Bill Rettberg Sr's last day on York Road...An era ends!

 On August 5, 2013 one of the longest running professional organizations in the country shuttered its doors forever. Bill Rettberg Sr. closed his York Road studio, the final peg in once was a three studio, full pro lab operation that at its peak in the 1980s photographed over 400 weddings, over a thousand portrait sessions,  dozens of commercial shoots, and took in outside lab work from other photographers every year. In addition, Rettberg Brothers ran until 1978 photographing thousands of newborns at Mercy and Saint Agnes hospitals. Throw in years of photographing yearbooks for several area schools, and one can grasp what a dynamic business spun out of Govans.

 From 1948 until August 5, 2013, Bill Rettberg has been a fixture on York Road, going from Waverly to the 5200 block of York Road, to 5802 York Road, and finally next  door to 5800 York Road. Bill has dedicated 65 years to his craft, and though some commercial photographers have shot into their 90s, there is not an active wedding photographer in the country who will still be shooting weddings at age 87. Bill will shoot his last wedding on September 28.

 He weathered fires, theft, family splits and all the normal pitfalls of running a business to stay vibrant and effective in a highly competitive field. In that time there were well over 150 people who worked there at one time or another as photographers, lab personnel, or administrative sales people.

  Retirement does not go down easily with Bill, and he will undoubtedly find new ways to exercize his still very active mind.

 Though Bill Sr. is out of the active pursuit of the photographic client, the Rettberg will go on. Bill Rettberg Jr. with 44 years under his belt as a full time professional will continue the family tradition along with wife and partner Robin Sommer. In the tenor of the times, the new business is Images of Sommer, a Bill Rettberg Production. It has been decided that the industry has taken on a decidedly feminine touch, and the advantages of a woman owned business cannot be ignored. Bill Jr. is many miles from a full retirement and will still actively pursue all aspects of photography coverage.

There is another Rettberg in the creative arts also. Bill Jr's son Jeff is at last moving forward on several projects in the video production arena. Jeff and his fiance Elena DeBold are forming their own production company, and Jeff is currently working on the set of the Netflix series House of Cards. Jeff is a graduate of the prestigious Vancouver Film School, and has a strong background in editing, producing and directing various projects. The Rettberg name will endure for many decades to come!

We wish Bill Sr. many happy years, and to him we say it was a great ride, and you are a credit to all those who ever called themselves professional photographers.

Baltimore wedding photographers on the Eastern Shore

Bill Rettberg and Robin Sommer, Baltimore wedding photographers went to the Eastern shore of Maryland to the beautiful Harbortowne Golf Resort bridal show on January 27. The show featured a great venue for weddings by the water. There were several other Maryland wedding photographers at the show, but Images of Sommer/Positive Images by Rettberg was the only Baltimore wedding photographer. Robin Sommer and Bill Rettberg workk weddings at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, and the Kent Manor Inn, and are now hoping to add Harbortowne to our list. Come see Images of Sommer and Positive Images by Rettberg at our next bridal show, Embassy Suites Hunt Valley on Sunday February 10 at 12 noon.
If you are looking for professional wedding photographers in Maryland, this will be the place for brides and grooms in 2013.

Weddings 2013

 Many changes have taken place in the wedding photography industry over the past few years. One thing that never changes though is the importance of hiring a professional photographer to record the happiest day of your life. As the years go by, a truly well crafted wedding album with exceptional images will not only let you relive the day your new family began, it will let generations yet born know their heritage, and feel some of the emotion that their ancestors felt on that most special day. It is a true time capsule of love and happiness. Images of Sommer and Positive Images by Rettberg will bring all of their creative powers into making your day last forever. We look forward to serving you in the coming year.

Changing directions

From Rettberg to Sommer....

As we head into 2013, big changes are coming to Positive Images by Rettberg. While Bill Rettberg Jr. will continue to be involved in the day to day business of the company, and shoot weddings and other types of photography, the company name will be phased out as the business is sold to and rolled in to Images of Sommer.

