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Make up Artists and Portraiture
Feb 16, 2020 13:15:22   #
BermBuster Loc: Hi Desert S.Cal
 
Hi all!
Here is something I run into a lot, and don't have an answer. "How to find a good Makeup artist" - Or, where to start.
Many girls don't do makeup very well, and if they ask me for help..I'm definitely no expert. I've approached makeup people in large stores, but they seem to be more leaning to the Álice Cooper' look, Rather than a nice natural look.
Brides that have "Paid" for makeup, esp with the really dark above the eyes, makes me look bad.
Any Suggestions where to start?? Thomas902 any ideas??
This info might be good for all portrait photographers, so that's why I'm asking here.

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Feb 17, 2020 09:46:05   #
sb Loc: Florida's East Coast
 
Check the ModelMayhem website. Do a "Browse" search.

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Feb 17, 2020 11:01:39   #
BermBuster Loc: Hi Desert S.Cal
 
Yeah I've not been happy with any from there that I've tried. But to be honest, I haven't tried them since I moved to another state.
I think if there is some type accreditation, It might be wise to look for those who have it first, but not sure what that is.
I have someone who works retail, and has a lady customer who used to do makeup on Hollywood sets, and moved to the area recently.
I'm trying to connect with her. Maybe I can find out what training or credentials to look for, or where to find people who know what they are doing.
Good hair stylus people seem to be much easier to find... :)

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Feb 18, 2020 12:58:53   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
A knowledgeable and experienced PROFESSIONAL makeup artist shod know how to apply makeup for various kinds of photography. To start with ordinary "street" makeup or "evening" makeup may not be suitable for photography nor is theatrical (stage) makeup or extremely stylized out of the box extreme makeup necessarily good for the average portrait client. What might be suitable for a fashion shoot may not be appropriate for a traditional portrait, corporate portrait or a standard business head-shot. Nowadays, even some modeling and theatrical agencies require more natural images without extreme "shading" or retouching so the can better assess the natural attributes of applicants and potential hires. Inversely, publicity portraits of actors, models, and other personalities may require the "full treatment"! This why it is important to plan the session accordingly so the results will be a good fit for the eventual usage of the images.


In a city where the is a great deal of the fashion industry, fashion advertising and model agency activity, there may be a pool many experienced makeup artists that understand the requirements for various kinds of photography otherwise you may be at the mercy of less experienced operators, folks affiliated with a local beauty salon or hairdresser, or a person who specialized in wedding party makeup. There is always the chance the makeup will be overdone or insufficient. Some of the basic no-nos to avoid are uneven application of makeup that does not continue and blend on to the neck and upper chest or overly flat makeup that negates all specular highlights- not do you want a greasy or shiny look, however, there are many more technicalities to consider.

As a photographer, you may have to guide your client or the makeup artists but there are lots of variables and one method or approach does not fit all cases.

The first step is to speak to your client in advance and determine their requirements and expectations. Some folks use minimal makeup, no makeup or are pretty good ad applying their personal cosmetics. The job is to plan the makeup for the requirement and type of shoot and coordinate it with your corrective lighting and photographic methods.

For example- In my particular classic portraiture method, I approach makeup to correct certain blemishes, lines, certain wrinkles or specific issues lie dark pigmentation under eyes, etc. I, however, prefer to shape or sculpt the face of the subject with light and posing techniques and also address certain issues like deep-set eyes, long or short noses, asymmetrical facial structure, double chins, heavy or very thin facial structures, etc, in my shooting strategies. I routinely do gentle retouching or post-processing corrections.

In a fashion shoot, oftentimes the emphasis is on the clothing and the lighting for the fabric, fur, or leather, or synthetic material may not necessarily be flattering for the face of the model. The ligh may be too flat, too washed or (as top brightness and contrast) and lack modeling and dimension. In the absence of portrait-like lighting, the makeup artist will add shading, color, tone, and accentuate or destitute certain facial features such as cheekbones, eyebrows, lip lines, etc. Applying this kind of corrective makeup in a traditional portrait may become too obvious or look extremely overdone. In a soft-focus image or where some optical diffusion is applied in shooting, heavier makeup may blend in better.

So...how do you advise your client or a not-so-experienced makeup artist? Being a guy, I knew as much about makeup application as I did about brain surgery- enough to know I didn't want to do it myself to give folks the wrong advice. I asked my wife, who never uses makeup except for lipstick and has a perfect complexion. I asked the good makeup artists that I encounter on my commercial assignments and I did some research online and in books. The problem is, styles and trends change, there are different strokes for different folks, age issues and more. So I have attached a link (from F/stoppers) that gives y'all some idea of current trends. I have a printout of these articles which I give to clients and rookie makeup artists. It has some interesting guidelines and tips.

