Liz Tron Azi's make-up is picture perfect.
In April, I talked a little bit about make up for the stage. Today, I am going to talk a little bit about makeup for a photo shoot.
The number one thing you need to remember about makeup for photo shoots is that the camera never captures makeup and color in quite as much vibrancy as is visible in real life. Therefore, it is very important that you apply more makeup for photo shoots than you would for going out and looking nice in real life. Even if you want a subtle makeup look in your photos, you still need to really exaggerate the makeup you’re applying, because it will not show up as strong through the camera. Light bouncing off of makeup changes the way it looks, and makes it look less dramatic than it really is, and we are always using light during a photo shoot, whether it is natural or artificial light.
The best light to apply makeup under for photography is natural light, because it if the makeup looks good in natural light, it will look nice in almost any other light. Most electronic flash/strobe light is close in color temperature to the color temperature of average natural daylight. Therefore, if you will be shooting with electronic flash in a studio setup or outdoors, your best option is to use natural light to apply the makeup for the photo shoot.
However, if you must apply your makeup under artificial lighting, keep the following information in mind:
Fluorescent lighting will make skin look very pale and washed out. It gives off a green colorcast, which can make a subject look almost ill. Avoid this lighting for applying the makeup if you can. Additionally, fluorescent light bulbs can have several different color temperatures, depending on the type of bulb, and even one particular bulb can vary in the intensity and color of light it gives off from moment to moment. It is hard to judge the true look of makeup under these conditions; so fluorescent lighting should be avoided.
Incandescent lighting (a regular, old-fashioned household light bulb), gives off a much lower color temperature than natural and electronic flash light. The light will be a warm yellow light. This is actually very flattering to most skin, because it doesn’t allow for detailed clarity of any flaws. However, you want to see all the flaws during the application process, since you need to cover them up and blend them in well for the photographs.
Always start with a base of both moisturizer and primer, so that all of the other makeup will go on as smooth as possible, and reduces editing needed to hide wrinkles or imperfections.
All products you use should be matte to avoid adding any shine to the face. The possible exception is lip color, since a bit of shine on the lips can make lips look more full in a photograph. Additionally, avoid using products with SPF for photo shoots, since the ingredients can often make the face look shinier in images.
At minimum, make sure you keep the concealer, powder, lip color and/or lip gloss handy during the photo shoot for touchups. If you are working with flash and studio lighting, you will need to touch up the makeup more often, because the lights will be warm and can make the makeup start to melt or slip slightly. You will definitely need to reapply powder to ensure your face does not appear shiny at any time.
The number one thing you need to remember about makeup for photo shoots is that the camera never captures makeup and color in quite as much vibrancy as is visible in real life. Therefore, it is very important that you apply more makeup for photo shoots than you would for going out and looking nice in real life. Even if you want a subtle makeup look in your photos, you still need to really exaggerate the makeup you’re applying, because it will not show up as strong through the camera. Light bouncing off of makeup changes the way it looks, and makes it look less dramatic than it really is, and we are always using light during a photo shoot, whether it is natural or artificial light.
The best light to apply makeup under for photography is natural light, because it if the makeup looks good in natural light, it will look nice in almost any other light. Most electronic flash/strobe light is close in color temperature to the color temperature of average natural daylight. Therefore, if you will be shooting with electronic flash in a studio setup or outdoors, your best option is to use natural light to apply the makeup for the photo shoot.
However, if you must apply your makeup under artificial lighting, keep the following information in mind:
Fluorescent lighting will make skin look very pale and washed out. It gives off a green colorcast, which can make a subject look almost ill. Avoid this lighting for applying the makeup if you can. Additionally, fluorescent light bulbs can have several different color temperatures, depending on the type of bulb, and even one particular bulb can vary in the intensity and color of light it gives off from moment to moment. It is hard to judge the true look of makeup under these conditions; so fluorescent lighting should be avoided.
Incandescent lighting (a regular, old-fashioned household light bulb), gives off a much lower color temperature than natural and electronic flash light. The light will be a warm yellow light. This is actually very flattering to most skin, because it doesn’t allow for detailed clarity of any flaws. However, you want to see all the flaws during the application process, since you need to cover them up and blend them in well for the photographs.
Always start with a base of both moisturizer and primer, so that all of the other makeup will go on as smooth as possible, and reduces editing needed to hide wrinkles or imperfections.
All products you use should be matte to avoid adding any shine to the face. The possible exception is lip color, since a bit of shine on the lips can make lips look more full in a photograph. Additionally, avoid using products with SPF for photo shoots, since the ingredients can often make the face look shinier in images.
At minimum, make sure you keep the concealer, powder, lip color and/or lip gloss handy during the photo shoot for touchups. If you are working with flash and studio lighting, you will need to touch up the makeup more often, because the lights will be warm and can make the makeup start to melt or slip slightly. You will definitely need to reapply powder to ensure your face does not appear shiny at any time.
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