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Stuff in the ‘Maryland’ 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.

senior law enforcement

Jake also loves his pooch, so we incorporated his pet into the session as well.

senior with pet

Showcasing both his love for his major in high school and his love for lacrosse led to this image:

lacrosse senior

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.

senior girl soccer softball

Amanda is a very pretty young lady and we felt that we should showcase that as well as her athleticism.

senior girl

And then we also created a composite for Amanda as she is also in the marching band at her high school.

senior composite

One more as it is our favorite from this session:)

senior softball girl

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.

senior hike

This young man also had his own ideas and we took advantage of what nature supplied.

senior guy

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:

senior girl artist

senior girl artist

senior girl artist

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.

senior theatre student

The following image is at the old YMCA building downtown he used to swim at as a child.  Sweet memories.

senior theatre student

And this in the back of Barbara Ingram School of the Arts, his high school.

senior theatre student

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.

senior girl actress

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.

senior girl actress

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.

senior girl actress

senior girl actress covered bridge

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.

tuba senior musician

tuba senior musician

yes, we had to play with the smokey feel of a club.

 senior musician

great textures in our alleyways downtown

sax senior musician

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 —

dancer and wind

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.

dancer and flour

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.

dancer and flour

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 🙂

behind the scenes

 

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.

behind the scenes

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.

dancer and flour

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.

dancer and flour magic

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.

dancer and flour

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

dancer and flour

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 —

wertmanphotography-ab-swim-2016-5

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.

male swimmer back stroke

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.

male dive

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.

male breast swim

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.

male fly swim

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.

female back swim

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.

male free swim

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.

female breast swim

What to do to prepare for a successful Photo session

— 08/22/2016 by Monika Wertman —

What to do to prepare for a successful Photo session.

In this post we will focus on some of the things you as the client can do to ensure that your session with us will be successful and productive.

sisters

Whether you plan to book us for a family or senior session, a glamor/boudoir or a couple’s session or a newborn session, there are a few things that you as a client can do to prepare for your time with us and to ensure that you will not only have a great time during the session, but that your pictures will turn out great.  You will, of course, assume that we will do everything in our power to ensure these things as well, and we do, but you can help make it just a wee bit easier for us.

newborn

Here is how:

#1   Schedule a consultation with us prior to the date of your session.  We offer consultations with most of our sessions, in fact make them mandatory for some.  Even if you have booked a session for which we do not require a consultation, book one anyway.  During this time we will plan the where and when, what you should wear etc.  For a family session, this can be discussed over the phone if you are super busy, and with children, you are.  We understand this.  For a senior, boudoir, engagement or couples session, an in person consultation is best and highly recommended!

#2   If you plan on bringing your pet to the session, please inform us ahead of time so we are prepared with water for your pet and by having anything he may bounce into out of the way.

nursing school and pets

#3   Discuss your wardrobe with us.  This can be a simple discussion of color choices or be more involved such as what it is you are planning to wear and if you have questions on what form of clothing photographs better.  If you plan to wear formal wear, please let us know so we have the studio set up accordingly if we are shooting inside.  If we are planning on outdoors only, and we are dealing with high heels, please let us know, so our plan does not involve you climbing over rocky and potentially muddy surfaces.

couple

#4   If your session includes several clothing changes, organize them before you arrive.  Changing time will go more smoothly and take away less time from your session.  ( A few months back we had a family of 8 with three clothing changes, the mom was fantastically organized.  I have never seen anything go more smoothly!  It was impressive)

#5    We will most likely ask you this, but in case we do not, please let us know what ages your children are.  This applies to an in studio session as we’ll as an outdoors/lifestyle session.  We love working with littles, but want to know ahead of time so we are prepared with props and location choices that are age appropriate.

little girl

#6    Women and girls, please wear makeup, even if you generally don’t do anything more than mascara, do a bit more for your session, especially if it is a senior session, a professional headshot session or a glamor session. (we offer professional hair and make-up services starting at $85 if you are not sure what to do, and include these in all of our regular glamor and boudoir session) Wearing make-up ensures an even skin tone and guarantees fantastic results for you.  On this note, do not fret if a pimple pops up the day of your session.  We remove blemishes in post production.

glamor shot

#7   If it is a hot summer day and we are shooting outside only, please bring some water with you.  We always bring some, but it helps if our clients come prepared as well.

