Blog
Author Archive
Santa Pictures in the Square
— 12/10/2015 by Monika Wertman —About three weeks ago, during the 2nd Saturday event in Downtown Hagerstown, we set up a photo booth complete with Santa and a tree. We offered micro sessions at a very reduced price and had lots of families take advantage of this.
We gave the children a chance to warm up to Santa, sit next to him, on his knee if wanted and gave them time to interact. We called it the Santa Experience.
This particular Santa has been Santa for 49 years now and is still gong strong. Many families dropped by and told stories of how they remember sitting on his knee and how it is neat that now their children get to do the same.
Below are a few images to show you how it went.
WE plan on doing this on a larger scale in the studio next winter, offering mini sessions that will be priced specifically for that purpose and will allow even more time for your children to interact with Santa and several special print collections will be a part of this offering. We are looking at doing this one weekend toward the end of November before it gets too busy.
Please keep us in mind for next year. Going into the home stretch of 2015, you will find us in the square for the donut drop on New Year’s Eve, offering a photo booth similar to the Halloween experience. We will be located within the fire station across the street from Bulls and Bears.
We are looking forward to a great end of the year and would like to thank everyone who has helped us be successful in 2015.
Happy Holidays!
Please browse our galleries as we are constantly adding new work. And if you have not gotten the email with details on how to see all of the santa pictures, here is the link: http://wertmanphoto.zenfolio.com/santa2016
Newborn Photos
— 11/30/2015 by Monika Wertman —Newborn Photos
I recently had some fun with a brand new baby boy and his mommy. This little guy was a lot of fun to work with and like any newborn had his moments of getting hungry, sleepy and being wide-awake.
I keep the studio warm and the constant lighting I use in studio helps to elevate the temperature more, making it the right condition to capture the little nude shots all mommies want of their new little angel.
This cute little guy decided that he needed to be awake during the nude shots and started chewing on his fist.
He started to squirm around quite a bit, so we decided that a few shots with mommy holding him skin to skin would calm him down. I was able to get some precious images while he snuggled with mommy but after a while it became apparent that he wanted more. It was time to break and feed his little belly.
Here at Wertman Photography we build time into each newborn session for mom to relax and see to the needs of her baby. Good photographs can only be gotten from a happy child, so taking a break for feedings and diaper changes is part of the session.
After the filling of the tummy, our little man was ready for a nap. We switched places and snuggled him into a soft basket with a big bunny.
He was content and even woke up again after a while, making the cutest faces, varying his expressions as only a newborn can.
We finished the session with some more shots of mommy holding him and interacting with him, again an opportunity to catch some precious moments.
As you can see in the samples I inserted into this post, we take our time to catch moments that are fleeting and special. Rest assured that your newborn’s rapidly changing appearance will be etched in time at Wertman Photography and that you will receive photos that you will treasure for years to come.
We have also just finished three maternity sessions over the span of the past week, something that is a lot of fun for both the expectant mom and dad and us here at the studio. Call us today at 301-693-3021 if you are expecting and would love to capture that special time in your life or if you have just given birth to a precious bundle and would like to preserve these fleeting moments. We can help create wonderful memories, birth announcements, memory books and more.
Halloween Pictures
— 11/11/2015 by Monika Wertman —Halloween Pictures
October 30, the night of trick or treating, our studio did something new. We sat up a tent right outside of our doors and partnering with our State Farm agent Lauren Kolberg, we offered free Halloween micro sessions.
Parents had the option of ordering one 4×5 print that night, but everyone would be able to receive one free digital copy, chosen by us.
Below are some of our favorites of that night.
Please contact us to find out if we have more than one for you and how you can see the others and order more prints.
For the complete list of the downloadable images please go to the facebook event page of the night and grab your image.
Emails will also go out over the next day or two with instructions.
Fall Family Photos
— 11/05/2015 by Monika Wertman —I have had the pleasure of working with this lovely family twice within the last year. We captured them last fall as they were awaiting the arrival of their second child, and this fall we created photos of the newly expanded family.
Last fall we went to a park in Boonsboro, this fall we stayed a bit closer to home and captured new family photos at Pangborn Park in Hagerstown. We lucked out the day of the session, as it was sunny and warm and not a single breeze interfered with getting great images.
Pangborn Park is a smaller park that is often overlooked partly because it is located at the north end of town. It is a charming little park with a lovely new gazebo, a fountain, which is on during the warmer months, a large grassy area and a nice little lake.
When we met, the leaves had just started turning and were still fully stuck to the trees. This created a nice contrast between the green of the grass and the changing colors in the background.
The kids hammed it up for most of the pictures and I was able to get some precious moments between the two sisters.
Here at Wertman Photography it is all about making the little ones feel at ease, we talk to them throughout the session, take our time and click when the going is good.
