Blog
Stuff in the ‘high school sports’ Category
Fun and Talented High School Seniors
— 12/02/2016 by Monika Wertman —We had some fun and talented High School Seniors this year. For the first time ever, we also had seniors late into fall, which made for an interesting journey into colors, leaves, cool weather and locations.
Here is looking back at some of the fun we had and some of our favorites from this year. We spanned the interests these young adults had as well, giving us an opportunity to play with some new ideas as well as explore what makes these students tick.
There was Jake, a Criminal Justice major at our local technical high school. He also plays lacrosse but plans to go into law enforcement so we reached out to our friends at the police to arrange for some unique photos.
Jake also loves his pooch, so we incorporated his pet into the session as well.
Showcasing both his love for his major in high school and his love for lacrosse led to this image:
Then we had Amanda who plays several sports, balancing her love for sports with her academics and who had several ideas of what she wanted out of her session, something we always discuss in our consultations and implement as much as we can, giving it our own unique twist.
Amanda is a very pretty young lady and we felt that we should showcase that as well as her athleticism.
And then we also created a composite for Amanda as she is also in the marching band at her high school.
One more as it is our favorite from this session:)
Another male soon-to-be graduate we worked with this fall wanted to go hike to Wolf Rock, described to us as a walk, that turned into quite an adventure as I discovered that wearing heels was not very practical as we had to actually hike up a mountain for this session.
This young man also had his own ideas and we took advantage of what nature supplied.
Another one of our girls this year is an artist and we showcased this both in studio and out at a local park as well as downtown. Here are some of our favorites from this lovely young lady’s session:
Jimmy is a theatre student at our local Performing arts high school and was a lot of fun to work with. His session was off the cuff, as he did not originally want to get his senior pictures done and followed mom’s lead when she made him do it. We had a lot of fun improvising his session and got some great shots out of it.
The following image is at the old YMCA building downtown he used to swim at as a child. Sweet memories.
And this in the back of Barbara Ingram School of the Arts, his high school.
Another favorite from this fall is the following sweet gal, also a theatre student at BISFA, Bailey, who was wonderful to work with. Her acting talent was very apparent and we had a hoot working with her.
Our local theatre was gracious and let us use the space for the first half of our session. The folks at the Maryland theatre are always great to us.
We then travelled up to Bedford, PA for outdoor pictures and a place Bailey’s family is very fond of. We love exploring new places and this one was a gem.
Our last senior for this fall is a young musician, also at BISFA. He plays the tuba, sax and flute and is a very enthusiastic musician who was open to great ideas and willing to give everything I suggested a try. This was a treat for us as he was the first classical musician I had ever worked with and the first one who plays wind instruments. This session was a fun adventure.
yes, we had to play with the smokey feel of a club.
great textures in our alleyways downtown
and who can resist the sax?
I hope you have enjoyed our look back at some of our favorite seniors from this year. Please vote for your favorite image. The winning senior will receive a magnet of their favorite image and you will be added to a drawing for a free family session for up to 5 people just for voting. What could be better?
Call us today for a free consultation to find out how we can customize a session of any kind for you and yours. We will be glad to work with you. 301-693-3021
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.
Team Action Sports Photography
— 07/12/2016 by Monika Wertman —Wertman Photography is now offering team action sports photography. We have been offering athletic photography for a while, creating portraits that show the athlete’s spirit, determination and personality. Now we are taking it one step further and will be offering action shots for teams of all sizes and ages.
It all started when I had a chance to take photos for my daughter’s college swim team. I took care of the individual shots of each swimmer that are now on their website ( Alderson Broaddus University), created some killer team photos and captured action shots of the swimmers who wanted to participate. I created a controlled environment; the coach gave us one lane in which we got to play and have some fun.
Every athlete looks like the latest olympian in their minds and it is this look we are after during our time with them. For swimming, you can not get these shots during a meet. The lighting is not right and too many people crowd the deck. This is true for all sports.
We are offering a controlled environment during a practice night, under guidance of the coach, giving each player a chance to look their strongest and best.
Contact us today if you want your team, club or dance school to book a day with Wertman Photography to create images like you have never seen them before. Images you will be proud to share with family, friends and hang on your wall. Images that will make your son and daughter look like a champion.
Check out our galleries for dance samples and other sports and fitness related images as well as older blog posts related to this topic.
Want to schedule Senior Photos?
— 10/23/2015 by Monika Wertman —Though summer is over and most seniors have had their sessions, some of you may not have had them done yet or are already thinking about them as a junior. No matter who you choose, what size session you commit to, whether you are a boy or a girl, you will want to showcase your interests, whether they are sports related, you have a favorite pet, or are into cars or other big toys. Are you into winter sports and would like to get action shots in the snow? Here at Wertman Photography we will be happy to meet you at your favorite location and incorporate that interest into your session.
Now we all know that you want your senior pictures to look different than last year’s school picture, right? How do you accomplish this, you ask? Here are a few tips on what you should do to insure that you will get some one of a kind images from your high school senior picture session:
- Spend a couple of months researching the kind of imagery you would like to see. Look through sports magazines and browse the web for ideas and styles. Do you like the edgy, grungy look? Do you want to look like the latest gold medal winner in one of her endorsement commercials, or do you want to look like the girl or boy next door, clean and pristine in your gear?
- Once you have determined what look you want, contact us and show us what you are looking for. We will then plan your session and recommend the appropriate length of time we will need to accomplish the look you are after. If you are a football player, chances are you have access to your school’s field, if you are a swimmer, access to a pool may be more difficult. As a skier or snow boarder, we will need to wait for the weather to be cold enough to work in snow. We need to understand exactly what you would like to accomplish in order to give you the session of your dreams.
- Understand that special requests require prior planning and that you are asking your photographer for individualized services. She will invest time in your session and you and your family will invest money in return. This tradeoff will ensure a fantastic session for you and great images for your family and you to share and display.
- Ask about cost only after you have determined whether are the right fit for you. It is important to have report with your photographer to get what you want, when you have fun, the images show it. But do ask, you will want to know how much your family will need to invest in the service and what you will receive in return. Ask about products that are offered and be aware that a boutique studio and a boutique service such as you are looking for and we offer, will offer some great print collections for you to choose from.
- Finally, after you book your session and have paid the retainer fee, enter the date in your calendar and arrive 5-10 minutes early at the predetermined meeting point. Your photographer will be there waiting for you and when you are on time all will go smoothly and you will have a wonderful experience which will in turn result in great photos to choose from.
We have worked with some great seniors this year and some great athletes, and are looking forward to working with you. Please feel free to browse our senior and sports gallery for additional images and call us to schedule your session.
Connect With Us:
