Instagram Story Save

SUPPORT THE EXPLORE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY FUND

For over a decade, @explorerochester has passed the camera to a different contributor every week — showcasing our city via over 500 unique perspectives. Now, as we celebrate 10 years with a photo exhibition at @roco137, we’re using this moment to invest in the future of our community. The Explore Rochester Community Fund was created to support the next generation of photographers in Rochester. The fund exists to sponsor resources, workshops, and classes for young photographers who may one day become contributors themselves.

We’re proud to be partnering with @flowercityarts and supporting the continuation of the work that they do with the Studio 678 Photo Club — an incredible after-school photo program that has served middle school students in the City of Rochester since 1999. We’ve included more info about them and about this fund via the link in our bio.

The best way to support is by buying a print. Our goal is to sell all 502 prints in the exhibition so that this visual archive can live on in the homes, offices, businesses, and spaces within our community — a beautiful reminder of the perspectives that have made up this project and the support that you gave in purchasing a print. Each one is $40 and they are available by going to the front desk at @roco137 and telling them that you’d like to buy a print (or 2). Take a piece of the exhibition home with you while you still can.

THE FINAL DAY TO BUY A PRINT: SAT, MAY 10.

Want to give more than $40—or less even? Donate $1, $5, $10 or any amount via the link in our bio or at fund.explorerochester.us

Since the beginning, @explorerochester has been community-driven, not for profit, and made up of all of us. It’s been about connecting people with people, and people with place. We’ve launched the Community Fund in order to amplify that mission and multiply our impact. We’re aiming to create a legacy that lives on well past this exhibition and this platform as a whole. Please help support however you can—simply sharing this post goes a long way.

Thank you,
Steve, Justin, and Intern

SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY FUND — fund.explorerochester.us

#explorerochester

SUPPORT THE EXPLORE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY FUND

For over a decade, @explorerochester has passed the camera to a different contributor every week — showcasing our city via over 500 unique perspectives. Now, as we celebrate 10 years with a photo exhibition at @roco137, we’re using this moment to invest in the future of our community. The Explore Rochester Community Fund was created to support the next generation of photographers in Rochester. The fund exists to sponsor resources, workshops, and classes for young photographers who may one day become contributors themselves.

We’re proud to be partnering with @flowercityarts and supporting the continuation of the work that they do with the Studio 678 Photo Club — an incredible after-school photo program that has served middle school students in the City of Rochester since 1999. We’ve included more info about them and about this fund via the link in our bio.

The best way to support is by buying a print. Our goal is to sell all 502 prints in the exhibition so that this visual archive can live on in the homes, offices, businesses, and spaces within our community — a beautiful reminder of the perspectives that have made up this project and the support that you gave in purchasing a print. Each one is $40 and they are available by going to the front desk at @roco137 and telling them that you’d like to buy a print (or 2). Take a piece of the exhibition home with you while you still can.

THE FINAL DAY TO BUY A PRINT: SAT, MAY 10.

Want to give more than $40—or less even? Donate $1, $5, $10 or any amount via the link in our bio or at fund.explorerochester.us

Since the beginning, @explorerochester has been community-driven, not for profit, and made up of all of us. It’s been about connecting people with people, and people with place. We’ve launched the Community Fund in order to amplify that mission and multiply our impact. We’re aiming to create a legacy that lives on well past this exhibition and this platform as a whole. Please help support however you can—simply sharing this post goes a long way.

Thank you,
Steve, Justin, and Intern

SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY FUND — fund.explorerochester.us

#explorerochester

SUPPORT THE EXPLORE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY FUND

For over a decade, @explorerochester has passed the camera to a different contributor every week — showcasing our city via over 500 unique perspectives. Now, as we celebrate 10 years with a photo exhibition at @roco137, we’re using this moment to invest in the future of our community. The Explore Rochester Community Fund was created to support the next generation of photographers in Rochester. The fund exists to sponsor resources, workshops, and classes for young photographers who may one day become contributors themselves.

We’re proud to be partnering with @flowercityarts and supporting the continuation of the work that they do with the Studio 678 Photo Club — an incredible after-school photo program that has served middle school students in the City of Rochester since 1999. We’ve included more info about them and about this fund via the link in our bio.

The best way to support is by buying a print. Our goal is to sell all 502 prints in the exhibition so that this visual archive can live on in the homes, offices, businesses, and spaces within our community — a beautiful reminder of the perspectives that have made up this project and the support that you gave in purchasing a print. Each one is $40 and they are available by going to the front desk at @roco137 and telling them that you’d like to buy a print (or 2). Take a piece of the exhibition home with you while you still can.

THE FINAL DAY TO BUY A PRINT: SAT, MAY 10.

