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Engagement Photography
Weddings and Celebrating Love
— 05/02/2016 by Monika Wertman —There is nothing we enjoy more than capturing love in any shape or form and one of our favorite things to shoot are weddings. I wanted to play around with some ideas that had been hopping around in my head for a while and since during a wedding we are dealing with a time line and locations that are chosen by the bride and groom, we don’t always have time to get everything we want and need to be flexible as nature sometimes throws a kink into our wheels. For that reason and because something new should not be tried out on clients, I organized a stylized wedding shoot with several local vendors and 5 fabulous models.
Maryland has fickle spring weather and we had been watching the weather with baited breath, praying that it would be nice the day of the shoot and it was. In the morning we shot at Ava’s Lounge and the Ballroom at Schindel Rohrer in downtown Hagerstown whose owners Gary and Jennie are wonderful to work with. I wanted to capture an uptown/lounge feel for images for a long time and Ava’s is perfect for that. JB Bridals generously provided us with 6 gowns and 6 tux ensembles for the day and the first two gowns were perfect for what I had in mind for the lounge.
Bella Salon and Spa sent us two of their most talented stylist and make-up artists, Lindsey and Bettina and they stayed with us all day, touching up and re-creating hair and make-up. TG designs added floral arrangements to our adventure and let us play with the bouquets all day.
The second half of the day was shot at Cortland Manor, at the time under management of Hempen Hill Barbecue and Josh is a gem to work with. He had his team at the ready all day and even fed everyone lunch. Being prepared by Hempen Hill, you can imagine that we did not lack a thing and that it was delicious.
Carson jewelers let us play with fabulous bling all day as well. You can imagine that I had a blast shopping for the gowns, tuxes and jewelry prior to the day and appreciate everything that everyone contributed to make our day successful.
We had a blast working with everyone and from the feedback I have gotten so far, the feeling was mutual. I think the images speak for themselves and if you see something here that you would like to do at your wedding, please let us know. The vendors mentioned within this post are our preferred vendors to work with for your special day, and since we had this experience, we know for sure that you will be pleased when you choose them for your next event or special day.
Please vote on your favorite image in this post and you will be entered into a drawing for a 1 hour family session for up to 5 people.
It’s Bridal Season, win an Engagement Session
— 03/18/2016 by Monika Wertman —This Sunday we will be at the inaugural bridal show at Frostburg State. The show will feature local venues, caterers, vendors and photographers. Wertman Photography will represent Hagerstown, MD and show off why it pays to hire a professional with years of bridal experience, an all inclusive wedding experiences as well as a fun, outgoing personality you want to spend time with and who will guide you through the jungle of wedding preparation.
Come join us this Sunday at Frostburg State for show only specials and a chance to get to know us better as we show you why we are the choice you should be making.
You cannot leave this day to chance.
Check out some images from some of our favorite brides from last year and come see us Sunday or book your free consultation now.
Weddings small and large, we can handle them all and guide you to a blissful experience.
Nominate newly engaged couples on this blog to enter them into a drawing to win an engagement session, a $300 value. In order to be entered into the drawing, you will need to tag them on this thread and provide their full name. They can only win if we can contact them.
Casting Call
— 03/03/2016 by Monika Wertman —Casting Call for Male and Female Models
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I need two female and two male models for a stylized bridal shoot. Shoot will take place at two venues, 4 clothing changes, hair and make-up services provided. All work is for trade and each vendor is participating to receive images and new promotional material. Trade for models will be fully edited portfolio images from the day of shooting.
Female models need to be 5’8″ to 5’9″ and need to bring heels with them, in either white, cream or silver, evening shoes to match the gowns. size 8-10 wedding gowns need to fit, which translates to regular dress sizes of 6-10. I am looking for hour glass models. We want these images to look real, yet fantastic.
Male models should be a size 40 regular with an inseam of 34.
Please contact us no later than March 18th to be considered for the opportunity.
April 5th will be the fitting day at JB bridal in Chambersburg. the shooting will take place in Hagerstown on April 12. Hair and makeup will likely start at 8 am and shooting will start at 10am. Please plan on a full 8 hour day. Only serious, committed models need apply and we will meet in person before the fitting day.
