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Wertman Photography News

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.

hurdles and sprint track

 

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.

swimmer on dryland

 

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.

track and running

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.

high school football and girls

 

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.

boxing

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.

williamsport biking event

 

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.

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.

Fun with Flour

— 08/28/2015 by Monika Wertman —

 

Seniors are so much fun, I love working with them and love to discover what each of them loves to do.

Creating images to share their passion is very special and great fun.

 

Two weeks ago I worked with a senior girl who is not only beautiful on the outside but has a great spirit and was looking to do something different with her senior pictures. She is enrolled in the culinary program at one of the local high schools, loves her dog and baking. She is looking to go forward with her culinary passion and decided that that passion needed to be captured in her pictures.

wertman photography Haylee senior pictures-4

 

I roll with what my clients want, and the prospect of having fun with baking items, tools of the trade and some flour, invited some great ideas. Haylee was open to playing and trying something that was a bit outside of the box.

 

We started the day with images of her and her puppy, moved on to the yearbook pose and finally arrived at the culinary aspect. We started with some poses and then decided to get messy. Throwing flour into the air in front of a black backdrop with high speed lighting was fun, took a bit of tweaking and produced some great images.

 

The first time I asked her to throw up flour, Haylee grabbed a handful and I thought, after looking at the back of the camera, that we had overdone it, quite sure that I would toss that first try. We proceeded to tone it down and arrived where I thought we should be.

wertman photography Haylee senior pictures-1

 

While editing, I discovered that the first try created one or two that were very fun and would stay as one of her choices. She loves it! It is shown below.

 

One of the images with less flour tossed into the air also remained as a favorite and both really show her love of baking. She is happy, is having fun and in her element.

wertman photography Haylee senior pictures-2

 

After cleaning up we headed out to get some more formal images in her prom dress, which also rendered some great photos as you can tell in the sample below.

wertman photography Haylee senior pictures-3

 

Here at Wertman Photography we capture what our client wants, we go all out if needed and have a wonderful time doing so. I invite you to vote for your favorite of the two flour pictures, and for doing so you will be entered in a drawing for a free one hour session for up to 5 people, a $150 value.

 

Please browse our galleries and if you are not a client yet, give us a call today to schedule your session.

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 Pretty Senior and Strong Athlete

— 08/09/2015 by Monika Wertman —

Fun with a cute senior who is also a swimmer

 

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with a cute senior who loves to dress up and is also a serious athlete. Katy swims which occupies a good chunk of her life, a passion we portrayed in studio as we had fun shooting at the pool last year and did not want to repeat the same scenario for her senior pictures.

 

Before we headed to the studio though, we met at the C&O Canal in Williamsport, MD to capture some fun sides of Katy’s personality only her family and non-swim friends see. The location I chose offers many different opportunities to not only utilize nature, but also fake an urban setting.

wertman photography Katy's senior pictures-10

We started with Katy in her prom dress from this past year and I thought that contrasting the softness of the skirt against a rough looking wall would be fun. A slight breeze kicked up at just the perfect time to sway the skirt and hair just enough to lend interest.

wertman photography Katy's senior pictures-4

 

We also used the bridge crossing the Potomac River as a backdrop to lend interest. It was a bright and sunny day with the humidity in the upper digits, so water breaks were a must.

 

Katy changed into a cute shorts outfit for some more casual pictures by the river and the canal as shown below.

wertman photography Katy's senior pictures-1

 

Next came a very grown up dress. The blue played nicely against the greenery growing on the other side of the canal that we explored next.

wertman photography Katy's senior pictures-11

 

In the outdoors, I portrayed Katy as the pretty young lady she is, fun loving and ready for anything. Once we headed to the studio, I asked her to show me the strong athlete side of her, which I captured with strong and dramatic lighting.

wertman photography Katy's senior pictures-9

 

Here at Wertman Photography we love working with seniors who love to show their personality, special interests, and are up to try something different. Call us today to schedule your session, you still have time to capture who you are in a unique and fun way.

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