Debra graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism/Photojournalism from the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas at Lawrence.

She has been seeing the world through the view finder of her camera for more than 41 years and still enjoys the art of photography.

I began my career as a photojournalist working for the college newspaper, the University Daily Kansan in 1981. At the same time, I was a string for United Presss International, with was as it sounds an international news aagency. I stuck with them for more than six years and received international recognition for a photo taken at Pensacola NAS in 1987.

I suppose it never was about the money. I loved taking pictures. I loved the adventure that each day would bring. The work of a photojournalist was never monotonous.

My husband, Paul, and I bought the building at 406 Shawnee, Leavenworth, Kansas on my Mothers’ birthday, December 28, 1992. I had no ideas what I was going to do with until someone mentioned a photography studio. It was greatest career change ever and I have enjoyed the people who worked with me and had fun taking pictures of people.

My focus now is more on prewserving the glass negative collection I purchased several years ago. They hold such mysteries and every day I have an adventure exploring who these people were and who they became.

The picture to the right was takien on Acorn Street in Boston, Mass.  I shot this with a Mamiya 645 medium format film camera, and only had seconds to photograph it because my ride had no place to park so I had to be quick about it. I went back years later, when I had more time, and used my Mamiya 645 digital camera, but the effect was never as good as with film.