Cosmetics can play a powerful role in portrait photography. Discover behind-the-scenes tips from these pro photographers and bring out the beauty of every model.
Great makeup can make a photograph. Just think of Barry Lategan’s Twiggy and her unforgettable eyelashes, Mario Testino’s shot of Kate Moss all done up in face paint, or even that bright red lipstick in Bee by Irving Penn. In the hands of a skilled photographer, the right look can become iconic.
We reached out to eight photographers from around the world to see how they use makeup to get the most out of their shots. While some of them are makeup artists themselves, others are well-versed in the art of collaborating with larger teams. Read on to learn more about their unique perspectives and gain invaluable insight into the process of creating makeup looks for studio portraits.
1. “Collect inspiring pictures. These references will be helpful when you’re thinking of your own photo shoots.”
Olga Ekaterincheva
Image by Olga Ekaterincheva. Gear: Canon EOS Mark II camera, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens. Settings: Exposure 1/160 sec; f65; ISO 100.
What’s the story behind this photo?
I’m a photographer and makeup artist, so I do the makeup for all of my photos. I also teach makeup and write about makeup a lot, and this picture is part of a project for my blog. It was about how eyebrow shapes have changed through the second half of 20th century until today.
This is the look from the early ’80s, the craziest and boldest time ever—wild eyebrows, insane blushes, bright colors, pearly lips, glitter and crystals, silver and gold, spandex and shoulder pads, sex & drugs & rock-n-roll like nobody’s watching—and don’t forget, tons of hairspray. The image is fully charged with disco vibes as a result.
Of course, I have to mention my favorite model, my muse, the lady with a thousand faces. We did the whole eyebrow series on her face, and she was authentic in all of the looks. The photo shoot lasted for about ten hours, and we did seven looks; the whole team consisted of two people—the makeup, hair, and photography were on me, and the clothes, patience, and everlasting enthusiasm were on the model.
[sstk-mosaic]
Pro Tip
I don’t see much point in changing lenses during a beauty photo shoot. I use simple lighting—one flash and a white reflector, most often. Capturing the model’s personality is more important to me than playing with equipment. Don’t hesitate to communicate with your models. Ask their opinions. Models are not just beautiful dolls; talk to them, and make them part of the process. This will help you to avoid taking another plastic beauty photo and instead create a beauty photo with character.
In terms of the makeup itself, there are three proven best-selling looks: smokey eye makeup, winged eye makeup, and varieties of nude makeup. Boring maybe, but these look good on most faces and will fit any concept. The simplest look is often the coolest.
Collect inspiring pictures. These references will be helpful when you’re thinking of your own photo shoots. It’s not about stealing or copying; it’s about learning. Making mood boards that you can share with other team members will also help you to not waste time. Good planning is key. Plan everything: makeup and hair, clothes, any other stuff you may need (flowers, tissues, jewels, candies, insects, etc.), and location and time, of course. You have to have a precise shooting plan to serve as a firm base for the creative process. And last but not least—love and passion make miracles.
2. “In my opinion, it’s always best to have a good team working on photo shoots.”
Svetography
Image by Svetography. Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Settings: Focal length 180.0 mm; exposure 1/160 sec; f13; ISO 100.
What’s the story behind this photo?
This is one of the photos from my “Winter Queen” series. We wanted to make something beautiful for winter, so I made a mood board and invited several people to work with me on this shoot. There was a MUA/hairdresser who did the makeup and hairstyle, an accessory designer who made the earrings and the crown, a clothes designer who sewed the outfit, a nail artist, and finally our beautiful model. So there were six people including me working on this shoot, and the result is awesome. There’s no doubt about it. I couldn’t have made something like this without my team.
Image by Svetography.
Pro Tip
In my opinion, it’s always best to have a good team working on photo shoots. For me, the main rule is “If possible, everything should be done during the process of shooting, not afterward.” It simplifies the job and makes it more pleasant for everyone.