Want to give more than $40—or less even? Donate $1, $5, $10 or any amount via the link in our bio or at fund.explorerochester.us

Since the beginning, @explorerochester has been community-driven, not for profit, and made up of all of us. It’s been about connecting people with people, and people with place. We’ve launched the Community Fund in order to amplify that mission and multiply our impact. We’re aiming to create a legacy that lives on well past this exhibition and this platform as a whole. Please help support however you can—simply sharing this post goes a long way.

Thank you,
Steve, Justin, and Intern

SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY FUND — fund.explorerochester.us

#explorerochester

SUPPORT THE EXPLORE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY FUND

For over a decade, @explorerochester has passed the camera to a different contributor every week — showcasing our city via over 500 unique perspectives. Now, as we celebrate 10 years with a photo exhibition at @roco137, we’re using this moment to invest in the future of our community. The Explore Rochester Community Fund was created to support the next generation of photographers in Rochester. The fund exists to sponsor resources, workshops, and classes for young photographers who may one day become contributors themselves.

We’re proud to be partnering with @flowercityarts and supporting the continuation of the work that they do with the Studio 678 Photo Club — an incredible after-school photo program that has served middle school students in the City of Rochester since 1999. We’ve included more info about them and about this fund via the link in our bio.

The best way to support is by buying a print. Our goal is to sell all 502 prints in the exhibition so that this visual archive can live on in the homes, offices, businesses, and spaces within our community — a beautiful reminder of the perspectives that have made up this project and the support that you gave in purchasing a print. Each one is $40 and they are available by going to the front desk at @roco137 and telling them that you’d like to buy a print (or 2). Take a piece of the exhibition home with you while you still can.

THE FINAL DAY TO BUY A PRINT: SAT, MAY 10.

Want to give more than $40—or less even? Donate $1, $5, $10 or any amount via the link in our bio or at fund.explorerochester.us

Since the beginning, @explorerochester has been community-driven, not for profit, and made up of all of us. It’s been about connecting people with people, and people with place. We’ve launched the Community Fund in order to amplify that mission and multiply our impact. We’re aiming to create a legacy that lives on well past this exhibition and this platform as a whole. Please help support however you can—simply sharing this post goes a long way.

Thank you,
Steve, Justin, and Intern

SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY FUND — fund.explorerochester.us

#explorerochester

SUPPORT THE EXPLORE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY FUND

For over a decade, @explorerochester has passed the camera to a different contributor every week — showcasing our city via over 500 unique perspectives. Now, as we celebrate 10 years with a photo exhibition at @roco137, we’re using this moment to invest in the future of our community. The Explore Rochester Community Fund was created to support the next generation of photographers in Rochester. The fund exists to sponsor resources, workshops, and classes for young photographers who may one day become contributors themselves.

We’re proud to be partnering with @flowercityarts and supporting the continuation of the work that they do with the Studio 678 Photo Club — an incredible after-school photo program that has served middle school students in the City of Rochester since 1999. We’ve included more info about them and about this fund via the link in our bio.

The best way to support is by buying a print. Our goal is to sell all 502 prints in the exhibition so that this visual archive can live on in the homes, offices, businesses, and spaces within our community — a beautiful reminder of the perspectives that have made up this project and the support that you gave in purchasing a print. Each one is $40 and they are available by going to the front desk at @roco137 and telling them that you’d like to buy a print (or 2). Take a piece of the exhibition home with you while you still can.

THE FINAL DAY TO BUY A PRINT: SAT, MAY 10.

Want to give more than $40—or less even? Donate $1, $5, $10 or any amount via the link in our bio or at fund.explorerochester.us

Since the beginning, @explorerochester has been community-driven, not for profit, and made up of all of us. It’s been about connecting people with people, and people with place. We’ve launched the Community Fund in order to amplify that mission and multiply our impact. We’re aiming to create a legacy that lives on well past this exhibition and this platform as a whole. Please help support however you can—simply sharing this post goes a long way.

Thank you,
Steve, Justin, and Intern

SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY FUND — fund.explorerochester.us

#explorerochester

We’re excited to share with you our upcoming exhibition “Explore Rochester @ 10: A Decade of People and Places”

Opening First Friday, March 7 at Rochester Contemporary Art Center, this exhibition celebrates the first ten years of one of Rochester’s most significant Instagram accounts: @explorerochester. The exhibition will feature a curated installation of over 500 photographs, one image from each contributor from the last decade.

We can’t wait to share more in the coming weeks!

Introducing our week 594 (Yr. 12 Wk. 21) contributor: @tytiana_j
⠀
Hello beautiful people! My name is Tytiana Jordan and it’s an honor to have been given the opportunity to share space with you all here.

When I was asked to contribute, my genuine first thought was, “but I don’t even explore” lol. But then I realized maybe that wasn’t the point.

This past year has taught me how to stop expecting life to go a certain way and instead surrender to the natural flow of it. To trust that where I am is exactly where I need to be, when I need to be there. I’ve also learned how to unapologetically follow what genuinely brings me joy instead of compromising those things for safety, comfort, or expectation.

So in many ways, this opportunity feels like yet another invitation to say yes to what excites me—reflecting how I see the world through one of my most natural forms of communication: photography.

And maybe that’s why this mirror photo felt fitting for the introduction. Somewhere along the way, this pose quietly became my signature. My face covered by the same phone I use to take all of my photos feels symbolic somehow—like a reflection of how I’ve learned to experience the world through observation, feeling, and perspective.

Maybe that’s why photography feels so personal to me. It’s less about being seen and more about seeing and feeling.

This week, I’m not just exploring where I live. I’ll be reflecting on what home really means to me.

Because home, for me, has never been just a place. It’s something we create. It’s the way we experience what’s around us, the energy we bring into spaces, and the meaning we give to moments.

I believe reflections of who we are exist everywhere—in the streets we walk, the places we return to, and even the ones we overlook. Maybe opportunities like this invite us to slow down and really see… not just where we are, but who we are within it.

So this won’t just be about places, but perspective. About finding yourself in everything and realizing that wherever you go, you’re already home.
 ⠀
#explorerochester

For my last post, I would simply like to encourage you & hopefully inspire you.

Someone once asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I answered, simply, “I like to take photos of people”. Who knew that 12 years later I would have made this a career that has brought me so much joy, connected me to some of the most amazing people, and provided countless incredible opportunities.

Sometimes it’s as simple as that - “what do you want to do with your life?”

When you look back 5/10/20 years from now, what do you want to see? Start working hard for your goals now and I promise you won’t be disappointed looking back. Put in the time, do the work, don’t skimp out. Sacrifice and hard work pay off.

I say you dig deep and follow that dream of yours. What have you got to lose? // @juliahart____ 8/8 #explorerochester

Lumos is my time to unwind and decompress. Everyone is “busy” but I truly think this past year sent me into a new level of busy.

Two young kiddos, balancing moving, renting our first house, small but seemingly constant renovations, remaining an ever-present business owner as well as a wife, daughter, friend and most importantly a mother shaping her kiddos - I don’t think I ever stop moving.

Lumos has helped fill my cup in so many ways. I’m not the girlie who needs to be getting my hair and nails done - so when I discovered Lumos, I instantly was hooked.

30 minutes, uninterrupted, infrared sauna therapy. (& don’t think the word therapy is in there on accident LOL) Some days it’s the only time I am sitting or in silence.

Add in the cold plunge and you’ve got yourself a real treat. The endorphins and body repair are unlike anything I’ve experienced, especially after a week full of intense work outs, chasing around my kiddos, and rarely sitting down.

I’m thankful that on those busy weeks I am able to sneak away and take 30 minutes, just for myself. Rochester we are lucky to have this one!!! Thank you, Lumos! // @juliahart____ 7/8 #explorerochester

August, 2023. My friend posted a story showing her absolutely crushing a workout at a local gym I had heard of many times before, called Burn.

I’m not the type to love initiating my own work out at an “open gym” - I simply don’t know where to begin. From day 1 at Burn, you walk in, and you can mentally check OUT. That was exactly what I needed. Guided work-outs, different every time, with the most encouraging coaches and community.

It is now 2026, I have completed 462 camps, including working out while pregnant and postpartum with both of my babies. With Burn & my INCREDIBLE nutritionist, Lora Doughtery, I gained 50 lb and lost 52!

Do it for a better version of yourself. Do it for your kids, for your family. for your friends. Your body and your future self will thank you. NOTHING beats that morning routine, the endorphins, and the satisfaction of earning that morning shower. // @juliahart____ 6/8 #explorerochester

“Let’s call it “Good Light”, because there will be really nice lighting inside...” BOOM - a business was born!

We are ELATED to bring to the area, Rochester’s first enclosed vintage Photo Booth. Built completely by hand, it is truly more than just a business to us. One of our first dates (at Six Flags Darien Lake) Raleigh and I sat in a photo booth and snapped a few photos together. Little did we know, a video was also being recorded. Sent to our emails, and found years later.

Today, our mirrors at home are lined with photo booth strips from countless weddings, mall tips, vacations, and more - and each one is precious to us. I have said for years - when you think “take the photo” you have to do it right then ... because if you don’t, that moment will pass you by. That is why we love the booth so much! It guarantees a printed memory that you can keep, save, and cherish, FOREVER!

We can’t wait to see you in that “Good Light”! (follow us on Insta @goodlightbooths) we appreciate your support! // @juliahart____ 5/8 #explorerochester

COLOR HUNTING is trending - or whatever you Gen Z kids are calling it!

I invited my photog friends to join me at the Public Market to “color hunt” not knowing it was the creativity my soul needed. It is easy to get into the rhythm of routine. Family portraits, newborn portraits, wedding, repeat. As much as it does still always (somehow) feel fresh for me, it doesn’t always feel the most creative.

The color hunting is IT guys. You’ve got to try. No fancy camera gear needed. Just a few friends, a cool location, and your phone’s camera. In an ever-busy world, I think it is important to stay CREATIVE.

Check out my most recent hunt with some amazingly talented local photographer friends, where we shot at Rochester’s iconic Lilac Festival! // @juliahart____ 4/8 #explorerochester

My sasha fierce is Julia Hart. Hi - it’s nice to meet you!

Julia Hart was a lil dream of mine, started officially in 2014. I photographed the original Arbor Loft ribbon cutting, I have great friends who are florsts and bakers and DJs, I’ve seen venues open and close, and yes - I have THE CRAZIEST WEDDING STORIES EVER (and I would love to start a podcast anonymously, but it would be too obvious who I am - maybe one day?!)

I could NOT love my job more. I get to go to a WEDDING every weekend?! WHAT! I still find extreme excitement in this. I know I am blessed to have found a career that I genuinely and passionately ENJOY to my core. I also photograph families, newborns, businesses, events, seniors - you name it, I’m your girlie.

I will also say that early on in the industry, you learn very quickly if weddings are for you. They are quick, they are pressure-filled - and I have learned that I thrive in these situations. The pressure fuels me in the best way.

Here is one of my favorite wedding photos that I have ever taken! (it’s my favs Matt & Kailyn and I have now taken photos of their I do’s AND their 2 beautiful children - again how lucky am I to be able to call this my job!?)

5 points to whoever guesses where this photo was taken anddddddd GO! // @juliahart____ 3/8 #explorerochester

Psalms 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you.”

I just needed to be sustained. Postpartum was consuming me, one clocks tick at a time. Nothing flashy, nothing fancy, nothing straight from the heavens with ribbons attached - I JUST needed to be sustained. This verse was living water to my soul during this season.

If anyone knows me, you know that I often will say “it’s just a season”. And friend (I can assure you) that it is just that - a season.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that there is a time for everything. A time to laugh & a time to mourn. Now having gone through postpartum twice, I can attest to this.

Jesus didn’t pull me out of this season, he walked with me THROUGH it. “He will never leave you nor forsake you”— He hasn’t left you, he walks WITH you, alongside you, holding you, collecting your tears. All you have to do is look up. Start with a simple prayer - He is eager to hear you. // @juliahart____ 2/8 #explorerochester

Tree Town Cafe is such a staple in our summer rotation. It is the perfect place to grab a coffee with a friend, or meet up for a play date. Mom orders a ”snickerdoodle” latte, while the kiddos pick out some penny candies. It’s a win-win!

Do you know why Tree Town is so special to me? I’ll tell you. It’s because before I watched my kiddos fingers perusing the cookie section and making me a fake lunch on a little tikes stove top - this was where mom & dad dated. The same bench they sit on is where we dreamed of them. Watching young moms and dads on the playground and yearning to one day be them, that was us. The day before my daughter was born, we found our selves at Tree town. Pre planned C section, pre everything unknown.

Maybe that’s why we love it so much? Because we made it through, and after the chaos settled, our favorite bench was still there. // @juliahart____ 1/8 #explorerochester

Introducing our week 593 (Yr. 12 Wk. 20) contributor: @juliahart____
⠀
ROCHESTER! Hi friends, so glad you are here ❤️

My name is Julia. Like most of you, I wear lots of hats. I am a wife, a mom, a friend, a Jesus follower, and an ultra-encourager and just truly a half-glass-full kinda girlie. I love people, I love stories, I love LOVE. I think pushing yourself past your comfort zone is key and often where you’ll find the most beautiful version of yourself.

I grew up in Rochester NY (in my Penfield bubble, specifically). The city was always a mystery to me. As most do in High School, that mystery began unraveling first by visiting a very sticky “Java’s” with friends and struggling to parallel park on Park Ave. With many trips over the years to Highland Park and the Public Market, who knew I would end up spending the majority of my days photographing weddings, events, and SO many people in Rochester for the last 13 years! We are SO lucky to live in a city that is truly SO photogenic. 

I hope you join me this week as I delve into some areas of my life that mean so much to me: my postpartum journey, my relationship with my creator, starting a business as a young woman, and more. Love ya!
 ⠀
#explorerochester