WENDY HURST PORTRAIT

"Holding On" Model: Rachelle Rydman Photographer: Wendy Hurst Portrait Sometimes I get stuck in a corner and start to wonder, who put me there? How long has it been? How do I get out? As the answers come my perspective starts to change. I put myself there. It's been a long time. And when surrounded by beautiful things in the place where I've planted, I start to question:  Do I actually want to get out? About the Series Remember when I blogged about seeing old locations in new ways ? I've scouted locations for a rainy day before, specifically on a cute little stretch of historical buildings in a city called Bountiful, Utah. I've done photo shoots there before but never on a truly rainy day. Last Sunday was that day. I took to the streets scouting for a sheltered place. Balconies of vacant shops, fire escapes on the sides of buildings, awnings that have seen better days. I love that stuff. So let me ask you this: Have you ever looked at...

What's the most memorable image you can think of right now? Science confirms that memories can be generated through an emotional response to a situation. If you thought of an image when I asked the question, that means you had an emotional response. Whether it was a good one or a bad one doesn't matter. You remember it because it made you feel something. I live in Utah, which is pioneer country. Near downtown Salt Lake City there are spacious granite buildings, old factory buildings and easy access to several canyons of the Rocky Mountains. If one spent enough time browsing the works of most photographers in Utah, he or she might notice a few locations frequented more than others. Places like Memory Grove Park, Exchange Place and the Utah State Capitol are quite popular and, with practice, recognizable. Like listening to the same song on the radio over and over again (I'm a nineties girl), seeing the same locations used in similar ways over and over again can make their...

I'm kind of a hoarder. When I got married I brought boxes and boxes of irrational keepsakes that almost filled up a spare room. Each time I visited the space I got rid of a box, suddenly recognizing the junk it really was. Mostly trash, really. Old gum wrappers, faded movie tickets for movies I didn't even really like, broken toys from childhood, half-used bottles of lotion crusted and discolored with age. They were valuable to me when I put them into storage, but garbage is garbage. I started with that. Secondhand or repurposing old things, though, is very different than keeping trash. It's turning something old into something new. I like to think that's one of the reasons I'm drawn to storytelling conceptual portrait photography: the ability to see things as more than they were intended. Be warned: while seeing old things in new ways will certainly help inspire you, it can also take over your physical space (I'm not kidding). Here are three things I le...

You've been there. You're going along trying to finish that race, pass that class, win that award, achieve your goals, and a wall appears. You can't go under it. Can't go around it. You have to go over it. Don't let your obstacles stop you. Take a risk. Make a bold choice. Start climbing! "Up" High School Senior: Tanner Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait What will your mind see today? Here's a speed edit of this image for your viewing pleasure.

It was an elegant evening with music and dancing, paper lanterns and flowered centerpieces. Laughter and movement filled the sugary air as lemon squares, cream puffs and other assortments of delectable desserts decorated plates and palates. And in the end it was the flower pedals that suffered. Risking health and cleanliness I boldly reached into the trash can and scooped up these beauties into an empty punch cup and poured them into my camera bag. Such was the end of my brother-in-law's wedding and the beginning of this self portrait. Can't wait to see what else these pedals can do...