Find your makeup artists—people who will understand your vision and who will do their job without you supervising them every minute. A professional MUA will do their best to ensure that the final photograph shows off their work, not just a retoucher’s work. When inviting a new MUA to collaborate, look carefully at their portfolio and also ask for un-retouched images.
Ask your MUA to assist you while shooting so they can see if something goes wrong on the model’s face. A MUA can easily fix everything in the process, saving you hours of work on retouching. Studio makeup should be bright enough to be visible when using flash lights, and this type of makeup must be done carefully—you cannot hide anything from the camera. Some makeup mistakes that are not noticeable in real life will definitely be visible in a photo, especially if it’s a closeup image.
Ask your MUA to make a mood board or make it yourself so that you have a visual reference for the result you are going for. This will prevent misunderstandings between your team members and any possible mistakes.
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website
3. “Meet your chosen model for a test shoot first, and find her strongest angles.”
Tanya Prykhodko
Image by Tanya Prykhodko. Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera, Canon EF 100 macro f/2,8 L IS lens. Settings: Exposure 1/160 sec; f9; ISO 100.
What’s the story behind this photo?
I did this series in Dubai, UAE, where I worked with one of the best Middle Eastern makeup artists, Dimple Dhakan (@makeupbydimple on Instagram). Our idea was to showcase a Bollywood Indian bridal look in a modern way. For this shoot, I used a stunning model and a lot of traditional accessories. The shoot took place in my living room (it was too expensive to rent a studio in Dubai), and I used rented studio lights (a beauty dish, two softboxes for a fill light, and one background light).
Image by Tanya Prykhodko.
Pro Tip
Be original! Work on a concept, create mood boards with your ideas, search for interesting elements, and always try different angles and expressions with your model. Personally, I love to work with makeup from different cultures, so I always buy clothes and accessories when I travel to a new country.
Find a dream team! It’s almost impossible to get a perfect beauty image without a good makeup artist and hairstylist. Share your mood boards with your team to give them an idea of the concept, and give them time to prepare. You will need them to style your model not only before the shoot but also during the shoot to fix stray hairs, smudged lipstick, or any other flaws. Preparation is key for any good makeup image. I always try to get it right in camera and avoid thoughts like, “I will fix it in Photoshop later.”
Be selective with your models. For makeup shoots, models should have flawless skin and healthy hair, both of which will save you a lot of time on post-production. Meet your chosen model for a test shoot first, and find her strongest angles. This will also give you time to replace her if you feel like she is not the right fit for the concept you have in mind. There are three things I always discuss with my models before shooting:
1. She should show up to the shoot with clear or nude nail polish.
2. She should remove all unwanted hair that could be visible in the photo (upper lip, brows, and hands are my biggest concern).
3. She should come with clean hair.
4. “I work as a team with a makeup artist, a hair stylist, and sometimes a stylist.”
Shtennikova Evgenia
Image by Shtennikova Evgenia. Gear: Canon EOS 550D camera, Canon EF 50mm f / 1.8 II lens. Settings: Exposure 1/200 sec; f5.6; ISO 100.
What’s the story behind this photo?
I was attracted to shooting at long shutter speeds, which can give the frame a sense of dynamics. Here, I completely trusted the makeup artist. She took pigments, put them on the model’s face, and sprinkled her with glitter. We starting shooting. The usual portrait plate was used as a light source, without a reflector and additional sources.
I love this shot for the simplicity of the retouching. Filling in empty spots with color is easier than retouching the natural skin of a model. The final stage was the blurring of those bright particles of makeup to create the sensation of movement. And after everything, our space nymph was ready!
[sstk-mosaic-2]
Pro Tip
I work as a team with a makeup artist, a hair stylist, and sometimes a stylist. These are usually people with whom I have already worked, so I know that they will complement my ideas with their ideas and their professional skills. So my advice is to carefully select a team of artists who complement you. I also advise photographers to follow along with the makeup application and to know the basics of makeup. Feel free to correct the makeup artists if something does not suit you.
