not least, she loves to have a good time. Recently a mom left saying, “You made this so easy!” Parents may be inclined to feel tense since a lot of planning has been poured into your session, but oinking pigs and rainbow lollipops mean everyone has a good time.
A few other fun facts about Debra – she has so many children people stopped congratulating her, she has a giant garden but doesn’t really love vegetables, and on vacation you’ll find her at a water park or a beach somewhere. She and her husband Jason have been married for 20 unbelievable years. They have almost nothing in common except for loving each other’s company and hating car trips.
Debra is always a little surprised and excited to see her work appear all over the place. She has been published on News 10 Rochester WHEC.com, in the Democrat and Chronicle (both in print and online), the New York Times, the Ithaca Journal, the Genesee Valley Parent, Black Bird Knits, 585 Beauty Book, Faith Village, the Seneca Park Zoo Society Calendar and Annual Report, CompassCare promotional materials, and other places she’s lost track of over the years.
Debra has a BA in American Sign Language, which she studied for many years. She thoroughly enjoys working with the Deaf Community and is proud to own a Deaf friendly business.
She received her Masters in Social Work for Syracuse University and never was employed in a professional social work capacity but has used all of her experience from graduate school, parenting, and photography to found a non profit she’s really proud of.