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Children Photography
Playing with Flour
— 10/19/2016 by Monika Wertman —
Playing with flour is something I have wanted to do for a while. Last summer I had a senior in the studio who was enrolled in the culinary program at the local high school and we played with flour a little, yielding some great shots. A few months later I saw an image that combined flour and dancers and I wanted to do something similar. I love dance being a dancer myself and the mother of a dancer, so combining dance with flour is natural.
The first order of business was to secure one of my favorite dancers I have worked with before, presenting me with a challenge as Nutcracker rehearsals have started. It left us with a 5 pm starting time on a Sunday afternoon. The second order of business was to find an empty, industrial space we could make a mess in. One of my business associates offered the use of such a space. At 5pm we had some natural light left that entered through a strip of windows to our left, but we were able to control the rest of the light and by the time we were almost done, the natural light was fading quickly.
This was so much fun! Maddie, my dancer, is a blast to work with. She is beautiful, graceful and follows instructions wonderfully. She had some of her own ideas that we incorporated as well. But the time we were done, Maddie had flour in places she probably never thought were possible. It was her dad’s birthday and they went to dinner after we finished the shoot. I am sure that her hair was still lightly grey at dinner 🙂
This shoot was one of those things I love to do. Work with a lovely young lady who is open to trying something unusual, resulting in imagery that we are proud to display. It also gives us a chance to play. A chance to figure out what it takes to get a certain shot, so we can repeat it if a senior or adult wants to have the same experience. Before we got into the flour, I tired some things with sheer fabric and the fan I have, to discover that the fan was not powerful enough for the effect I was after.
As an artist, you do not wait to try these things with your clients, but in sessions that are arranged to try out new things. As an artist, I draw inspiration from other artists. I see things and wonder how it was achieved. I know how to light things to get what I want, but some of the other effects, such as creating wind to achieve certain effects have to be explored on my own time table, not that of a client.
I believe that these sessions during which we play and explore to continually build our portfolio is what sets us apart from the competition we have around us. Wertman Photography has grown over the last few months, adding an additional photographer and a videographer to the team. We have added equipment that needs to be explored and personally I am working on my masters in fine art, continually growing as an artist.
When you hire us, you get a team of artists, not technicians. You will work with people who understand light, movement, emotion and relationships. This knowledge shows in our work. Whether we work with athletes, create fine art for fun, photograph families, babies or weddings, we bring our knowledge with us and apply it all to creating memories for you that you will be proud to share with your friends and families for years to come.
Call us today to book your unique session. Tell us what you have in mind and we will be sure to get it done for you. 301-693-3021
Vote for your favorite image for a chance to win a family session for up to 5 people, a $150 value.
Swimming and Action Shots
— 10/12/2016 by Monika Wertman —
Two weeks ago we had the pleasure of working with Alderson Broaddus’ swim team again. I was great working with the athletes we met last year and working with some of the new recruits.
The weather was much warmer this year than last and the sun was out the entire time we were there. More of the swimmers opted in to capture action shots this year as well. We used a different location for the team shots and I still worked in different areas of the campus. 19 of the 20 swimmers were able to attend the team picture and everyone was there for the head shots. All in all a successful trip.
What I enjoy most in working with these young adults is seeing the obvious connection they have as a team and their dedication to their sport. They are all very easy to talk to and very easy to get good pictures of.
Athletes as a rule are fun to work with. They love showing off their skills, their athleticism and in this case, how they have grown in one year.
When we get to work with a particular team year after year, it is fun to see how the athletes change, grow up and develop in their skill set.
It surprised me to see how these young men and women had changed in a year. They are, after all in college and at least the juniors and seniors are over 20. Yes, they are looking older and more mature. They are coming into their own in many ways and athletically this shows.
We have worked with a couple of other teams as well, but for me at least, being the mother of a swimmer, this is the most fun.
If your child is part of a team, school or club, and you are tired of seeing the same pictures every year, please consider sharing this post with your coach and school. The images captured during this shoot have just been shared with the parents and part of the proceeds from the picture purchases will go back to the team to help them go to Florida for training in January.
Every sports team raises money for gear, trips, entry fees and other assorted stuff. Why not raise funds this way? If you are interested please give us a call today at 301-693-3021.
What to do to prepare for a successful Photo session
— 08/22/2016 by Monika Wertman —What to do to prepare for a successful Photo session.