Please contact the studio directly through email if you are interested: info@wertmanphotography.net
An Engagement Session in the Cold Weather
— 01/26/2016 by Monika Wertman —It is cold out and while we warm the house with fires and just came out of the most festive season of the year, many young couples also got engaged. I recently worked with such a couple, though he had popped the question before the typical season during which many guys do so and we were able to get the engagement photos done while Christmas décor was still up.
We went outside for several of our shots, for 10 minutes at a time because it was too cold to stay out longer than that. This is a very sweet couple and very cute together. The lovely bride has been a client of mine for a while and I was thrilled to share this fabulous change in her life with her.
We started our session at 4 in the afternoon as they life by an open field with a mountain range in the background and fabulous sunsets in the evening. As with all sessions, it is all about planning it out. For our engagement sessions we allow about 2 hours for shooting, changing clothes and moving about between different locations. We include a consultation during which we decide how to style the session to our couples’ tastes, how to offset the imagery we capture during the engagement session with what we will capture the day of the wedding, and discuss wardrobe, what colors photograph the best and what story we want to tell.
We have fun planning and the day of the session goes smoothly because we planned. Even if a detail goes astray, we adjust and the end result is great imagery our couples are proud to hang on their walls.
What is important to keep in mind when you select Wertman Photography for your wedding and engagement photographer, is that we shoot to create artwork for your walls. We capture sweet moments you may want in an album or book, plenty of images we can create safe-the-dates from or a guestbook, but you will have several images to choose from to decorate your walls with. These will be meant to be at least 16×24 inches and you will have the option to get them printed on canvas, metal or in framed fine art prints.
Please explore our wedding/engagement gallery to see more samples, like us on facebook, twitter and instagram. All the links are on our site. We would love to add you to our favorite clients.
The importance of the right Wedding Photographer
— 12/31/2015 by Monika Wertman —Congratulations! You just got engaged! Now that the initial excitement has settled it hits you that you have a wedding to plan. Like most women, you have likely been planning this event in your head since you were a little girl, but reality is just a wee bit more overwhelming than a little girl’s dreams.
For your wedding day, three things are of the utmost importance. The groom, you have found him, your dress, that could still be a hurdle to overcome, and your wedding photographer. These three are on the top of the list for obvious reasons. The venue, the ceremony space, food and entertainment rank high as well, but let’s face it, everyone is going to remember what you looked like in your dress and if you and your fiancé looked happy. For the two of you, the ceremony, the venue and the party will be memories that will seem fleeting and a bit vague and that is why your photographer needs to rank right after your dress.
Your photographer is in charge of preserving those special moments your wedding day is made up of.
She is the one you will turn to to capture another moment you thought may not happen and as long as you hire the right person, she will have already captured that shot. A good wedding photographer will be everywhere the day of the wedding. We always hear: “Wow, I don’t even remember that we did this”, or ” Wow, we never made it over to that area, thanks so much for preserving this moment.”
Here at Wertman Photography we pride ourselves in becoming your best friend over the year in between you signing with us and your wedding day. We help you plan your day, create a time line for you, go over who is going to be in pictures both at the ceremony and at the reception and best of all, you can trust that we will create artwork for your walls that will stand the test of time.
All of our wedding collections include an engagement session. We help you plan that session, from wardrobe, to location, season and styling. We will create artwork for your walls that will compliment your wedding day wall art and we give you many options from an engagement guestbook to safe the dates that will further aid in planning your wedding day.
All of our collections also include a beautiful leather album, sizes depend on your collection, but each album is crafted with care from the design to the finished product. We help you choose the images that will tell your wedding day story perfectly.
With Wertman Photography you will not only get all day coverage from two photographers, but a guiding hand in planning your big day. We believe that your photography needs to be in the best hands and that you should not have to worry about it, but trust that your story will be told and preserved for years to come.
For information on all of the options included in the different wedding collections, please contact us at 301-693-3021 or email us at info@wertmanphotography.net. Consultations are always free and non-binding and we love to share what a great studio can do for you.
At the Hagerstown Prime Outlets
— 09/28/2015 by Monika Wertman —In this blog post I will switch things up a bit. Usually I tell a story about one of my clients and their session, but we are trying a marketing approach that is new to us and I thought it would be fun to share the set-up.
