Many people, when approached to be photographed, recoil at the mere thought. They believe that some people are photogenic, and some are not. While it is true that some people have an easier time taking a good photo, there is nothing to prevent anyone from enjoying the photographic process and finding several images that they love. There are several “secrets” that industry professionals know that make an “okay” subject into a “wow”. This is the first in what will be a periodic series exploring how to do what it takes to end up loving your photos. We’ll start at the top with makeup.
If you are going to be photographed, be it for a wedding, a portrait, or at an event, wear makeup! Men, a little loose powder over areas that have a tendency to get shiny can do wonders for you. If you have a fear of seeming too feminine by wearing makeup, go with some loose talcum or baby powder. Remember, your professional photographer can re-touch your images, but there is only so much re-touching that can be done before the skin looks…well, strange and made-up!

There are some women who simply never wear makeup. This is, of course, a personal choice. While the reflection in the mirror may be perfectly pleasing to you, the image revealed by the camera may not. The flash of the camera can expose shine, accentuate discoloration of the skin, and deepen the look of dark circles under the eyes. By utilizing makeup, the subject can hide these flaws, and accentuate their best features for posterity.

Even women who are used to wearing makeup may not be content with the results of their “everyday” look in photographs. Many women use a little concealer, mascara and blush for their street makeup. This often looks great in face-to-face communication, but does not translate well in photographs. Shine is a big problem with this type of makeup, there is nothing to absorb excess oil on the skin, and this reflects sunlight and/or the light from a flash unit. Mascara alone does not provide much definition to the eyes. This is particularly important for those with lighter lashes to keep in mind. From any sort of distance, the lashes (even with mascara) will blend into the features of the face, almost as if there was no mascara applied at all. With the way that light hits the face; the cheekbones are one of the farthest protruding elements. In order to get enough light in the eyes, it is necessary to put a little too much light on the cheeks. When wearing street makeup, the small amount of blusher applied is drained away by this extra light and leaves the subject looking like they have no makeup on at all.

Oftentimes, even women who recognize the need for specialized makeup for photography just miss the mark. Applying foundation all over the face is a terrific way of evening out the skin tone. Without setting it with powder, there is not only nothing to absorb natural oils, but there is the addition of moisturizers or oils within the makeup that can lead to excess shine. Applying eyeliner and mascara can really help to define the shape of the eyes, crucial for full-length or distance shots. The effect is limited if no eye shadow is used and if the eyebrows are left without any attention.

In a fully photo-ready face, the makeup looks natural but really enhances the natural beauty and emphasizes the best features on the subject’s face. Foundation applied in a color slightly darker than the skin tone helps to keep the skin from getting “washed out” with the light. Setting the foundation with powder is crucial for making the foundation last longer and also reduces or eliminates the shine on the skin. Loose powder is best as pressed powder can contain extra oils…leading to shine! Filling in the eyebrows with an eyeliner that is slightly lighter than the hair will help the eyebrows to “read” in the photographs, will keep them looking clean and in perfect place, and can be used correctively to fill in any areas where the brows are thin. Various complementary shades of eye shadow contour the eye lid, with white shadow used on the inside corners of the eyes to bring brightness to the eye. Eyeliner is used to not just delineate the eye, but smudged into the lash line to give the lashes the appearance of extra fullness. Mascara accentuates the lashes, with care used to avoid the “clumpy” look by using one well applied coat, rather than many coats. Finally, lip gloss and blush (applied to the apples of the cheeks) complete the look. Blush should be applied about 30% stronger than “normal”. As the flash bounces off the face, the blush will be drained away…leaving a photograph where the proper amount of color appears on the cheeks.
Certainly, there are times where a subject goes overboard. Keeping the makeup clean, classic and natural produces images of enduring beauty. Children, in particular, photograph best with little to no makeup. It can be a fun experience for them to be “made-up” with gloss and some blush just like the adults, but more than that can be very off-putting. Practice with the makeup techniques that best accentuate each person’s face is important. Checking the overall look with some test shots will help the subject to see how the end result will translate in photographs. Glitter may seem a great idea in concept, but it often looks like sweat on the skin and dandruff in the hair. With makeup that is simple in design and perfect in execution, you are sure to love your photos!