WENDY HURST PORTRAIT

Model: Michelle Brooke Makeup Artist: ReyzelAbrea Diamse Hair Stylist: Magdalena Dominguez Jewelry Designer: Lisa Bayer at From Earth Jewelry Photography & Concept: Wendy Hurst Portrait Part of me wants to write something philosophical about butterflies and their place in nature, how they are a beautiful part of the ecosystem to be admired and preserved; but I don't know what to say, so I'll write about my inspiration for this shoot instead: butterflies . Preserved butterflies. Take a look at the necklaces featured in these images. Lisa Bayer designed this jewelry using real, preserved butterflies. The wings are flexible and their beauty is undeniable. One day last April I saw a Facebook post from her as she was seeking models for a different photo shoot altogether. The blue one in particular caught my eye as distinctly unique and a perfect match to some blue fabric I already had in my stash but wasn't sure what to do with. If you've read m...

What is a casting call? A casting call is a posting with the intent to recruit participants in a mutual cause, like an audition or photo shoot. Components of an Effective Casting Call An effective casting call answers the WH-questions in as few words as possible. It's a delicate balance between giving too much information right away and providing too little to generate interest. Typical WH-Questions to Answer Whom are you seeking? What talent do you need? Models? Makeup artists? Hair stylists? Photographers? How many of each? What is expected of participants? What criteria do they need to meet? For example, do they need to be 18 years or older? Where will the shoot take place? When will it happen? How long will it last? Why should they participate? After identifying the types of talent you need, I consider the "Why" to be most important. The more someone can catch your vision, the more likely you are to find people willing to work with you. Give th...

Model, Makeup & Styling: Rachelle Rydman Photos: Wendy Hurst Portrait When I took my first drawing class in college the professor taught us to draw what our eyes see. Not what we think we are seeing ("a car", "an apple", "a plant"), but to draw what our eyes perceived. Triangles, shapes, negative space, light and darkness, relative size and distances. Our minds have learned to combine these elements as objects with words. Learning to draw adequately, which I am not a master at doing, requires teaching the mind to recognize what makes up what we see and how we interpret the world. He also taught us to learn from the masters by emulating them. Experiment with their styles, practice their techniques they use to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat and learn how to apply it to one's own personal style. Style is a hard nut to crack. Gregory Heisler, one of the greatest and well-known photographers of all time, describes style as something s...

"Forward",  Self Portrait Survival is a basic instinct. When hard times come it’s a natural response to fight back against the opposing force, at least for awhile. My encouragement for you this week is to keep moving forward. Let the turmoil happen around you and don’t look back. Let it inspire you! You have places to go, things to see, art to create!  What will your mind see today?