Robin Sommer is Bill's wife and a full time professional photographer with over 17 years of experience.Having a woman owner will help us strengthen the many diverse areas we are moving in to.

For all clients of Positive Images by Rettberg, it will be business as usual, and, new clients will still benefit by having one of the most successful names in professional photography, preserve their most precious memories.


The Rettberg name is still too powerful a brand in this region to retire, so the name will still be prominently displayed in all of our advertising, and networking ventures.

For long time friends, colleagues, competitors, and clients, we're still here. We are just going to show our feminine side!

We look forward to the new look, and are excited that Images of Sommer will continue the tradition of professional, progressive, and personalized service that has been associated with the Rettberg name since 1948.

See you all in 2013.

How to select the right wedding photographer

What should you ask a professional photographer when considering that person to preserve the most important day of your life?

 It is a difficult task unless a close friend or family member has used a professional service, and has given a glowing endorsement. Even then, you may have liked the images of your friend or family member, but do not connect personality wise with the photographer during the initial presentation.

 Positive Images by Rettberg, Baltimore's best wedding photographer, has put 43 years into the wedding industry, and realizes that there are many more choices regarding your selection of a photographer than ever before. Whether it be us or another, we have compiled a list of questions that any professional should be a ble to answer to your satisfaction. Use this list as a template on any interview, and you will get the person right for you.

1...Do you make your living in photography?
2...How many years experience do you have?
3...How many weddings have you photographed?
4...Do you belong to Professional Photographer Associations?
5...Do you have referrals?
6...What is your style, and are you flexible?
7...Have you been to my ceremony and reception sites?
8...Do you offer both single and two photographer shoots?
9...Can you design a coverage that fits my budget?
10...Can I customize any set plans you may have to fit my time frames and budget?
11...Is your payment schedule flexible?
12...Do you charge for travel?
13...Will you guarantee that you will be my photographer?
14...Are the samples you are showing me, weddings you have personally done?
15...What options do I have after the wedding, regarding assistance with album design, delivery of orders, and placing the wedding images online?
16...Do you have incentives for booking with you?
17...What is your refund policy if the wedding is cancelled or postponed?
18... Do you have backup if you become ill?
19...Do you enjoy what you do?
20...What makes you unique?

 This is a stringent criteria for any vendor, but it is crucial in selecting the one professinal on your wedding day who gives you the investment that lasts more than a lifetime. Add onto all of the above that you must truly like the photographer you will be dealing with, and trust that they always have your best interest at heart.

Call 410-893-3620, or email Positive Images by Rettberg at info@billrettberg.com  to set up a no obligation presentation in your home, or place of convenience. Ask us the questions, and judge the difference for yourself.

Bill Rettberg Jr. is now on Pinterest

Positive Images by Rettberg, Maryland's best photographer has joined Pinterest. Follow our boards under Bill Rettberg Jr. to see the wide variety of photographic subjects we work into our repetoire. It ia a great way to see Baltimore's best wedding photographer in the many different facets of his shooting ability.

Tis the season

Positive Images by Rettberg, Baltimore wedding photographer is preparing for a very busy wedding season. This year is showing a definite uptick in business. This is not because of a significantly better economy, rather a resignation that "we've been holding off long enough, so we might as well bite the bullet and have the wedding we want."
It is tough for brides and grooms now, much more so than in recent memory. Young people now face high housing costs, lower job expectations, high gas prices, national economic instability, and an unknown future in areas of taxes, Social Security, and healthcare.
Bill Rettberg Jr. has seen much turmoil in his 43 years as a professional photographer in Maryland. He hopes that the couples entering the married life this year will look to the future with hope, and an aggressive attitude that they too will enjoy all and more than their parents had.
It is Positive Images by Rettberg's responsibility to give you a lifetime of happy memories of the greatest day of their lives, and use the images created by Baltimore's best wedding photographer as a template for a long, loving, and prosperous life.