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Family Portraits

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.

family pictures

 

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.

wertman photography Toney family-1

 

The kids hammed it up for most of the pictures and I was able to get some precious moments between the two sisters.

wertman photography Toney family-2

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

wertman photography prime outlets

 

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.

wertman photography, Prime outlets display-6

 

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.

wertman photography, Prime outlets display-5

 

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.

wertman photography, Prime outlets display-2

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.

anniversary photos

 

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.

wertman photography, the flores family-2

 

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.

 

wertman photography, the flores family-3

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.

wertman photography, the flores family-4

 

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.

wertman photography, the flores family-5

 

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.

First Birthday Fun

— 09/03/2015 by Monika Wertman —

Working with little ones is both fun and challenging. This is never more true than when I am asked to capture a little one year old at her first birthday party. Little Brielle was no exception. The party was set up outdoors, older children and family members were all around and everything was new to her. One of the saving graces with a one year old is that they generally do not move as fast as on older child yet, as they have just learned how to walk, and Brielle was just finding her speed the day of her birthday.

playtime first birthday

 

Minnie Mouse was the theme, so pink, black and white and zebra stripes were prominent in the decorations, which made for a colorful backdrop.

 

A little play area was set up for the birthday girl, which kept her mostly in one area. She liked the colors, so getting shots in that spot was easy.

 

One of the funniest things was getting her to try her birthday cupcake. She just did not know what to make of it.

1st birthday cake smash

She carefully touched the little Oreos that adorned the top of each cupcake, acting as Minnie’s ears. She pulled one off and licked the icing, made a face and looked away.

1st birthday cake smash

The texture of the icing drew her back though and it was played with. After much coaxing, she took a bite of the cake and again made a face and finally proceeded to take the cup cake and flung it off her high chair tray.

1st birthday cake smash

 

This cuteness extracted much laughter with exclamations of: “she takes after her daddy!”

wertman photography Brielle's first birthday-6

Little children are among our favorite clients, especially between the ages of 6 months to 2 years, as they are natural in front of the camera and even if they do not smile much, are cute as buttons. They have not learned that they have to smile yet, so when they do, it is a natural, heart felt smile that comes from within, showing their personality in a way that is briefly hidden around the ages of 3-5. At that age they start smiling in a more forced way, making our job a bit more challenging in trying to get them back to forgetting that a camera is present.

wertman photography Brielle's first birthday-5

Sometimes getting a family picture with a little one and her own agenda can create the sweetest moments like in the picture above, a favorite of the family.

 

Please explore our galleries and stay tuned to find out about our fall mini sessions coming soon.  We would love to hear from you and receive feedback on images we post. Let us know what makes your favorites list and by doing so, you will be entered to win a 1 hour session for up to 5 people, a $150 value. Please mention any image from the children ‘s gallery including this blog.

Capturing your Wedding Day

— 08/17/2015 by Monika Wertman —

This summer was pretty busy with weddings and I have decided to share a fun one that happened just a few weeks ago. The day started around 12:15 pm with my second meeting the groom and his men at their “getting dressed” location and me meeting my bride and her gals at Greengrove Gardens where they were getting dressed.

 

We had a lot of fun with everyone, including some sweet moments between my bride and her flower girls, my bride and her mom and the bridesmaids getting all of the underskirts of the wedding gown into the right position. We had some good laughs and I captured it all.

wertman photography Adrienne and Joshua wedding-6

wertman photography Adrienne and Joshua wedding-7

 

Within a couple of hours we proceeded to the church in Smithburg for the ceremony, a beautiful little church with gorgeous stained glass windows. My second was already there with the men and was setting up in the balcony to capture the vows on video, while also catching some stills of the church, the details and the wedding party as they entered from above.

 

One of my favorite moments is always that first glance between my bride and groom and his reaction to seeing her in her gown, gorgeously arraigned for their special day. It was very touching as some tears were shed upon that first look.

 

After the ceremony we got some great shots of everyone in front of the church and the typical photos of the bridal party and all of the family inside. Two of my favorites are shown here. That special moment I was able to capture when my bride and groom forgot I was there while we went looking for a groomsman gone AWOL.

wertman photography Adrienne and Joshua wedding-16

Another great shot is of my couple in front of their church after I sent everyone else back in to gather their things so we could depart for the reception at Greengrove Gardens.

wertman photography Adrienne and Joshua wedding-9

 

My second had preceded us there to catch the detail shots of décor and cake and guests milling about. After we arrived back at the venue, I caught a few more shots of the bridal party before the big entrance.

wertman photography Adrienne and Joshua wedding-10

 

Another favorite of mine is the first dance of husband and wife and the daddy daughter dance. My bride had chosen “butterfly kisses” for her song, which always has me on the brink of tears, as I have daughters who have those little rituals with their daddy as well.

 

After dinner we took our couple back out onto the grounds for what I call the specials. It’s that time when the guests are happily settled and I can sneak my couples off to get wedding day portraits without being rushed. The sun was setting and with the help of a bit of portable lighting, we got some great shots. Please look below to see some samples.

wertman photography Adrienne and Joshua wedding-14

 

To finish the day, we came back inside to catch the tossing of the bouquet and garter, and after checking with our couple to make sure they did not want us to do anything else, we called it a night around 9:30pm.

wertman photography Adrienne and Joshua wedding-15

 

Yes, weddings are long, they are tiring, but they are one of the most rewarding and fun events we love to record for our clients. We make sure that not a moment is missed, we are on our feet the entire time with just a few minutes to eat while everyone else does the same, and at the end of it all, we return to the studio to create a sneak peek for our couples that is posted to Facebook the same night. Within two weeks each wedding is edited and ready to be relived in our studio during the viewing session, when we help our couples decide which photos go into the album that comes as part of their wedding collection.

 

Please browse our website for recent events, weddings and senior pictures and call us to book your next life event or family/senior session with us. We are ready to create memories for you that will last a lifetime.

 

A fun couple’s session at the C&O Canal at Williamsport

— 07/09/2015 by Monika Wertman —

Lately we have had several couples come through the studio and while most of them have been engagement pictures, I had a session with one couple who do not fall into that category. In this case, the session was a Valentines present from him to her and it just took us a while to find the perfect date to execute the session.

 

Gabe and Melissa are a lovely couple who were up for an adventure. We set out to our local stretch at the C&O Canal in Williamsport, MD and because they were both open to ideas that pushed the typical location a little, we found a few spots to create pictures at that I had not previously been able to utilize.

 

One such spot was on top of a taller base of a bridge. Gabe gave Melissa a leg up, then jumped up behind her and Voila, we had a background that looked urban enough to rival any inner city location.

wertman photography Gabe and Melissa-2

wertman photography Gabe and Melissa-1

We also found a wall covered in lots of ivy, lending a romantic feel to the image that was also different than what I had utilized before with other clients in the same general location.wertman photography Gabe and Melissa-4

 

After a quick clothing change I asked if they minded crossing the water basin for me and upon an enthusiastic “we don’t mind at all” I gave them instructions as to what I wanted them to do, as the distance was too far to give the instructions once they were in place. This situation led to some wonderful impromptu images that look fun, relaxed and non-posed.

wertman photography Gabe and Melissa-3

 

Now it was time to head in the opposite direction and explore what we may find as we were heading down the path leading into the wooded area of the canal. We found little hidden clearings, spots where the sun peeked through the trees just enough to light Melissa’s dress in a romantic way and gnarly tree trunks that made wonderful props.

wertman photography Gabe and Melissa-5

 

The samples within this post illustrate some of the locations described above. Here at Wertman Photography we love to discover new spots, even if we have been to the general location before and each time we take a client to that area, something new happens, as each client is inclined to a different adventure.

 

Please check out our galleries, in particular the wedding gallery, as we are busy with weddings and are updating that gallery as our couples come in to choose their images.

 

Please vote on your favorite image in this post by leaving a comment below, leaving your contact information and sharing your comment on facebook. You may win a 1 hour family session for up to 5 people, a $150 value, by doing so. The winner will be announced July 20 on our facebook page.

 

 

RN Graduate Joshua

— 05/01/2015 by Monika Wertman —

wertman photography-Joshua Dingle-Nursing graduate-2

Just recently I had the privilege to photograph a college RN Graduate from Hagerstown Community College.  When we discussed what he wanted to get out of his session, he told me that he did not get senior pictures in High School and would love to capture similar photos now.  I immediately thought of how much fun it would be if we could gain access to the nursing program classrooms and create some fun images there.  I made the suggestion and Joshua liked the idea as he is passionate about his chosen field of study.

After a bit of a scheduling struggle we were allowed into the unit and were able to play with the life-size robots and reenact some things an RN does on a regular basis.  wertman photography-Joshua Dingle-Nursing graduate-1

We had a beautiful day the day of the session, and were also able to capture some shots around campus in some favorite spots.

Usually when my clients think of senior pictures, they think of the high school variety, but either repeating the experience at the end of college or creating it for the first time is a valid and fun option.  Being allowed into the nursing unit at HCC offered some great opportunities to not only see the state of the art facility that has recently won some awards, but also get a glimpse at the rigorous program aspiring nurses such as Joshua undergo.

I was able to capture Joshua’s personality in a setting he loves which led to some wonderful shots outdoors in his suit as well.  Please look over some of my favorites from that session and remember that Wertman Photography will go anywhere you want us to shoot.  Different locations are fun and intriguing and one of our favorite things to explore.

Please explore our entire website for other fun locations we have taken our clients to for ideas and inspiration.  They can be found in any of the galleries or other blog posts.

looking ahead

looking ahead

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