About

Bio Info

Carla & Dale Roettger are the owners of Bell’s Country Style Photography Studio in Nebraska City. Carla took a risk and purchased the studio one month out of college in1983 – it has now been a Nebraska City business for over 75 years. Bell’s Studio is a full service studio operating in the digital technology world. In an effort to stay abreast of changing technology and trends in her field, Carla proactively attends annual continuing educational classes so she can extend these advances onto her customers and offer something special for everyone.  

Carla received a degree in Photography as part of her Associate of Applied Arts from Hawkeye Institute of Technology in Waterloo, IA. She has a Business Degree in Communication Media with a Minor in Graphic Arts & Marketing. Additionally, Carla has her “Certified Professional Photography” certification in which she may be the only CPP in southeast Nebraska.

Her greatest accomplishment regarding her business has been buying a suffering studio and building it up to where it is today.  Carla said, “I was twenty-three, single and a female and was in debt from five years of college. I knew I’d have to scramble to make a go of this studio. I’m proud of how high tech we are, especially for being a small business in Nebraska City.”

Carla humbly takes little, if any, credit for many things she does for our community, including having a high-tech studio. She gives the credit to the youth that have worked for her through the years, including her own daughter Jessica. Carla says, “Our youth are our future and I always figure they are way smarter than me so why not learn from them.”

To Carla, Nebraska City’s greatest strength is its central location and the ability to pull business from an hour to hour and a half away.  Carla states, “I’ve always said sit outside the shop and watch the license plates come and go. On average every customer comes to the studio at least three times before their order is completed. What benefits Nebraska City, in general from my business, is that these people eat and shop as well when visiting the studio.”