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Stuff in the ‘sports photography’ Category

Thesis Work with Dancers

— 04/16/2018 by Monika Wertman —

Thesis Work with Dancers

pongee

As I am continuing to pursue my Masters degree in photography, I have entered the thesis zone.

 

I have been working with 4 young and talented young dancers for the last few months and as I gather more and more images that will eventually become a book about the life of dancers, exploring what it takes to be committed to this wonderful and challenging art form, I get to play with one of my favorite things of all time.  Dance.

prepping    resting

These were captured while I worked with the help of my wonderful parents to get the lights situated correctly behind the scrim.

In this latest shoot with 3 of my 4 dancers at the Maryland Theatre, we played with silhouettes (my 4th dancer had just had a change in schedule and could not join us that day, but luckily she is back to having that week day open again).

jumps

We all had fun. i always give these athletes and artists a chance to be creative with me and try new things, and give me their ideas.

on pointe      on pointe

It makes for a more interactive and fun shoot and the images always show that.

Then there are a few shots of jumps, and poses.

shadows

We also played with shadows which required me to climb into the rafters along the side of the stage.

And lastly and shot from above for the shadow, but creating a dilemma for me as I am not sure if I like the black and white version better or the soft color.

  

Thank you for a great year

— 12/23/2016 by Monika Wertman —

We had a great year working with so many of you!  It was fun and exciting and sometimes a bit more challenging than expected, and we got awesome images.

maternity rachel

Here is a quick look back over the last 12 months, highlighting some of our favorite shots from this year.

newborn baby boy

newborn

hands

This year we got to play with newborns, expecting moms, brides, fun seniors and awesome families.  Several of you were repeat clients and we love you for it!  Some of you were new to Wertman Photography.  We want to thank you for putting your trust in us!

bride , groom and best man couple

sisters

family interaction

composite senior girl sports  composite senior boy

business shots

dancer and flour dance from the wings

senior girl actress

senior girl artist

senior tuba player engaged couple

fun with couples

love

sisters fun at the museum

sleeping child

Here is wishing you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and fun time with your family and friends.

brother and sister

Enjoy the look back over the year and come join us again in 2017.

 

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

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.

Senior Photos should be a great experience

— 06/10/2016 by Monika Wertman —

Now that summer is here and you are thinking about who to hire for your senior photos, let’s look at what you should consider when making your choice:

Whether you are a guy 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.

seniors

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:

senior photos and pets

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?

wertman photography Katy's senior pictures-9

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.

senior guy sports

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.    After all, your senior session should be an experience you will look back on remembering how much fun it was to create the images you wanted.

ballet dancer

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.

senior guy

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.

senior girl

We have worked with some great seniors over the past few years and some great athletes, and are looking forward to adding you to that group. Please feel free to browse our senior and sports gallery for additional images and call us to schedule your session.

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.

ballet

Dancers are wonderful creatures who instinctively know what looks right if they are at least a few years into their training.

ballet dancer

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.

ballet dancer

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.

ballet dancer

I have captured a few of those over the years and am sharing a couple of them in this post.

ballet dancer

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.

dancer

ballet dancer

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.

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