#8    Please arrive on time!!!!!!!  We set aside your session time plus 15 minutes.  If you run late, you eat into your session time, which gives us less time to create the images we want to create for you.  If we come to your home, please be ready for us.  We generally arrive 5-10 minutes early so we have time to set up.

family pictures

Wertman Photography has several shooting spaces within the studio, including a private dressing area.  When we go on location, we can bring a pop-up tent for clothing changes as well.  Together we will create great images that will stand the test of time and will preserve precious moments for you for years to come!

Family sessions outdoors

— 08/04/2016 by Monika Wertman —

Over the last few weeks I had the chance to work with several families, many of them with little children and new babies on the way.  All of the session took place outdoors because the weather was nice and these families chose to be photographed outdoors.

family interaction

Working with young families is always fun and I love shooting in a pretty location.  Being outside gives me a chance to propose great locations that give us plenty of options and scenery changes.  Here in Hagerstown, we have many such locations.  We have parks galore and within a short driving distance we have great little and big waterways that add to the variety I can offer my clients with an outdoor session.

little boy by water

During the initial phone call I ask if they have a favorite spot that means something to them as a family. Most of the time the answer is:”no”  If this is the case, I then propose one or two locations I think will work well and let my families decide from there.  We generally settle on mid-afternoon and many times it has to be on a weekend day.  Occasionally I am asked if we can do the session at the families’ home.  We offer this option as it turns it into more of a lifestyle session.  Indoor or out, a home location offers it’s own challenges that we love to rise to.

family session

At Wertman Photography we are also willing to travel a distance if that is what it takes to make our clients happy.  Within a 25 mile radius from he studio, we travel for no additional charge, outside of this radius, the additional rate depends on the distance we need to cover and how long it will take us to get there.  Personally, I love to go to new places a bit of a distance away.  It allows me to be creative and meet challenges I may not have here in town.

family

One such session was held on family land, on a rainy day.  We walked through softened areas to get to water ways, used tree cover when it started raining and utilized umbrellas when it got a bit worse.  In the images you can not tell that it was overcast, because we where in wooded areas and only emerged when it was not raining.  It was a fun session and produced fun images the family loves!

family interaction photo

Call us today if you want a unique session in an outdoor location of your choice or recommended by us.  We will be happy to work with you and create memorable images that you will be proud to hang on your walls.  301-693-3021

Celebrating Love

— 07/15/2016 by Monika Wertman —

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of helping a lovely couple celebrate their love for each other during their engagement session in Harrisburg, PA.  Sometimes engagement session can be a bit of a challenge as it takes the couple a little while to be comfortable in front of the camera.  I do my best to help them forget that I am recording their affection for each other, but the groom in particular often does not loosen up until we are about 20 minutes into the session.

engagement photo

These two were different and it was very easy to work with them, as they seemed to immediately forget I was there recording their every move.  I was able to capture sweet little moments as well as lots of laughter.  When I did insert some instructions, they were carried out quite naturally and as a result we got some great imagery.

engagement photo

We walked all over Harrisburg, starting at the water front and working our way to the government buildings that are surrounded by a beautiful park.

engagement photo

I love shooting in locations other than the studio’s hometown as it gives me the opportunity to incorporate architectural elements not found in Hagerstown.  Harrisburg has wonderful bridges, old buildings and great architecture that create a wonderful backdrop for any photoshoot, but lend themselves especially well to an engagement session.

engagement photo

The weather held out nicely for us as well that day, staying sunny with wonderful clouds in the sky.  The forecast that morning called for rain halfway through our scheduled session time, but we were lucky and the rain held off until after we were done.

engagement photo rings

At Wertman Photography we include engagement sessions in our wedding packages, as it is important to work with the couple before their wedding day and a pleasure to get to know them during the process.  During the engagement session we have time to explore what each of them likes, how they act in front of the camera and how we work together as a team to create good imagery.  For me, gaining this knowledge before the wedding day, makes it easier to prepare for the big day as the couple and I have gotten to know each other better.  It paves the way for great communication in the months leading up to the wedding.

engagement photo

Your wedding day can not be recreated, and this knowledge creates pressure for the couple, sometimes more so for the bride as so many things need to be prepared for and run smoothly.  Getting to know each other during the engagement session, laying the ground work for trust during that session, takes the pressure off my couples as they know that they will not need to worry about their photography coverage the day of their wedding.

engagement photo

When you first get engaged, you are on cloud nine, floating happily until your realize that you have a wedding to plan.  Let us help you take some of the pressure off and make us your trusted advisor for your photography.  Know that we have you covered!  Call us today to schedule your free consultation and let us show you why your first choice is Wertman Photography.  301-693-3021.

engagement photo

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.

swim team photo

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.

swimming fly

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.

swimming fly

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.

swimming free

 

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.

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