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
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