I’ve written here on Photofocus I’m a huge proponent of professional makeup for photographs of women whether they are high fashion, an actor’s headshot or an executive portrait. This is true for men too. Recently it was time to get a new headshot made. I sat in the chair of makeup artist Amy George before I stood in front of the lens of photographer Theresa Sicurezza.
Before & After
I’d asked Theresa to shoot some portraits of me without makeup and then with it. I explained that I wanted the same lighting for both photos so that the only difference would be Amy’s makeup.
Makeup makes the skin less tonally efficient–big words that mean shiny. The hotspots from the feathered medium soft box are almost gone in the version with makeup. It also helps minimize color differences. As skin ages, it develops spots and sometimes redness in some areas. On my before photograph on the left, there is a red line under my right eye and on the bridge of my nose. Makeup covers these distractions. Concealer, a lighter flesh colored cosmetic, is applied under my eyes to reduce the dark circles. Amy smoothed the texture of my skin. Her work makes retouching a whole lot easier and faster too.
During the Shoot
Amy stood while I was photographed. She would review the progress on the monitor as Theresa shot tethered to the computer. Periodically she would step in to make a small touch up.
Ageless
Makeup helps no matter what age the subject might be. On men, the makeup brush is, for the most part, a new experience. The soft brush applying cosmetic feels amazing as it plays over the face. It’s very relaxing. Makeup helps the subject transition from the hectic day to day into the relaxed atmosphere of the studio. In addition to forming the foundation of a great look for my clients, it relaxes them for the shoot. Portrait sessions work a lot better when the subject is calm and comfortable. Below are some of my portraits of men wearing makeup. As you see, age doesn’t matter.
A Last Word…
Kevin is a commercial photographer from Atlanta. He works for fashion, architectural, manufacturing and corporate clients. When he’s not shooting, he contributes to Photoshop User magazine & writes for Photofocus.com.
http://kevinamesphotography.com
https://facebook.com/KevinAmesPhotography
Most makeup looks cartoonish, but, it appears that you found a makeup artist whose results are extremely natural, healthy and comlimentary. Great!
You ought not advocate makeup for anyone in portraits unless you also describe the techniques used to keep it natural. Otherwise you end up advocating, in effect, absurdly cartoonish portraits.
Just go to any makeup counter in any major department store and you will see salespeople demonstrating wildly excessive and fake looking makeup. That is the norm.
Great point, Art!
I completely that the department store is not the place to get made up for photography. I work with professional MUAs who specialize in photography and motion. One of my regular MUAs name appeared in the credits for the latest Hunger Games movie Mockingjay Part 2. I urge photographers to find pro Make Up Artists who know what they are doing, hire them and I really believe the work will reflect the investment.
Thanks for commenting.
Uhm yeah, well… as much as I like this post, and as much as I agree that some make-up might be needed for some photos, I am not going to wear make-up ;) It can take my girlfriend over an hour to get ready to leave the house. I can do that in 15 minutes ;) Besides, the little imperfection of your skin are part of who you are. So I’ll rather show them ;) But for some shots (glamour, fashion, magazines…), it is absolutely needed! But make-up on the streets. No thank you! Great post, thanks for sharing and… Read more »
Hi Tieme,
Fair enough! I am absolutely not wearing makeup as part of my day to day routine, only for a portrait. I believe that the benefits of reducing the shininess of the skin is totally worth it. Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Kevin!
That saves you quite some time ;) And indeed, using make up in a portrait save you time in post processing!
Like you do, on TV all the people wear makeup to film them nicely while a bright spot light is focused on them. Looks better :)
But honesty, in the photos above, I appreciate the one with no makeup most. But that is personal taste! As, like said, they show you live :)
Happy Monday!
Cheers,
Tieme
Most makeup looks cartoonish, but, it appears that you found a makeup artist whose results are extremely natural, healthy and comlimentary. Great!
You ought not advocate makeup for anyone in portraits unless you also describe the techniques used to keep it natural. Otherwise you end up advocating, in effect, absurdly cartoonish portraits.
Just go to any makeup counter in any major department store and you will see salespeople demonstrating wildly excessive and fake looking makeup. That is the norm.
Great point, Art!
I completely that the department store is not the place to get made up for photography. I work with professional MUAs who specialize in photography and motion. One of my regular MUAs name appeared in the credits for the latest Hunger Games movie Mockingjay Part 2. I urge photographers to find pro Make Up Artists who know what they are doing, hire them and I really believe the work will reflect the investment.
Thanks for commenting.
Uhm yeah, well… as much as I like this post, and as much as I agree that some make-up might be needed for some photos, I am not going to wear make-up ;) It can take my girlfriend over an hour to get ready to leave the house. I can do that in 15 minutes ;) Besides, the little imperfection of your skin are part of who you are. So I’ll rather show them ;) But for some shots (glamour, fashion, magazines…), it is absolutely needed! But make-up on the streets. No thank you! Great post, thanks for sharing and… Read more »
Hi Tieme,
Fair enough! I am absolutely not wearing makeup as part of my day to day routine, only for a portrait. I believe that the benefits of reducing the shininess of the skin is totally worth it. Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Kevin!
That saves you quite some time ;) And indeed, using make up in a portrait save you time in post processing!
Like you do, on TV all the people wear makeup to film them nicely while a bright spot light is focused on them. Looks better :)
But honesty, in the photos above, I appreciate the one with no makeup most. But that is personal taste! As, like said, they show you live :)
Happy Monday!
Cheers,
Tieme