WENDY HURST PORTRAIT

I've always had an affinity for stories about spies. When I was a kid, whenever my dad would watch a movie called Where Eagles Dare late at night, I would sneak from my room to the landing on the stairs to watch my favorite scene where the protagonist collects the upper hand by stabbing a pickaxe into the thing of the antagonist atop a tram. I loved the thrill of not only the impact of the scene, but also the excitement that came from watching secretly from upstairs. While shopping for my Halloween costume this year I found this fantastic over-sized rain coat with glossy buttons and exaggerated collar. It reminded me of everything I loved about those classic spy movies from the 60s and since it matched my costume (it's still a secret!) I paid the $10 it cost and immediately started brainstorming how to incorporate it into a shoot. I wanted the light to feel almost like a spotlight, as if caught in the act of something but unconcerned to be discovered. My flash is six or seven

A Gypsy's Spell It's a trick of the eye when you look away A flitter aside and you feel a sway Confusion tingles in spine to find There's nothing there, it's a trick of mind. Worthless are the things she sells For pennies and dimes, while patience quells With buyer's remorse, a lesson learned Too little too late, no profit earned. Yet for which trinket would you pay How much money to make it stay. A gypsy's spell from the great beyond, A gypsy's spell: unbreakable bond.   _____________________________________ by Wendy Hurst copyright 2014 The Full Series   click the links below to view the other photo shoots in this series   Irony: The Real Fear "Like a Painting" A Gypsy's Spell click here to see why these matter click here to see why this matters Gone. Model: Christina So Makeup: Nicole Erickson Wardrobe & Photography: Wendy Hurst

I'm not a psychological expert, but one doesn't need to be to recognize that staring at a computer screen blankly for five or more minutes at a time and "waking up" not remembering one's thoughts is sign of burnout. So I'm taking a short break to recover. (Is it over yet?) I'm a high-energy, project-intensive person. I love being busy. I'm raising two young kids that love to wrestle, I work part time as a business process analyst, I'm a photographer, a seamstress, and when I'm not breaking up a fight or solving process and design problems I'm thinking about what I want to sew or photograph next. My mind is always working hard to keep up. But even our minds need rest sometimes.  So this is me resting. Over. Model: Makayla Nelson Set Design & Photography: Wendy Hurst Wendy Hurst Portrait wendyshootsit.blogspot.com You can see more of Makayla's work in another post, here .

Do you ever feel like the one confusing your thoughts the most is the voice inside your head? What do you do when your inner voice is looking to you for guidance? I take a deep breath and eat a pumpkin spice flavored Oreo. At least that's what I did today. As I pondered what to wear this morning I spied a black dress I bought for a costume last year and forgot about. My next stop, at the bathroom counter, I spied my makeup kit at the back of a closet nearby. I don't usually wear black and I don't wear makeup. Why not, I thought. It's Wednesday. So I put on the dress and caked my eyes with liner. Silly me, I forgot to check where my makeup remover was beforehand... After shooting I couldn't get all the makeup off my eyes, so if you saw me and wondered why my eyes appeared more tired and yet more defined than normal, this is why. Maybe I'll try some light soap in the morning. Creating a Composite Obviously there is only one of me, as my kids can attest. Creating

Spiders, big hairy ones that pop when you squish them. Or snakes. Maybe sharks. Fears tend to lie in elements we can't control, feeling helpless in a world we don't always understand. Preparations are made. Plans are thought out. What will you do when a spider scurries closer, or a rattlesnake rattles, or a shark swims near? Are you prepared to smash that spider with your foot? Did you bring the anti-venom? Are you wearing chain mail? But what if that spider turns out to be a germ-infested rat? Smashing it with your shoe won't be so easy. Anti-venom isn't universal. Chain mail is heavy and can sink you like a stone. Precautions, preventions, and preparation of the greatest kind could prepare you...or it might not. Surround ed by glasses but not a drop to drink. 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife. Cursed and no way out. Irony is my real fear. What are you afraid of? Let it inspire you. #beenthused The Full Series   click the links below to view the other photo

This is the behind-the-scenes look at our editorial portrait photo shoot entitled, "in legend and literacy: a fairytale". You can find all the images from our shoot by clicking here. The Inspiration Gutter Princess at forgotten-trinkets.blogspot.com designs her own crafts and blogs about how to make them, so the prop of choice was the fairy wings she recently designed. Yes, she made these. The theme naturally took shape as simply, "Fairy". I think she pulled it off nicely. The Shoot Shot List I arrived at the shoot with only one scene in mind, and that was to feature her doing a little bit of something she already does: creating. Specifically, sewing. I brought along a needle and thread, a sheer white curtain and had her pretend to hand-sew in a garden. Ironically, hand sewing is something she declares a weakness of hers but she went with it anyway. I like how it turned out. Setting It was sunny that day but the memorial garden at Saint Paul's Episcopal Churc

In legend and literature, fairies are found. This one designed her own wings using coat hangers and pantyhose. At first it seems too good to be true, but as you get closer it soon becomes clear: some people believe in fairies. You can find the tutorial by Gutter Princess to make these wings and other crafty things on her blog, forgotten-trinkets.blogspot.com . Click here to see how this shoot happened... Fairy Wings, Hair & Makeup: Gutter Princess (forgotten-trinkets.blogspot.com) Photographer: Wendy Hurst wendyshootsit.blogspot.com Click here to see how this shoot happened...