WENDY HURST PORTRAIT

"I have 6 tattoos. My sixth tattoo is the antler with a blue ribbon on my forearm. I got it early this year the day after my grandpa passed away. Due to my parent's divorce my mom, siblings and I spent most of my childhood living with my grandparents. My grandpa became such a strong father figure to me because I only got to see my dad every other weekend. For years on end my grandpa would chat with my sister and I as we were getting ready for school in the mornings. Every morning when we were starting to do our hair he'd get super excited telling us he knew just the thing for our hair. He'd jump up and run to his room and come back with a small antler that had a blue ribbon tied around it and tell us it was the perfect accessory and that no one in school would have one like it. Every morning my sister and I would squeal and giggle and tell him how silly it was and he'd proceed to try and find the perfect spot in our hair for it. Losing him is one of the greatest ...

"It was only a couple of years ago that I connected with Morigan, the goddess of art and other things. The raven tattoo shows my gratitude for her. Ravens are magical beings, protectors. I was bouncing around religions. Raised Catholic, checked LDS. But I kept coming back to Wiccan. The concepts that you are responsible for your own doing, you can create your own future, living in harmony with nature, you do not bow your gods because they walk beside you and guide you--really attracted me to it. Spend every day of life enjoying each moment. Soak it all in. Try not to get too frustrated in the little things, and remember that everyone struggles. Just a smile can make someone's day." - Brigitte Biber  @brigitte_model Photos: Wendy Hurst Portrait Makeup: Melinda King,  MK Beauty Production:  Sundry Models Location:  Plant & Grow  in Clearfield, UT

THE MOMENT YOU DOUBT WHETHER YOU CAN FLY, YOU CEASE FOREVER TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. FOR TO HAVE FAITH IS TO HAVE WINGS. ( Peter Pan , by J.M. Barrie) "I've loved the story of Peter Pan since I was really little. When I was in high school I went through some really hard things, and this quote was always something that made me feel better. It became like a motto for me. It's helped me keep my head up, especially now that I've started modeling. It reminds me that if I never try, I'll never have a chance at flying." Model: Makinzi Jackson  @kinzi_jay Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait Makeup: Melinda King, MK Beauty Production: Sundry Models Location: Plant & Grow in Clearfield, UT

McKenna, Ballerina. Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait McKenna, Ballerina. Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait Photographing a dancer recently reminded me of this High School Senior session from a few years ago--and I found three images I never shared before! Even though they're older images, I still feel like they fit into my contemporary style. High School Senior: McKenna (a real life ballerina!) Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait If you're a dancer and haven't had your portrait taken in awhile, or did and just didn't get the "feels" from the results, message me at my website or via social media to talk about how we can fix that! wendyhurstportrait.com Facebook: facebook.com/wendyhurstportrait  Instagram: instagram.com/wendyhurstportrait McKenna, Ballerina. Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."  Winston Churchill This past month has been difficult for me. Little League baseball for my older kids is in season and that keeps me busy by keeping track of socks, shoes, toys and backpacks that are neither worn nor owned by me. With such responsibility, forgetfulness clings to me like a used dryer sheet. It's usually harmless like leaving the car keys in the house and making an extra trip back inside, or somehow slipping your ID into your shirt and spending ten minutes searching for it frantically like a lunatic. Other times it's more serious like forgetting a cousin's wedding, or not buttoning your shirt before you leave the house.  These scenarios are real. After the forgotten wedding I descended into a dark place in my mind. Why was it that no matter how hard I tried things kept falling through the cracks?? Frustration clenched my jaw and stewed in my stoma...

You've been there. You're going along trying to finish that race, pass that class, win that award, achieve your goals, and a wall appears. You can't go under it. Can't go around it. You have to go over it. Don't let your obstacles stop you. Take a risk. Make a bold choice. Start climbing! "Up" High School Senior: Tanner Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait What will your mind see today? Here's a speed edit of this image for your viewing pleasure.

Have you ever photographed a ballerina? You should. It is easily the most beautiful artistic experiences you can ever have. McKenna is a real life ballerina here in Utah and one's appreciation for grace can increase simply by being in her presence. These images come from a high school senior portrait session while mentoring another photographer, Valerie Bybee Photography. Valerie wanted to add more artistic images to her portfolio and I think our opportunity to photograph and interact with McKenna achieved that goal quite well. You can see images taken by Valerie at her website, here .

"Red Wanderer" (and other images). High School Senior: Dani Schriever Cloak: Wendy Hurst Photographer: Wendy Hurst Portrait  I love conceptual portraiture, but not everyone does. Traditional photos certainly have their place, and rightly so. Can you image trying to recognize someone from a conceptual portrait in a passport photo? The gambit is too vast. I imagine the security attendant tilting the image back and forth and  saying, "Now is this you on a chair upside down in a forest with hair blowing across your face?" That's why I do both traditional and conceptual portraits for clients, most especially for high school seniors. Remembering reality and imagination are important, after all. I mean,  that's how you don't get incepted... And to all you beautiful high school seniors out there, senior portraits qualify for my  name-your-price pricing!