Behind the Scenes of a Fashion Bridal Session with Wendy Hurst Portrait

By Wendy Hurst June 05, 2017

Models, Makeup & Hair: Cindy Perez Roberts, Nicolette Waites
Photography & Calligraphy: Wendy Hurst
Gowns Provided by JoCee Porter at Celebrate Everyday

Gowns Featured:
Anne (Cindy Perez Roberts, model)
Aria (Nicolette Waites, model)

For this shoot I partnered with JoCee Porter, owner and founder of a nonprofit in Utah organization called Celebrate Everyday, who collects donated dresses and rents them out for free to girls and women in need. Seriously. She acquires hundreds of used bridal and prom gowns every month donated by dress shops and local residents. The belief of her organization and mine are quite similar: every woman, everywhere, deserves to feel beautiful.

Calligraphy & Makeup Prep

In this case it was meant to be--and that's the theme of the shoot. Our original destination completely rained out and we relocated to Trolley Square Mall, my new favorite location that is designed better than a studio I could neither imagine nor afford. And it's free. But that's not the "meant to be" part. The reason this shoot felt meant to be is because Nicolette's (one of the models in this shoot) GPS incorrectly guided her to the wrong place via public transportation--which turned out to be only one station away from Trolley Square instead of across town. One can't plan coincidences like that...

Cindy Perez Roberts | Photo: Wendy Hurst

Poetry & Calligraphy
I actually used this concept a couple of years ago (Emily Dickinson's "I open every door...", and Charlotte Bronte's "I am no bird..." from Jane Eyre) but loved it so much that I found a way to use it again. I dug into an old vision board from that series, brushed up on my calligraphy skills and rounded up some small fake birds and a model ship I had on hand.

(Why a model ship? Because #nonsenseinspires.)

Originally the shoot was going to take place in a forested park and likely fit into a different ongoing series called Wandering Brides (part 1, part 2). Bringing the shoot inside completely transformed the aesthetic to a whole different level. Architectural depth, big sunny windows and brick flooring felt like a grand, romantic, luxurious hotel that complimented the gowns and our props at what I felt was a dream-like level.

There are two quotes written on each model, plus an extra word. If you can't quite make them out, these are them:

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul."- Emily Dickinson *

"Sometimes two ships are destined to meet." (A saying.)

And of course, "destiny". (My personal favorite scripting from the shoot.)

*Yes, if you can read cursive and have a keen eye, you probably noticed that I forgot a word on the model in the first quote. It's art, okay? Let's just go with it, lol.

Tech Specs

Calligraphy Prep

The stormy clouds blowing across the sun meant varying levels of light diffusion through the windows, which meant I had two choices: I could either try to balance the light from the window with off-camera flash--which I did bring--or expose for the white of the dress and let the window blow out. I chose the latter for a more organic, dramatic feel that I could see in real life. Most of the images at the window were shot using f/5.6 at 1/40s and ISO 125. The images in the stairwell were shot at 1/20s and brightened for more drama in Photoshop later. (Beginner's note: It's always better to underexpose than overexpose in these situations because you can always brighten things; you can't bring back details from overblown highlights.)

Does this session connect with you? Did it provoke an emotional response? Just another pretty picture? Come tell me on Facebook or Instagram! Visit my blog archives to see all the images from these sessions.