Another approach is networking. I work with various estheticians and cosmetologists that work with local salons, spas, and hairdressers- the gals that sell makeup. If you speak with these folks you will get the lats information on all the various kinds of makeup products, lipsticks eye shadow, liners and lash makeup.- the works. You also need to familiarize your makeup artist with your lighting methods. If you read int the linked literature you will note that many makeup artists assume "flash" photography will yield skin tones that are too bright. This is why I mention "fashion" light in a previous paragraph. Also, back in the film era, many kinds of makeup contained certain additives such as ultra-violet brighteners that fluoresce with electronic flash lighting which does have UV content. Digital sensors, however, do not react in the same way as many color films- especially transparency materials which were commonly used in commercial fashion photography.

If you routinely recommend makeup or use the services of a good makeup artist, you shod run some tests with your lighting methods and equipment and determine the best combination of makeup products. Natural daylight, tungsten, LED or other forms of existing light may present very different results.

I seldom recommend makeup for men, however, I have used it on guys with bad so-called 5 o'clock shadow that wanna look clean-shaven. Some men want the stubble, scruffy, rugged unshaven look- it depends. Beards are in. For the 5 o'clock thing we use a ligh powder and call it "dry-shave for the guys who think makeup is a too feminine solution.

For traditional portraiture, I usually do not recommend any extreme stylization of makeup. A classic portrait should never become overly dated. Of course, styles change, hairstyles come and go but conservative approaches have better visual longevity. I have noticed while watching television, even some of the news anchors are heavily made up- it is beginning to look lie a bad embalming job! Even the guys are washed out and too smooth. There seems to be a trend toward super pale skin times- even on people of color and exaggerated lipstick! It doesn't look too bad on my old CRT set in the den but on the high-def. flat screen, it looks like something out of the "Adams Family" or the "Munsters"! I suppose it's a matter of taste so govern
yourselves accordingly!

Look this up:

https://fstoppers.com/originals/makeup-artist-dishes-working-photography-and-video-298822

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Jun 11, 2020 12:09:01   #
Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC
 
"How to find a good Makeup artist" BermBuster follow the money.... seriously
Top tier makeup artists will be found on www.weddingwire.com
Many there will have a cosmetologist license in makeup artistry and/or an estheticians license in the state in which they practice...

btw, avoid ModelMayhem... it is now primary a porn site overrun with strippers looking for johns...
A decade ago I was a GateKeeper on Mayhem and actually ran the Makeup Artist of the Week Contest... that was until it became linked to human trafficking...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2263008/People-think-happens-world-countries-North-Carolina-model-opens-past-sex-trafficking-victim.html

https://www.uspa24.com/bericht-7707/modelling-site-linked-to-human-trafficking.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/09/18/modeling-website-didnt-warn-users-rapists-were-preying-on-them/#7a6244e27ea4

https://www.insideedition.com/headlines/5922-mothers-of-missing-teens-on-model-mayhem-website-fear-the-worst

this list goes around the block... Mayhem is now worse than armpit of the industry...

Ok, Ed's suggestion: "...I work with various estheticians and cosmetologists that work with local salons..." has merit albeit this is not where you likely will find high end top tier artist... those who work in commercial establishments i.e. salons are more akin to assemble line workers with limited knowledge of advanced color theory, current fashion trends etc. The lion's share of revenue stream is in high end bridal work... with location assignments topping the list. Yes affluent brides will fly their team to vacation venues...

Ed has his focus on one particular genre... which I totally "get"...

I truly appreciate Ed's thoughts which are indeed relevant and germane however maybe an illustrations might provide clarity also.

Below please find an example of the "art" and craft of makeup artistry...
I'm guilty of creative direction, makeup artistry... and yes the photography... lol
Notice how much darker (tan) the talent's face is than her décolletage, a challenge to overcome.

Hair by our studio stylist: Devon (formerly with VOGUE NYC)
Hope this helps BermBuster, I wish you well on your journey (please stay safe)
.

The talent as she arrived on set
The talent as she arrived on set...
(Download)

Porcelain Doll: identical pose and illumination as above
Porcelain Doll: identical pose and illumination as...
(Download)

Session begins here...
Session begins here......
(Download)

vintage selfie
vintage selfie...
(Download)

40x60 inch soft box
40x60 inch soft box...
(Download)

a more editorial look for the hair stylist book
a more editorial look for the hair stylist book...
(Download)

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Jun 11, 2020 12:24:19   #
Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC
 
Ed's Fstoppers link is a refreshing window into the craft...
albeit limited in scope... it is far more complex than that article implies...
My high end clients demand airbrush artistry now... and this is what sets me apart from my competition.

Not only am I a MAC Pro but also a TEMPTU Airbrush Artisan
Both of these "Credentials" require current published (named) tearsheets
Something few if any salon workers have...
Just saying...

Reply
Jun 11, 2020 14:30:48   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
I operate my business in a city that is not a major fashion center and oftentimes I am at the mercy of local talent (or lack thereof) when it comes to makeup artists, hairstylists, food stylists, interior decorator, and many other specialists that photographer need to work with. If you find the right folks on any given assignment it's a creative experience and if not its a day in "photography hell"! The same goes for the retouchers, lab managers, and outsourced lab services.

The only way to work around theses situations is to network and build good relationships with good people. There are folks that can apply makeup, style hair, and perform many of the other aforementioned services, however, they may not know the specific requirements that photography demands. Just like a photograph can be overly and "artificially" retouched, makeup can be applied to the degree where it looks completely unnatural. If an experienced makeup artist who is somewhat familiar with photographic lighting and the requirements of the photographer can't be accessed, it may pay off to find a talented worker and familiarize them with some of the issues that we have to contend with.

Some cosmetic products contain UV brighteners that look dramatic to the naked eye but reak havoc with color balance and lighting. There are lipsticks and eye makeup products that have a kind dayglo look or an exaggerated gloss- this too can be problematic. Sometimes young folks come in for a grad portrait or a family group sitting a wear makeup that causes their parents to experience apoplexy! Whatever the situation can be, if the results are less than successful, oftentimes the photographer takes the hit! So, in my own case, I try to coordinate efforts as much as I can, but sometimes I am limited by who I can find in the local talent pool.

If I am doing a high-end modeling portfolio for someone who is interested in investing in a great result or a corporate portrait with a sizable budget, I may import some of the known experts for another city, however, most daily clients come in for a "quick" business shot, headshot, etc and I can only hope the can do their own makeup, find someone who will do a nice hairstyle or haircut and may end up retouching the dickens out of the file to correct blemishes and other issues.

Also to consider- there is a trend in certain fashion photography circles to shoot rather a flat lighting and leave it to the makeup artist to add shading, accentuate cheekbones, etc.

Styles, trends, change- acceptability changes all the time. I am writing this today, and tomorrow, if I am lucky and healthy enough to wake up in the morning, everything I am saying now may have changed! It keeps me on my game and it ain't boring!

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Jul 30, 2020 14:31:38   #
BermBuster Loc: Hi Desert S.Cal
 
Thanks Ed and Thomas!!! That's exactly the kind of advise I was looking for!
Sorry for the delay... Travelling cross country, new phone, new laptop. All my spare time lagging apps and updates.. Reconfiguring Photoshop.. Set me back a bunch!
Thank you very much for taking the time and writing such concise and thoughtful answers!!

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Jul 30, 2020 16:14:22   #
Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC
 
Wonderful that you found merit in Ed's and my thoughts here BermBuster.
Ed is a superb educator with VAST diversity in his commercial experience...
While I'm limited to bridal and fashion genre...

I didn't initial mention much about your concern: "Brides that have "Paid" for makeup, esp with the really dark above the eyes, makes me look bad" If you are shooting wedding events BermBuster then fill flash is SOP... while it's best to have it "Off Camera" (I've assisted wedding shooters and carried a speedlight on a monopod for this purpose). Other highly successful wedding event shooters will simply mount a speedlight on top their camera and diligently dial back power to compliment ambient not overpower it... I've found -1.7 to be a good starting point...

BermBuster there are actually products to provide a "glow" to selective areas of the face... MAC Strobe Cream Hydratant Lumineux is a product I've used. It is applied either under the foundation base or atop for a more pronounced "luminescence" It is appropriate with brides with deep set eyes... However if you enlist the talent of a bridal MUA they will certainly know how to handle this challenge... Just be certain to let them know that have have concerns about "dark above the eyes"

Hope this helps... please stay safe... practice social distancing and wear a mask in public... thank you

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Jul 31, 2020 15:34:20   #
BermBuster Loc: Hi Desert S.Cal
 
Thomas902 wrote:
Wonderful that you found merit in Ed's and my thoughts here BermBuster.
Ed is a superb educator with VAST diversity in his commercial experience...
While I'm limited to bridal and fashion genre...

