Deconstructing the Photo-Part 2: Hair, Make-Up and Wardrobe

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The second part of the "Deconstructing the Photo" series takes us to hair, make-up and wardrobe. In order for a commercial, lifestyle, or fashion shoot to be successful, many times, you need to have a hair and make-up artist on set. The hair and make-up artist will use his or her talents to make your models look and feel their best on set. Good hair and make-up can make or break a photo shoot. You want to have a make-up artist that really is familiar with working on a photo or shoot and is comfortable working under the higher stress levels and is able to perform well under time constraints.

Before the shoot, you want to talk to all parties involved about final shoot product expectations. You need to have the lighting, the hair and make-up, and the wardrobe running smoothly and complementing the shoot product. If, for example, the lighting does not match the mood of the wardrobe and make-up, the shoot could fall apart before you take the first picture.
Defining concepts with the client and others involved in the shoot is equally important. You want to make sure that all of your terms are defined. For example, if you say that you are doing a beauty shoot, you need to make sure that everyone involved has the same understanding of the "beauty" concept. One of the simplest ways to do this is to show everyone some pictures that you consider to be in that style.

The best way to find make up artist is though referral from other photographers in your area. If you like the look of a photo, don't be afraid to ask the photographer who they used for make-up. When booking a make-up artist, it is important you find one that is not only good at their craft, but also reliable in terms of client relations. For example, I recently did a test shoot with a model and a make-up artist. The day of the shoot, the model was running a little late due to traffic, and my make-up artist decided to bail on me. I was left with a second shooter and a photo assistant, and neither of them could do make-up. Luckily, the model had brought her own make up and is an excellent make up artist in her own right. She was also able to do her own hair, as well. Lesson learned: be ready to trouble shoot in case of the unexpected.

It is important to plan the shoot's wardrobe, as well. Will it be inspired by the hair and make-up or will the hair and make-up inspire the clothing look? Either way, make sure the look works together. For this shoot's wardrobe, I had a "GQ" look in mind. I wanted a gray seemless with a nice, clean look with a pop of color and light. I asked the model to bring many clothing options that she felt met this look, and we ended up choosing this yellow shirt. I had her do a clean, fresh make-up look and a simple hairstyle.

In the next article on "Deconstructing the Photo", I'll cover lighting.

It still works

Tweet The other day some one at the studio I work at had a slight mishap with an Alien Bee 400. The strobe fell to the ground. The case to the strobe cracked and also the mount. Amazingly enough the strobe still functions perfectly.


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The Dangers of a PhotoShoot

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Sometimes you have to break the rules. Danger Do Not Stand At or above this level. You can loose your balance.


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Deconstructing the Photo-Part 1: Production

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Back in May, I had a great shoot with Brittani Riggin pictured at left. The photo is one of the many good frames from the shoot. It also is a photo that will give me an opportunity to detail the flow of a photo shoot. This is the first post in a series that will deconstruct the work that went into making this photograph. The series will be broken down into three parts: Part 1: Production, Part 2: Hair Make-Up and Wardrobe, and Part 3: Lighting and Photography.

New photographers often struggle with finding models that are willing to work with them and that they will be comftorable with. This is a shoot that was done to help me work on my portfolio, so, unlike some professional photo shoots, I had to find my own model.

Finding a model for this shoot was pretty easy. The best place to look for a model is to scroll though your contact list and find someone that has a style that you want to shoot. I found Brittani though a friend, who is also a photographer and wanted to shoot her, too.

Now that we had our model, we had to decide on a location. The choice of location is critical to the outcome of a shoot. We chose to shoot in the studio on a grey seemless. For the look that we were after, it was the best option. Be sure that you have a location secured well before the shoot is going to take place.

The next step was getting a make-up artist lined up. A great way to search for make-up artists is through referrals from other photographers. The make-up artist for this shoot was one that had recently contacted me to test. Some make-up artists will require a testing fee, but some (like the one used on this shoot) volunteered her services.

Before the shoot, make sure you have all the photography gear and/or supplies you will need on set. For example, for this shoot, I had to buy a new roll of grey seamless and rent a light and an octobox.

Have food and drinks on set for the models and others. If the shoot will stretch an extended period of time, be prepared to have someone go get a meal or have one delivered.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, have a photo assistant on set at all times. A photo assistant is one of the most valuable people on set. The photo assistant is responsible for moving lights, adjusting power, cleaning up the set, and keeping everything flowing smoothly throughout the shoot. Make sure this is someone who understands lighting and with whom you work well.

Now that you have your pre-production done, it's time to create the model's look. In the next post, we will cover hair, make-up and wardrobe.

Welcome

Tweet I am proud to say that I have finally gotten my blog off the ground. A big thank you to Michael Gomez for getting my blog linked into my website! Visit Michael's website at www.gomezphotography.com

This blog will be about my career as a professional photographer and about photography in general.

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