WENDY HURST PORTRAIT

Zachary Lee / Los Angeles, CA / 2021 / Photo: Wendy Hurst Photographing @zacharyleeportrait, a photographer and mountain climber in California, was like watching a sculpture come to life. Every pose was like a new cast—which perfectly matched the transformative experience of a stellar photographer workshop hosted by @aaronjayyoung and @jonnycreative. I’m eager to use everything learned here in future sessions!

Laura is a fierce social worker who also hosts a podcast called @smallandgutsy , where she interviews smaller, less known nonprofits and social impact organizations that don’t always get the attention they deserve. She’s extraordinarily kind and has a delightful voice to match her smile. Maybe give her a listen sometime? 

Aaron Jay Young / Los Angeles, CA / 2021 / Photo: Wendy Hurst Aaron Jay Young / Los Angeles, CA / 2021 Aaron has a powerfully quiet presence that stands out in a world of so many people who shout to be heard, but his photographs speak loud and clear without any words at all. Three photo projects inspired me to connect more deeply with my creative community. One was a beautifully honest series captured at DragCon. Another was a collection of photographs featuring Adam Rippon, the Olympic skater. (It wasn’t celebrating community, per se, but I was deeply inspired by the incredible lighting on location.) And last was a series of photographs capturing an immigrant caravan in Mexico in 2019. It wasn’t until the third when I realized all three were created by the same photographer, and that photographer was Aaron. So imagine my overwhelming awe and enthusiasm to now, years later, walk into his studio for a life-changing photographer workshop. Further, how honored I felt to find myself standi...