Shoot with Blakeley Shea
Shoot with Jennifer
Shoot with Jennifer in the Bahamas for the Travel Channel
The Necessity of a Makeup Artist
Camera – Check!
Lighting – Check!
Model – Check!
Location – Check!
Checklist complete? No. One of the most important parts of a photoshoot is the makeup artist, often referred to as an MUA. Without a makeup artist a shoot can still be a “good” shoot. If “good” is your goal then you might be ok without one. A fantastic shoot needs a great MUA.
A bad photographer can get lucky and shoot something good. A bad model can be made to look amazing by a makeup artist. Bad makeup can’t be overcome. A great makeup artist makes everyone look so much better. Working without a makeup artist on a critical shoot is like going to a surgeon without the anesthesiologist. The results can be pretty painful.
Many times inexperienced models won’t like what a makeup artist does. “I don’t look like me!” I want to reply with “I really don’t care. I am not trying to make you look like you. I am trying to make you look better!” A model’s job is to model the clothing, makeup and style set aside for them. In Europe models are called mannequins because they are something to hang clothes on to make the fashion look good. This may sound cold, but it truly isn’t. The model is already chosen because they are the current “ideal”. It is their job to model what is given to them in the best possible way. It is the photographer’s job to capture the image in the best light. The makeup artist is an enabler. They enable the parties to perform at peak while the shoot is happening.
It is important that a photographer supports the makeup artist on the shoot. Photographers many times are willing to back down and pander to the pretty model allowing the final result to suffer. If you are on the same page with the makeup artist before they start then it is up to the model to get on board. The model does not get get to choose the lighting. It isn’t their job. Why would it be ok for a model to choose the makeup style?
Backing the work of your makeup artist does not mean that you can’t suggest changes to the makeup. How you do this is a key. You can look at a makeup artist’s work and make constructive suggestions in a positive way. “That looks great! Let’s go darker with the lips.” Don’t say, “Those lips aren’t what I am looking for at all.”
Your makeup artist is on your team and they can be a fantastic resource as well. My favorite catalog shoot that I have ever done came as a direct result of a makeup artist’s referral. Establishing a great relationship with a makeup artist or two is very important for your business as well as for your creativity.
Not all makeup artists are good makeup artists. Even if their makeup skills are great they may be a bad makeup artist. How many times have I run into makeup artists that radically slow down a shoot because they are more interested in chatting away than completing the job? The model sits in the chair and the Jerry Springer show begins as the makeup artist and model begin complaining about boyfriends, jobs or whatever. A good makeup artist has the same goal as you – the final image. The counseling and whining can be done elsewhere. A good MUA sees a shoot a shoot as a job and not as a social opportunity. They do the shoot, clean their brushes and kit quickly and leave.
Also, sometimes makeup artist hit a stage in their career where they become too opinionated and get too involved in a shoot. Their assistance is nice, but the shoot is the photographer’s responsibility and the photographer can’t lose control of the set. If the makeup artist wants to take over a shoot they need to purchase their own camera and change careers. Everyone has a job to do. Stick to it!
One more issue is a key. If a makeup artist’s kit is not clean, appears disorganized and messy it is a poor reflection on their cleanliness in general. Who wants makeup put on by someone that is not clean? Are the brushes as nasty as their kit? “Is that pink eye shadow going to give me pink eye?”
I am very loyal to makeup artists that show loyalty. I don’t expect them to only work with me, but I expect them to show up on time and act professionally, like everyone else on set. Showing up on time and readying a studio, having the model show up on time only to have to wait on a makeup artist is not a good thing. They should be there on time, unpacked, set up and ready to go when the model arrives. How late woud you be to a regular day job? This IS a job. It can be fun, but it is a job.
If you find a makeup artist that you can truly become a team with you have a true leg up on the competition. Your work will be better because in so many ways the makeup artist is the most important person on the set. The model’s weaknesses and your weaknesses can be covered up by a quality MUA. They make over more than just the model. They can cover up the flaws of a final image.
Complete your set. Complete your shoot. Take the time to use a quality makeup artist.
Shoot with Heather
Shoot with Heather in the Bahamas for the Travel Channel Special UnDiscovered
Marlee in Studio
Behind the Scenes at the Honey Shoot
Behind the Scenes with Asheigh Dunn and the Honey Shoot – 50 Gallons of Honey
Shoot with Mai in Curacao
Shoot With Lacy in the Bahamas
Shot for the Travel Channel show UnDiscoverer
Not A”muse”d
Since the first drop of paint dripped from a brush or the first spot of clay dried on a sculptor’s hand, the muse has been a part of our world. I am sure that some cave drawings can be found where the artist tended to use the same subject repeatedly because that subject provided inspiration.
What is a muse? A muse is the source of an artist’s inspiration. An artist often falls in love with their muse because they are so deeply moved by that subject. What I want to discuss is what part of the artist is deeply moved by a muse.
I have come across many photographers that seemingly fall head over heels for so many of the models that they work with. They gush about how the latest model is just so stunning and unbelievable. They are perfect in so many ways. “You just won’t believe how perfect.”
Really?
Most of the time that model is deeply moving a part of that photographer, but it is rarely the seat of creativity that is stimulated. A muse is not merely a source of physical arousal. A muse stirs within an artist something new and something far deeper than anything found in their trousers. A new world of images and visions flood the photographer’s creative heart when a muse is encountered. Muses are not something you run into often. I think THAT is the ultimate judge of whether you have found a muse. Do your images of that model make both you and others reevaluate your talent?
I can only name a few models that have honestly truly moved me to new heights of creativity. I can think of many models that had truly stunning beauty, but only a few that changed my talent simply by working with them. It isn’t easy to find a true muse. You tend to stumble into one and might not even recognize how special that subject is immediately. You might think, “Wow!” but you might not understand how your photography has changed right off the bat. It may take a second shoot where again you and others all see a marked, clear and obvious difference in your images. Your muse won’t just move you. Your muse will move others through your creativity.
I have been shooting for around twenty two years. If I were to count on my fingers the number of true muses that I have had in my life I would be left with one hand uncounted and a good part of the other hand also unused.
Long for a muse. They are special and they change your creative life. If you are familiar with my portfolio and can picture certain images, think about why those images come to mind. How many different models are there in those images?
It is clear to me that the most powerful creative tool you will ever have at your disposal is not a camera, a location or lighting. These things are all critical to great images. A true muse has no equal. When you do find that special muse you have found the reason that you shoot. You have come across inspiration and something that moves you into a new visual world. It can’t be faked, planned, manufactured or purchased. You can spend your life trying to emulate what you found in a particular muse and that is a wonderful part of photography, but when all is said and done value the special gift of a muse. Enjoy the new creative world where you can adventure. Nurture that relationship and glean from it every drop of creativity that you can.
Don’t think that falling for every model is the same thing. Aim higher. A muse is so much more.
Shoot with Lauren and Angela
Shot for the Travel Channel in Curacao