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Stuff in the ‘hagerstown’ Category
Understanding Dance
— 06/01/2016 by Monika Wertman —Ballet and dance, especially the classical variety has always been my favorite to capture in photos. I danced as a child and teen and my oldest danced seriously through high school and even attended a performing arts high school. We were both trained in the Ceccetti method, and learning to understand the dancer’s body through training stays with you. When I work with dancers, this knowledge really helps and makes it easy to show what I would like to receive from them in photos.
Dancers are wonderful creatures who instinctively know what looks right if they are at least a few years into their training.
It is important to also understand that not every pose looks good in pictures,and that certain poses need to be shot from certain angles. It is equally important for a photographer to see when the dancer is over her pointe, has the correct turnout and is holding her shoulders correctly. All of these nuances can make or break the image.
I have always felt intrigued by the “behind the scenes” aspect of daily training. The element that makes the dancer tick. As an audience we only see the beautiful outcome of countless rehearsals in the studio, but never the stretches, the rituals and the comfort zones that all dancers have.
I have captured a few of those over the years and am sharing a couple of them in this post.
I am also always intrigued by contrasting the softness of dance against something contrary, something hard and unusual. Sometimes, however, it is nice to just capture the pure beauty of a certain gesture in warm light.
If you have a dancer, consider Wertman Photography to capture her or his essence. We understand how to portray it and how to create beautiful images.
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.
Weddings and Celebrating Love
— 05/02/2016 by Monika Wertman —There is nothing we enjoy more than capturing love in any shape or form and one of our favorite things to shoot are weddings. I wanted to play around with some ideas that had been hopping around in my head for a while and since during a wedding we are dealing with a time line and locations that are chosen by the bride and groom, we don’t always have time to get everything we want and need to be flexible as nature sometimes throws a kink into our wheels. For that reason and because something new should not be tried out on clients, I organized a stylized wedding shoot with several local vendors and 5 fabulous models.
Maryland has fickle spring weather and we had been watching the weather with baited breath, praying that it would be nice the day of the shoot and it was. In the morning we shot at Ava’s Lounge and the Ballroom at Schindel Rohrer in downtown Hagerstown whose owners Gary and Jennie are wonderful to work with. I wanted to capture an uptown/lounge feel for images for a long time and Ava’s is perfect for that. JB Bridals generously provided us with 6 gowns and 6 tux ensembles for the day and the first two gowns were perfect for what I had in mind for the lounge.
Bella Salon and Spa sent us two of their most talented stylist and make-up artists, Lindsey and Bettina and they stayed with us all day, touching up and re-creating hair and make-up. TG designs added floral arrangements to our adventure and let us play with the bouquets all day.
The second half of the day was shot at Cortland Manor, at the time under management of Hempen Hill Barbecue and Josh is a gem to work with. He had his team at the ready all day and even fed everyone lunch. Being prepared by Hempen Hill, you can imagine that we did not lack a thing and that it was delicious.
Carson jewelers let us play with fabulous bling all day as well. You can imagine that I had a blast shopping for the gowns, tuxes and jewelry prior to the day and appreciate everything that everyone contributed to make our day successful.
We had a blast working with everyone and from the feedback I have gotten so far, the feeling was mutual. I think the images speak for themselves and if you see something here that you would like to do at your wedding, please let us know. The vendors mentioned within this post are our preferred vendors to work with for your special day, and since we had this experience, we know for sure that you will be pleased when you choose them for your next event or special day.
Please vote on your favorite image in this post and you will be entered into a drawing for a 1 hour family session for up to 5 people.
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.
Roundball Classic 2016
— 04/01/2016 by Monika Wertman —This past weekend I was the official photographer for 13 games of basketball. The Roundball Classic is an event that has been going on for several years, showcasing basketball players inter senior year of high school from several counties around the area. College coaches come to watch and recruiting happens on the side lines after every game. To say that shooting 13 games of basketball was intense is an understatement. It was downright exhausting.
As a bonus at the end of each day, Rick and Dave, the organizers and brainiacs behind this endeavor, ask alumnus and former stars of schools in Washington County to play against each other. Ages for these games range from the newly graduated to men in their 50’s. Below are a few of my favorites from the weekend.
If interested, images may be purchased at the following location, which holds all of the images captured during both Saturday and Sunday. the games are uploaded in order, so scroll through to see if your child or spouse is featured: http://wertmanphoto.zenfolio.com/roundballclassic2016
It’s Bridal Season, win an Engagement Session
— 03/18/2016 by Monika Wertman —This Sunday we will be at the inaugural bridal show at Frostburg State. The show will feature local venues, caterers, vendors and photographers. Wertman Photography will represent Hagerstown, MD and show off why it pays to hire a professional with years of bridal experience, an all inclusive wedding experiences as well as a fun, outgoing personality you want to spend time with and who will guide you through the jungle of wedding preparation.
Come join us this Sunday at Frostburg State for show only specials and a chance to get to know us better as we show you why we are the choice you should be making.
You cannot leave this day to chance.
Check out some images from some of our favorite brides from last year and come see us Sunday or book your free consultation now.
Weddings small and large, we can handle them all and guide you to a blissful experience.
Nominate newly engaged couples on this blog to enter them into a drawing to win an engagement session, a $300 value. In order to be entered into the drawing, you will need to tag them on this thread and provide their full name. They can only win if we can contact them.
Casting Call
— 03/03/2016 by Monika Wertman —Casting Call for Male and Female Models
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I need two female and two male models for a stylized bridal shoot. Shoot will take place at two venues, 4 clothing changes, hair and make-up services provided. All work is for trade and each vendor is participating to receive images and new promotional material. Trade for models will be fully edited portfolio images from the day of shooting.
Female models need to be 5’8″ to 5’9″ and need to bring heels with them, in either white, cream or silver, evening shoes to match the gowns. size 8-10 wedding gowns need to fit, which translates to regular dress sizes of 6-10. I am looking for hour glass models. We want these images to look real, yet fantastic.
Male models should be a size 40 regular with an inseam of 34.
Please contact us no later than March 18th to be considered for the opportunity.
April 5th will be the fitting day at JB bridal in Chambersburg. the shooting will take place in Hagerstown on April 12. Hair and makeup will likely start at 8 am and shooting will start at 10am. Please plan on a full 8 hour day. Only serious, committed models need apply and we will meet in person before the fitting day.
Please contact the studio directly through email if you are interested: info@wertmanphotography.net
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