5. “Never be afraid of new creative ideas, bright colors, and experiments.”
ldutko
Image by ldutko. Gear: Canon EOS 70D camera, Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro lens. Settings: Focal length 100mm; exposure 1/125 sec; f13; ISO 160.
What’s the story behind this photo?
I love shooting details, and extreme close-ups inspire me. I feel like they show the kind of beauty that people usually don’t have the chance to notice. That’s why I sometimes shoot portraits with a macro lens. I just need to get a few steps closer to my model to catch the perfection of the details.
Image by ldutko.
Pro Tip
The best advice I could give to photographers is to find your team. Find people who understand and inspire you and who are easy and pleasant to work with. Never be afraid of new creative ideas, bright colors, and experiments. It’s good to know the basics of makeup. This will help you to communicate more clearly with your makeup artist about what exactly you’d like. For photographers, it’s not always the best idea to do the makeup for photo shoots yourself. It takes a lot of time and effort to do creative makeup, especially if you have several models.
6. “I use light schemes that emphasize the beauty and the details of the makeup.”
veryulissa
Image by veryulissa. Gear: Canon 5D MARK II camera, Canon 24-105mm f/4l IS USM lens. Settings: Focal length 105mm; exposure 1/125 sec; f8; ISO 100.
What’s the story behind this photo?
Graphic makeup was the big new trend two years ago, and the makeup artist was happy to realize my idea for this project. The hairstylist contributed to the effect by making a creative hairstyle for this futuristic portrait.
Image by veryulissa.
Pro Tip
Any makeup used for studio shoots should be of the highest possible quality. For beauty portraits, I usually only collaborate with professional makeup artists whom I trust, and I think that the majority of the work must be done before the shoot itself. The model has to care about her skin and get enough sleep prior to the day of the shoot, and the makeup artist has to remove any imperfections using high-quality makeup. I use light schemes that emphasize the beauty and the details of the makeup.
The whole team is important! In general, we’ll all think about the image together prior to the shoot so that the model, the makeup, the hairstyle, the accessories, the light, and the post-production all look consistent. Not all skin imperfections and makeup mistakes can be removed in post-production, and I try to keep the skin natural, so I use two retouching techniques: dodge & burn and frequency separation.
7. “For any photo session, you should make the makeup more visible than everyday makeup.”
Arthur-studio10
Image by Arthur-studio10. Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera, Canon 85 mm f/1.2 lens. Settings: Exposure 1/160 sec; f/11; ISO 100.
What’s the story behind this photo?
For this session, we wanted to create something different: a strong makeup look, a simple position, and a beautiful model.
[sstk-mosaic-3]
Pro Tip
Good makeup is having what you want. I prefer glowy skin and natural eyebrows, and the rest depends on the session, the makeup artist, or the model. Sometimes the best route is dark lips and long eyelashes, and other times, a natural look is better.
For any photo session, you should make the makeup more visible than everyday makeup. You should also have a plan for what you want to do. Trends change all the time; what is not fashionable today may be a hit tomorrow. When I plan on shooting a close frame, I want to capture something different, without any rules—a vision that could only come from me and the makeup artist.
Instagram | Facebook | Website
8. “The image should emphasize the natural beauty of a model and comply with current fashion trends at the same time.”
Daria_Cherry
Image by Daria_Cherry. Gear: Canon 6D camera, Canon 85 1.8 lens. Settings: Exposure 1/160 sec; f4.5; ISO 160.
What’s the story behind this photo?
In the case of this beauty portrait, I used three softboxes and one reflector. I like how this light scheme creates volume on the face and hair.
Image by Daria_Cherry.
Pro Tip
On photo shoots, I tend to work with professional makeup artists and hairstylists. It is essential that they see and understand the difference between a beautiful image and bad taste. The image should emphasize the natural beauty of a model and comply with current fashion trends at the same time. For me, it is important that we highlight a model’s personality, even when demonstrating the makeup and hairstyle. When choosing a makeup artist for a shoot, I always evaluate their portfolio to be sure they will cope with the task properly.
Top image by Svetography.