In this post we will focus on some of the things you as the client can do to ensure that your session with us will be successful and productive.
Whether you plan to book us for a family or senior session, a glamor/boudoir or a couple’s session or a newborn session, there are a few things that you as a client can do to prepare for your time with us and to ensure that you will not only have a great time during the session, but that your pictures will turn out great. You will, of course, assume that we will do everything in our power to ensure these things as well, and we do, but you can help make it just a wee bit easier for us.
Here is how:
#1 Schedule a consultation with us prior to the date of your session. We offer consultations with most of our sessions, in fact make them mandatory for some. Even if you have booked a session for which we do not require a consultation, book one anyway. During this time we will plan the where and when, what you should wear etc. For a family session, this can be discussed over the phone if you are super busy, and with children, you are. We understand this. For a senior, boudoir, engagement or couples session, an in person consultation is best and highly recommended!
#2 If you plan on bringing your pet to the session, please inform us ahead of time so we are prepared with water for your pet and by having anything he may bounce into out of the way.
#3 Discuss your wardrobe with us. This can be a simple discussion of color choices or be more involved such as what it is you are planning to wear and if you have questions on what form of clothing photographs better. If you plan to wear formal wear, please let us know so we have the studio set up accordingly if we are shooting inside. If we are planning on outdoors only, and we are dealing with high heels, please let us know, so our plan does not involve you climbing over rocky and potentially muddy surfaces.
#4 If your session includes several clothing changes, organize them before you arrive. Changing time will go more smoothly and take away less time from your session. ( A few months back we had a family of 8 with three clothing changes, the mom was fantastically organized. I have never seen anything go more smoothly! It was impressive)
#5 We will most likely ask you this, but in case we do not, please let us know what ages your children are. This applies to an in studio session as we’ll as an outdoors/lifestyle session. We love working with littles, but want to know ahead of time so we are prepared with props and location choices that are age appropriate.
#6 Women and girls, please wear makeup, even if you generally don’t do anything more than mascara, do a bit more for your session, especially if it is a senior session, a professional headshot session or a glamor session. (we offer professional hair and make-up services starting at $85 if you are not sure what to do, and include these in all of our regular glamor and boudoir session) Wearing make-up ensures an even skin tone and guarantees fantastic results for you. On this note, do not fret if a pimple pops up the day of your session. We remove blemishes in post production.
#7 If it is a hot summer day and we are shooting outside only, please bring some water with you. We always bring some, but it helps if our clients come prepared as well.
#8 Please arrive on time!!!!!!! We set aside your session time plus 15 minutes. If you run late, you eat into your session time, which gives us less time to create the images we want to create for you. If we come to your home, please be ready for us. We generally arrive 5-10 minutes early so we have time to set up.
Wertman Photography has several shooting spaces within the studio, including a private dressing area. When we go on location, we can bring a pop-up tent for clothing changes as well. Together we will create great images that will stand the test of time and will preserve precious moments for you for years to come!
Family sessions outdoors
— 08/04/2016 by Monika Wertman —Over the last few weeks I had the chance to work with several families, many of them with little children and new babies on the way. All of the session took place outdoors because the weather was nice and these families chose to be photographed outdoors.
Working with young families is always fun and I love shooting in a pretty location. Being outside gives me a chance to propose great locations that give us plenty of options and scenery changes. Here in Hagerstown, we have many such locations. We have parks galore and within a short driving distance we have great little and big waterways that add to the variety I can offer my clients with an outdoor session.
During the initial phone call I ask if they have a favorite spot that means something to them as a family. Most of the time the answer is:”no” If this is the case, I then propose one or two locations I think will work well and let my families decide from there. We generally settle on mid-afternoon and many times it has to be on a weekend day. Occasionally I am asked if we can do the session at the families’ home. We offer this option as it turns it into more of a lifestyle session. Indoor or out, a home location offers it’s own challenges that we love to rise to.
At Wertman Photography we are also willing to travel a distance if that is what it takes to make our clients happy. Within a 25 mile radius from he studio, we travel for no additional charge, outside of this radius, the additional rate depends on the distance we need to cover and how long it will take us to get there. Personally, I love to go to new places a bit of a distance away. It allows me to be creative and meet challenges I may not have here in town.