Call us today to schedule your fall session, there is still some time to get into the studio and capture moments for Christmas cards and gifts. As long as the weather holds up we will shoot outdoors as well, if you desire and even into winter, we will brave snow if that is the look you are after.
We will be in the square November 14 for 2nd Saturdays, from 3-7pm with a photo booth setup that will feature a Santa Experience. Come see us for a chance to try us out at a special low rate for just that day. Stay tuned to our facebook page for details over the next few days.
Want to schedule Senior Photos?
— 10/23/2015 by Monika Wertman —Though summer is over and most seniors have had their sessions, some of you may not have had them done yet or are already thinking about them as a junior. No matter who you choose, what size session you commit to, whether you are a boy or a girl, you will want to showcase your interests, whether they are sports related, you have a favorite pet, or are into cars or other big toys. Are you into winter sports and would like to get action shots in the snow? Here at Wertman Photography we will be happy to meet you at your favorite location and incorporate that interest into your session.
Now we all know that you want your senior pictures to look different than last year’s school picture, right? How do you accomplish this, you ask? Here are a few tips on what you should do to insure that you will get some one of a kind images from your high school senior picture session:
- Spend a couple of months researching the kind of imagery you would like to see. Look through sports magazines and browse the web for ideas and styles. Do you like the edgy, grungy look? Do you want to look like the latest gold medal winner in one of her endorsement commercials, or do you want to look like the girl or boy next door, clean and pristine in your gear?
- Once you have determined what look you want, contact us and show us what you are looking for. We will then plan your session and recommend the appropriate length of time we will need to accomplish the look you are after. If you are a football player, chances are you have access to your school’s field, if you are a swimmer, access to a pool may be more difficult. As a skier or snow boarder, we will need to wait for the weather to be cold enough to work in snow. We need to understand exactly what you would like to accomplish in order to give you the session of your dreams.
- Understand that special requests require prior planning and that you are asking your photographer for individualized services. She will invest time in your session and you and your family will invest money in return. This tradeoff will ensure a fantastic session for you and great images for your family and you to share and display.
- Ask about cost only after you have determined whether are the right fit for you. It is important to have report with your photographer to get what you want, when you have fun, the images show it. But do ask, you will want to know how much your family will need to invest in the service and what you will receive in return. Ask about products that are offered and be aware that a boutique studio and a boutique service such as you are looking for and we offer, will offer some great print collections for you to choose from.
- Finally, after you book your session and have paid the retainer fee, enter the date in your calendar and arrive 5-10 minutes early at the predetermined meeting point. Your photographer will be there waiting for you and when you are on time all will go smoothly and you will have a wonderful experience which will in turn result in great photos to choose from.
We have worked with some great seniors this year and some great athletes, and are looking forward to working with you. Please feel free to browse our senior and sports gallery for additional images and call us to schedule your session.
Photographing Athletes
— 10/08/2015 by Monika Wertman —When I first started out photographing people on a regular, professional basis, I focused on families, children and individuals. All were portraits either for business use, portfolios, the family living room wall and Christmas presents. I eventually added weddings to my repertoire with the occasional student athlete during senior sessions.
Recently photographing athletes has become a bigger part of my business as I have entered into a fantastic relationship with XL Sports magazine as the primary photographer. I find myself going to games I never thought I would attend, sporting events I ever just heard about and capturing athletes in both the performing state of things and in the resting phase.
Many sessions this summer and early fall have been of the portrait kind, capturing a bit of the essence of the athlete, the strength that is needed to perform well and the physical aspects that created that strength.
In many ways an athlete, starting in High School, becomes aware of his or her body fully, and starts to realize that training and hard work alone will not get them to perform at the highest level. It takes an inner strength, and inner desire to want to succeed that pushes an athlete to win.
Photographing seniors who play a sport and have taken it into college and then revisiting these athletes one or two years later, reveals that characteristic. The inner desire shows in their eyes. They have gained a confidence that was beginning to form in High school, but had not fully blossomed.
It is that confidence that they will carry into adulthood and continue to use in daily life and when they participate in local, regional, and national events such as bike tours, running events, and triathlons to name a few.
I have included a few shots of sports captured in motion and athletes at rest in this blog. Some of them are scattered in the fitness/seniors section of our website, some of these shots are new additions.
If you are interested to find out more about some of the people in these shots, please check out the fall issue of XL Sports Magazine coming out before the end of the month. We will have issues of the magazine at our display at the Prime outlets in Hagerstown as soon as they come out. In the meantime the current issue will be present in a few days, please feel free to take one home.
Are you an athlete or a parent of one? If so, and you would like us to capture what makes you tick, please call today to schedule a session. 301-693-3021
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!
Connect With Us:
