WENDY HURST PORTRAIT

"Grafted" | Model: Madi Beckstead | Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait "Grafted" Model: Madi Beckstead Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait Sometimes I have a specific reason or interpretation to share about the title of an image. Sometimes an image just is what it is. This is such a time. Behind the Scenes I promise not all my images feature Madi, there's just something memorable about photographing in difficult situations with dedicated people like she is. :) Every day I drive by a large open field lined by gnarled trees with peeling bark and nests built by large birds I can't identify. On this particular day a chilly breeze was blowing in from the east, giving us about 60 seconds per jacketless burst before it was just too cold for bare skin. With some strategic planning we avoided the birds and traffic to get this shot, which I darkened considerably to create the mood the pose demanded. I wanted it to be heavy, motionless and still. A dark peace, a...

My third baby is due in January, and planning for the event required me to seriously consider how to spend my time after she arrives. With two younger children to take care of plus a new baby, how will photography and sewing fit into my routine? Sparingly is the answer. So to keep my creativity sharp I'm starting a 52-week photo challenge. My goal is to post at least one new image every week through 2016. I hope you'll join me on the journey. Facebook.com/wendyshootsit Instagram.com/wendyhurstportrait 500px.com/wendyhurstportrait "The Corner" Series Model: Madi Beckstead Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait "The Corner" is a three-image series that explores how one can react when cornered. Any time you're presented with a problem or struggle--a complicated test at school, a frustrating experience at work, a loved one passing away--it could weigh you down. You could let it define you. Or you can use the opportunity to build up your potential. ...

"Alexis, Serene" Model: Alexis Hall Wardrobe & Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait I consider my photography "element" as shooting the presence of tamed, though unpredictable, nature. I've had a speedlight and opaque umbrella for months but every time I bring my gear the wind picks up. And since I mostly shoot alone with a model there's nobody there to hold the umbrella. (Have you ever seen the movie Mary Poppins...?) And that brings me to wardrobe. Last month I moved to a new city, which meant moving into a home with paint I didn't choose and curtains I didn't select--and I like it that way. I'm in a do-it-yourself family and we like changing paint and window dressings. When painting one can simply cover what was previously there. But what does one do with old curtains? If that person is me, I turn them into wardrobe. A dress, specifically. One moment I was wandering the house looking for wardrobe inspiration, the next I tripped over thes...

Every few months I reevaluate my goals, branding, etc. and today I was motivated to put together a portfolio video by fine art photographer Brooke Shaden . The music always takes me the longest...!

"The Race" Models: Madi Beckstead (left), Aaliyah Turi (right)

If you're a freelance photographer, you know finding work depends at least in part on networking. Photographers are artists and artists need funding to survive. I use Facebook a lot to connect with models for my imagery, but finding paid work that way is difficult in the photographer-saturated market in Utah. Since posts asking for photographers for paid projects tend to function like a bidding war anyway, I decided to seek out a way to filter and find posts like this more easily. Here's the link. Come join! https://www.facebook.com/groups/UtahPhotographerCommissions/ Here's how it works: 1) Someone posts a project they want to commission a photographer for (I.e. senior portraits, bridals, book covers, band photos, you name it!) 2) Interested photographers bid on the project 3) The posting individual chooses a photographer to make the project happen!  You don't have to live in Utah to commission one of our awesome photographers who live here. Co...

"Friends and Skulls" | Model: Winter Rose Beaudry | Photographer: Wendy Hurst Portrait Female Cosplayers:   Celebrate your craft with a free fantasy portrait session on location or in studio before October 25th, 2015! Up to 5 final digital images with printing rights will be available for $15 each, with no obligation to purchase. Must be female and 16 years or older to qualify. Participants under 18 require guardian presence and consent.              [ Sign Up Now! ]              [ Ask a question ] "Woman in the Woods" | Model: Courtney Kurns | Photographer: Wendy Hurst Portrait Who is eligible? Female cosplayers willing to travel to Salt Lake County, Utah, ages 16 to infinity. Participants under 18 require guardian presence and consent. Must book session before October 25, 2015.  Why just women? I specialize in female portraiture and want to provide the most p...

"A Spot of Tea" Model: Madison Beckstead Photographer: Wendy Hurst Portrait Wardrobe: Wendy Hurst Photography isn't my only creative interest; I'm also a seamstress. Five years ago I went to buy a pillowcase. Then I held it up, investigated its construction and asked myself, 'how hard could this be?'  When I ran out of pillows to cover I moved on to curtains, blankets, and then costumes. I make more Renaissance-style cloaks than anything else, but this summer I chose something completely different: a petticoat dress. I've made ballgowns, corsets, lace, and bustles, but one thing missing was a petticoat! Crunched for time on a Sunday morning I searched my arsenal for a model close to my studio and remembered Madi Beckstead. Two weeks ago I hosted an event exploring how different creative perspectives can interpret a single idea in many ways, and she was among the model participants. Bonus: she was available and the petticoat and corset belt I made ...

Most people aren't used to creating an image based on a theme they learned on the spot, so I started there. Three photographers with different experience, ideas and creative perceptions came together and out of their comfort zones to demonstrate one simple truth: there is more than one "right" answer to a creative question.  For some that answer isn't as simple as it seems. Anyone who has ever had writer's block or the artistic equivalent knows what I mean. As one studies the works of others it can be easy to fall into the "right way" trap. An inability to exactly reproduce an image like someone else, or the concern that an idea has "already been done" can feel crippling. And to that I emphatically repeat: there is more than one "right answer" to a creative question.  Here's how the exercise worked: The Challenge: Create at least one image interpreting a single theme with only one hour to prepare and one hour t...

"Friends and Skulls" Model: Winter Rose Beaudry Photographer: Wendy Hurst Portrait I love going from "those rocks look creepy" to "how uncomfortable would it be to lay on that one?" in, like, five minutes. Earth is so beautiful!

"Ruler of the Garden" Model: Courtney Frieze Gown & Cloak: Wendy Hurst Photographer: Wendy Hurst Portrait Sometimes when too much time goes by between photo shoots I start comparing my work to other people's and it shakes my confidence. And the only cure for shaken confidence is to prove oneself wrong. That was this photo shoot. I reused some fabric from my stash , brought along a cloak gathering dust in my closet ( also reused !) and discovered a seashell in my purse. (Where the shell came from isn't a mystery, it's a secret...) I stuffed them and a few other possibilities like fabric strips, beads, etc. into a duffle bag and met Courtney at a place called the International Peace Gardens in Salt Lake City. I could have stayed there all day long . It's beautiful there! And so was Courtney. Plus that gate we discovered was fantastic...

"Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door." -Emily Dickinson "Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door." -Emily Dickinson Model: Miss Amber La Roux Wardrobe & Calligraphy: Wendy Hurst Photography: Wendy Hurst Portrait This is the second in a series that still doesn't have a name. The first was "I am no bird" , based on a different literary quote by Charlotte Bronte. When the series comes to an end, whenever that will be, I hope to give it a name worthy of whatever it becomes. "Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door." -Emily Dickinson "Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door." -Emily Dickinson "Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door." -Emily Dickinson "Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door." -Emily Dickinson "Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door." -Emily Dickinson ...

Model: Jesyka Dereta Makeup & Styling: Jesyka Dereta Wardrobe, Prop & Calligraphy: Wendy Hurst Photography: Wendy Hurst Portrait Sometimes when I don't know something, like what to call an image or series, I identify what it's not. Doing so lends inspiration and  actually yields titles that resonate with me most often.  For this reason a quote from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte recently stuck in my mind. "I am no bird; no net ensnares me." I also remembered a behind the scenes YouTube video by fashion photographer Joan Allen that I found by accident years ago of a shoot using calligraphy on the skin to add a dimension of edgy elegance. Combine that with a kick I've been on about oversized objects and I knew what I wanted to do.  Months ago I draped my dress form, Maggie, with yards of purple cloth I picked up secondhand for a different photo shoot. The shoot turned out okay but didn't fully captured the potential I saw in that ...