I didn't initial mention much about your concern: "Brides that have "Paid" for makeup, esp with the really dark above the eyes, makes me look bad" If you are shooting wedding events BermBuster then fill flash is SOP... while it's best to have it "Off Camera" (I've assisted wedding shooters and carried a speedlight on a monopod for this purpose). Other highly successful wedding event shooters will simply mount a speedlight on top their camera and diligently dial back power to compliment ambient not overpower it... I've found -1.7 to be a good starting point...

BermBuster there are actually products to provide a "glow" to selective areas of the face... MAC Strobe Cream Hydratant Lumineux is a product I've used. It is applied either under the foundation base or atop for a more pronounced "luminescence" It is appropriate with brides with deep set eyes... However if you enlist the talent of a bridal MUA they will certainly know how to handle this challenge... Just be certain to let them know that have have concerns about "dark above the eyes"

Hope this helps... please stay safe... practice social distancing and wear a mask in public... thank you
Wonderful that you found merit in Ed's and my thou... (show quote)


That is awesome!-thanks a lot for those suggestions!
I try to use off camera flash as much as possible, just recently got a flash bracket, to start using that again (as fill). That's great you shared a starting point.
Last shoot I was on, my battery pack failed, for my 400ws strobes in soft boxes. Had to scramble for a couple flashes, only had a trigger for one --off camera.. Hate having flash on camera body... But was able to semi salvage a catastrophe :)
Thanks again! Sure appreciate the input!

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Jul 31, 2020 17:48:53   #
Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC
 
BermBuster I've noticed considerable misinformation about using on-camera flash here on UHH. There are even those with over 1K posts who make inappropriate claims that only novice would be "stupid" enough to use an on-camera flash...

This stands as a testimonial that there may be precious few if any commercial wedding photographers active on UHH. On camera speedlights are a rule not an exception for wedding shooters... and yes a flash bracket helps... but I've obtained splendid results from simply using a camera's built in popup flash... Think that isn't possible? Then please study the image below... this was shot during "Golden Hour" with a Nikon D7200 using it's built-in popup flash. I will agree it takes a finely nuanced approach to carefully balance fill flash with ambiance however it is quite doable.

Camera D7200; 1/250; ISO: 100; F/4; Exposure Mode: Manual
Lens: Sigma AF 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM; FL 66mm (100mm eq) f/4

This image actually ended up being used for the client's social media signature ID for over a year.
As the late Dean Collins said: "Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder"
I shoot to exceed my clients expectations not to impress other photographers...

Again I hope this helps...
All the best on your efforts as a wedding shooter BermBuster, it's where the lion's share of revenue is...

Please stay safe; practice social distancing and always wear a mask while in public.

Thanks!

On Camera Popup Fill Flash
On Camera Popup Fill Flash...
(Download)

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Jul 31, 2020 23:08:02   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
Thomas902 wrote:
BermBuster I've noticed considerable misinformation about using on-camera flash here on UHH. There are even those with over 1K posts who make inappropriate claims that only novice would be "stupid" enough to use an on-camera flash...

This stands as a testimonial that there may be precious few if any commercial wedding photographers active on UHH. On camera speed lights are a rule not an exception for wedding shooters... and yes a flash bracket helps... but I've obtained splendid results from simply using a camera's built-in pop-up flash... Think that isn't possible? Then please study the image below... this was shot during "Golden Hour" with a Nikon D7200 using its built-in pop-up flash. I will agree it takes a finely nuanced approach to carefully balance fill flash with ambiance however it is quite doable.

Camera D7200; 1/250; ISO: 100; F/4; Exposure Mode: Manual
Lens: Sigma AF 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM; FL 66mm (100mm eq) f/4

This image actually ended up being used for the client's social media signature ID for over a year.
As the late Dean Collins said: "Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder"
I shoot to exceed my clients' expectations not to impress other photographers...

Again I hope this helps...
All the best on your efforts as a wedding shooter BermBuster, it's where the lion's share of revenue is...

Please stay safe; practice social distancing and always wear a mask while in public.

Thanks!
BermBuster I've noticed considerable misinformatio... (show quote)


The peoblem is that many folks tend to parrot kind of "old wives tales" about flash usage- many complain that they get aesthetically unpleasing results from using on-camera flash and proceed to BLAME the flash rater that their lack of proper flash technique. One of the problems stem from the olden days where the flash unit was mounted on an L-bracket or quick release shoe on the SIDE of the camera. The light was still basically flat and because of the inverse square law, there were overexposed foregrounds and underexposed (black hole) backgrounds. Because the flash was mounted alongside the camera it would cast a distracting shadow from the subject any nearby background or wall.