One such session was held on family land, on a rainy day. We walked through softened areas to get to water ways, used tree cover when it started raining and utilized umbrellas when it got a bit worse. In the images you can not tell that it was overcast, because we where in wooded areas and only emerged when it was not raining. It was a fun session and produced fun images the family loves!
Call us today if you want a unique session in an outdoor location of your choice or recommended by us. We will be happy to work with you and create memorable images that you will be proud to hang on your walls. 301-693-3021
A Tailored Newborn Session
— 05/20/2016 by Monika Wertman —Over the last few months, we have had the privilege to capture several maternity sessions and the resulting newborn sessions, tailoring each to what the family wanted. Each had it’s wonderful moments, but the one I am highlighting today holds a special place in my heart as it is the firstborn of a sweet couple who we have been creating memories for since they got engaged. Every time we get together, their love for each other shines stronger than the last and seeing them add a little bundle to this love has been precious. It is these sessions I live for, these moments that hold special meaning and are the reason why I do what I do.
We did a series of three sessions, two of which were maternity, the first one being the gender reveal session, the second being the big belly session and of course, the third one being the newborn session.
This couple is a hoot. We always laugh a lot when we get together and everything is very natural and free flowing. I make suggestions and the two of them interpret them in their own perfect way. For our gender reveal, my mommy-to-be had very specific ideas and working in the upstairs floor of an old building that houses a restaurant and bed and breakfast on the first and second floor and was under construction, gave us a perfect background to not only showcase the changes that were happening with this sweet couple but also the freedom to write on brick walls and contrast roughness and softness.
For our second session, we were still able to go to the floor that was under construction as there are big windows and with the now larger belly, I wanted to create some silhouette images I had not been able to get in the earlier session. We also drove than old family house for outdoor shots.
Each of the three sessions included shots in front of an antique mirror recording progress and change.
For our newborn session we started in the nursery with a very bright-eyed 1 week old baby girl who gave us more than we had imagined. Even at her tender age, her parent’s personalities are showing through and she was ready for action.
For the second half of the session we returned to the old building to add to our collection of mirror shots and add a few images of the little one in her mommy’s wedding gown and images of the three of them as the new family that they are.
Being allowed to take a part in a young family’s happiness is a privilege and honor we do not take lightly here at Wertman Photography. This is a special moment in a couple’s live and amidst the chaos of lost sleep, diaper changes at 3am and bleary-eyed happiness it is important to step back for a couple of hours and just enjoy this bundle of joy and let us record these moments to look back on when everything settles down.
Pictures for Mother’s day
— 04/05/2016 by Monika Wertman —Are you stuck trying to figure out what to give mom for mother’s day this year? She has everything, now what?
We have a solution for you: Why not give the gift of memories? For a mom, there is nothing more precious than images of her children, whether the kids are young or grown up.
Once grand kids are in the mix, this treasure trove of memories expands and pictures become even more special, especially if miles are in between you and your mom.
So create some memories with Wertman Photography this year and gift them to your mom, she will love you for it and treasure the gift for years to come.
We can even frame images for you, create special photo gifts you can’t find anywhere else or create that special portrait that mom will want to hang on her wall in a larger size. The options are without limits.
Call us today to schedule your session between now and April 24 so we can guarantee delivery in time for mother’s day, or purchase a gift certificate to give to her so she can be in on the fun.
Please vote for your favorite image
— 02/02/2016 by Monika Wertman —This weekend I took my almost four year old grand daughter with me to visit her auntie in college and see her compete during two swim meets.
We had a lot of fun, walked a lot, played a lot and finally nap time arrived. Being four, she clonks out when she is exhausted instead of taking a timed nap. She is also loosing that baby look. She looked super peaceful and somewhat baby like in the following images and I want to print one of them out in a large format. I can not decide which is my favorite, so I decided to put it up for a vote.
The image with the most votes will be printed, and to entice you to participate, we will draw one winner for a family session up to five people with a $35 print credit attached out of the image that receives the most votes.
Time is precious and childhood flees, photography preserves special moments, and this was one of them.
Please check out our galleries to see other precious moments preserved in time and call us for your next session.
We also offer gift certificates, so if you are stuck and do not know what to give your special someone for Valentine’s day, why not give the gift of memories? Gift certificates can be purchased now and used in spring or summer. Call us today, 301-693-3021
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