The idea started when I got a letter in the mail about putting a booth display into the food court area of the outlets in Hagerstown. The cost was very reasonable and they caught me at just the correct time, with money left in the advertising budget and phone calls with crazy requests arriving every day. This opportunity, by far, seemed the most cost effective way to spend my money. Another benefit is the time frame. We installed the display today, September 28 and it will be up through the holiday shopping season until January 1.
The decision about what to show potential clients was not as easy as the decision to give this new-to-us marketing strategy a try. We finally settled on bridal, athlete and seniors. As you can see, the selection shows a nice variety of gestures and poses, while offering a peek into studio lighting and on location use of architectural elements and natural light. The selection can also be found throughout the galleries, so feel free to find the images if you want to see them more clearly, or go by the display to do the same.
Many couples get engaged over the holidays, so the hope is that they remember what they saw while shopping and will come talk to us about their wedding day, while families will see what can be done with just about any activity and book us for various occasions.
We also have informational materials about senior photos, boudoir sessions and wedding coverage, as well as regular business cards at the display area. Gift certificates can be purchased for any amount all throughout the year and make wonderful stocking stuffers. A sign planting that idea is on display as well.
We encourage you to check the display out for yourself, please let us know what you think and remember to check in on Facebook throughout the life of the display for contests and drawings. At some point we will probably add a little information collection box as well. For now, if you can guess where this alcove is at the outlets, or if you want to go and find it, leave the exact location in the comments below and everyone who gets it right, will be entered into a drawing for a free one hour session for up to 5 people, a $150 value. We will draw a winner at the end of this week.
Please browse our galleries, new work is added on a routine basis and you just never know what you may find this time around. Call us today to secure a gift certificate in any amount that can be applied to sessions and as print credit. Gift certificates make the most wonderful stocking stuffers as well!
Anniversary Photos
— 09/14/2015 by Monika Wertman —With the arrival of the digital camera and the addition of the camera to cell phones, the need for a professional photographer seems to be less pressing. After all, we all carry a camera with us everywhere we go and can snap away to our hearts delight whenever we feel like it. We can ask strangers if they could snap a quick shot in front of a tourist spot to commemorate the moment and we don’t miss a thing when our children and grand children take that first step or utter that first word.
There are, however still moments and milestones that need to be documented professionally; newborn pictures, that first birthday, Sweet Sixteens, Quinceaneras, Bar Mitzvahs, senior photos, engagement and wedding photos, special anniversaries and maternity shots to bring it full circle. Of course there are other offerings I will not mention in this blog, as they do not really fit here.
It is one of those special moments that I was asked to commemorate the other week. A husband came to me who wanted to do something special for his wife of almost ten years. He mentioned that they did not have a photographer when they got married and he wanted to surprise her with an anniversary session that would celebrate their love for each other in a similar fashion. After some discussion, I suggested that we could also include their three sons in the pictures toward the end of the session and he got excited.
We set a date and he stopped by to purchase the session as a gift certificate to give to his wife on their anniversary, and told me that she would probably call me to discuss details.
Sure enough, a few days later, the very excited other half called me and we discussed wardrobe, location and how the session would run. At the appointed date we met and while her mom watched the boys, we took off to get the couple shots they were both looking for.
Elvin and Tania are a very sweet and funny couple. I had a lot of fun capturing their personalities and their love for each other. They were up to exploring different spots within our location, resulting in some wonderful images.
Halfway through our session, we returned to the cars, my couple changed their clothes and the boys were unloaded. We now took off to the other side of our location and created some family photos of all five of them, some of just the boys who were somewhat reluctant to cooperate, but were persuaded with the promise of ice-cream, and a few shots that included grandma as well.
All in all it was a great session and I am happy to share it with you. Back to the point I was making at the beginning of this blog, even with the constant access to a camera, the need for a professional session still arises and when you book with us, we will guide you from the first moment we pick up the phone to the last minute of the session. This care continues into our sales session, when you return to the studio about 2 weeks after your session to choose your images. We make it easy for you to select your favorites and discard the ones you can do without and guide you in choosing the right materials for your wall art that we have created for you.
So browse our offerings on our site, call us with questions and to book a session. Whatever you want us to cover, we will take care to do it well and make it fun for you.
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