Savvy on-camera flash users employed coiled flash synch cords and quick release brackets to enable holding the flash off-camera, usually high and directly above the lens to help defeat the inverse square law and create more depth of lighting- this would somewhat throw more light in the background and less light on the foreground. This method would also provide a little more vertical modeling. This method also requires a few manual accrobatics- it started with 4x5 press cameras so it required holding, steadying, and balancing a heavy bulky camera with one and aiming the flash with the other hand. We managed to do that but sometimes uneven lighting across the field of view became problamatic.

Next came what was called the "shadowless bracket"- well it negated the shadows in the background and provided some depth of lighting and modeling. Still a bit flat but somewhat improved handling and results.

So...in my own case, I have used this kinda bracket since 1962. I first made one of my own and have used this basic configuration to this day BUT here's my caveat. In most cases on weddings, many kinds of event coverage and press work, the on-camera light is my FILL source and I always work with a least one off-camera slave. That off-came light can be used in dozens of ways in both direct and bounce methodologies. As a direct light source, it can be placed anywhere from 20 to 135 degrees off the camera/subject axis. It can also be used to extend the coverage of the on-camera light.

I can expose for the off-camera light and control the lighting ratio by variation of the power setting of the on-camera light. I can create a vast range of raitos by maintaining exposure for the off-camera light and setting the camera to light at full power, or 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 power settings and go to an effective 1/16 by going to bounce or bare bulb on the camera light.

If all else fails and I am in a hurry, I use the "Shapiro Flash Valve- well, I just place my hand over the on-camera light and let a little light slip through my fingers.

I usually work with at least one assistant who mans the off-camera light in a monopod- we work very quickly and nimbly as a team, At very large venues, like grand ballrooms, I have several lights on stands at strategic locations in the room. I place them out of the way in low-trafficed areas and trigger them by radio.

At out-of-doors shoots, the on-camera flash on the bracket makes for a perfect fill source with infinite ratio control.

Atop the bracket is a tilt or swivel head so I can easily bounce. I have Speedlights but my usual portable flash units are multiple shoulder-carried power pack units with heads with interchangeable reflectors and user-changeable flash tubes. They pack over 200 watt. seconds, provide hundreds of flashes per charge, recycle rapidly, and can be used in Manual, Auto, or TTL modes. I use Lumadyne gear and planning to try a few Flashpoint units.

I am not a big fan of hot-shoe mounting so I have taken to use my Speedlight on a bracket as well with the aid of a hot-shoe connector cord to synch and integrate the flash with the TTL system.

I too am not in the business of impressing other photographers with my gear. As one of the car manufacturers used to say- customer satisfaction is JOB ONE! Some of the new shooters say my flash gear is old school. Little do they know it is still manufactured and in use by many experienced photographers. The only disadvantage is that after over 50 years of hauling around those power packs, I have one shoulder lower than other. My doctor and the guy that makes my suits concur on that diagnosis. I ain't a fancy dresser but I have custom made suits for shooting weddings with large reinforced pockets for gear. I have them made of ladies black suiting material- it's light in weight for hot days. And two pairs of pants- after 25 weddings my pants are rags.

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Aug 6, 2020 15:24:53   #
BermBuster Loc: Hi Desert S.Cal
 
Nice examples!
That's a very impressive -classy flash shot Thomas!
I do like fill flash, prefer to set power manually, but with camera bracket, fast moving, I'm starting to play with ttl. The quantum flash is the best I've used so far( ttl). But, it is awkward.
I'm wondering if there is a small bulb flash I could mount on the bracket.. Have the main unit and power pack on hip?
I gotta get a custom set up, before I have to start getting custom clothes made also :)
Thanks again! Excellent advise!

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Aug 6, 2020 16:14:13   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
BermBuster wrote:
Nice examples!
That's a very impressive -classy flash shot Thomas!
I do like fill flash, prefer to set power manually, but with camera bracket, fast moving, I'm starting to play with ttl. The quantum flash is the best I've used so far( ttl). But, it is awkward.
I'm wondering if there is a small bulb flash I could mount on the bracket.. Have the main unit and power pack on hip?
I gotta get a custom set up, before I have to start getting custom clothes made also :)
Thanks again! Excellent advise!
Nice examples! br That's a very impressive -clas... (show quote)


This is a very nice power pack unit with interchangeable reflectors, user changable flash tubes and bare bulb operation when required.

I also use and recommend the Lumadyne flash gear Theses are extremely powerful well-made domestically manufacturers units.







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Aug 6, 2020 16:51:52   #
BermBuster Loc: Hi Desert S.Cal
 
Thanks ED!
that last pic really has my attention :)

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