WENDY HURST PORTRAIT

Being honest with yourself about who you are will make your step to the next level easier to take. Here are three common types of social media posts and public messages by models, photographers, etc. to each other and how they can better say what they mean to say. Common Post #1: Admitting Inexperience "I'm fairly new to the photography industry and am looking to get more experience.  I'm giving away free (FREE!!!) photo shoots from now until the end of (insert month here), so hurry and book now!" Own It Nobody wants to admit they're a newbie. Using phrases like "fairly new" or "somewhat new" avoids but does not hide the obvious meaning: inexperienced . Own it. If this applies to you, say it out loud. "I'm inexperienced." You just told the truth. Feels good, right? Now how do you get more?  If you posted something about shooting for free, you already figured it out. In the "industry", free photo shoots are the way to get...

VISUAL THOUGHT Do you ever wonder what people would see if they could view your thoughts as you see them? Would they see pictures or words? Would they swirl and twirl and change in a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes? And if they could find something tangible, would they even be able to interpret what they saw? Perhaps not. Unless they could break the code.  Taken with my iPhone 5. Natural light. See behind the scenes here. Code Breaker by Tunng on Grooveshark What would your thoughts look like? Let's talk about it on my Facebook page . :)

See the whole series here. Recently I took my first business trip EVER. I was filled with nothing but gratitude the whole time and came home with my head heavy with new knowledge. It was fantastic. I was gone from home for six nights, which meant that I had five-days worth of clothing to pack into my small carry-on suitcase and no space whatsoever to spare for my camera. During morning and afternoon breaks the training conference host provided big trays of snacks and finger food goodies. They also offered humungous apples and bananas in heavy bowls, and I almost dropped the bloated apple I picked up. Then I knew. During the morning break I made three sketches and snacked on some leftovers in my hotel room while I brought them to life. With what camera, you say? The only one I had: my iPhone 5. With what tripod, you ask? I stuffed the phone between the cushions of a chair and propped it up in place with a rolled up magazine. I would have taken a picture of it but my only camera was, of ...

Have you ever been stuck trying think of an idea, and then all of a sudden a tiny, fragile glimpse of something appears? In those moments I just want to grab it and hold on so it can't get away, but if you don't let it breathe, that poor little idea gets squished. I wanted this photo shoot with Kollene Snow to illustrate that idea. Like a lonely flower that blooms, sometimes unexpected ideas lead the way to the next one. Model: Kollene Snow Makeup: Kollene Snow Photography: Wendy Hurst Portrait

The Force, a power described in Star Wars as always around us that can physically move objects and share thoughts and feelings, always provoked in me the same thought: what if ...? What would I move? How would my life be different? If it's real, and I believe it enough, will it work for me? As a kid I remember staring intently at objects, believing that if I thought about it hard enough, I could make it move. For real. Obviously it never worked but that didn't keep me from dreaming about it.  This image explores that experience. I figure if I could move objects with my mind, by now it would be business as usual. An isolating experience, even. Sometimes thoughts feel lighter and more powerful than words; even those in books. What will you create today? Come share on my facebook page . :) Self portrait, shot with my Sony A850, 4.5 at 1/30 second. Window light.

You don't need to be experienced, thin, or even tall; we all exist in art and that already makes you extraordinary. Want a senior portrait that will knock people's socks off? We can do that. Are you a musician looking for thought-provoking cover art? We can do that too. Conceptual portrait sessions with Wendy Hurst Portrait are a collaborative experience where together we'll design images that immerse you in a story of your imagination. It might even reveal something new about yourself...   Conceptual portrait sessions are open to women ages 12 to infinity. $50 per session. 1-2 hours on location*. 3-10 high resolution images and printing rights. *Small travel fees apply to any location farther than 30 minutes from North Salt Lake, Utah. Locations where a professional photography fee is required are not included in session price. Because we are designing story-rich images, there may not be 10 to choose from. If your session has more than 10 final images to select from, you c...

color series: yellow Before I did any research, I started in my closet. On a shelf in my sewing room closet I pulled out any fabric I could find with bold colors that stood out to me. Blue, yellow, red. I threw them in the air, shook them in my hands, stretched them as far as they would go. Then I went to my sketch book (aka, the "Paper" app on my trusty iPad 2). I wasn't going to sketch what the fabric looked like. I wanted to draw how each made me feel . With each color I associated a few words to describe what that color meant to me and used stick figures to roughly illustrate them. After research, I grasped unexpected insight into my personality and current state of mind that, as I prepared these final images, became very personal. To share one: I chose the richest yellow-gold fabric I could find in my stash. According to this website I found about color psychology, "yellow is the color of the mind and the intellect", while "gold is the color of succes...

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...