For your photo session, of course you want to look your best, but it can be hard to anticipate the way you will look on camera. And of course there are two things we want to avoid: going to your viewing session and thinking, “I really look like that?!?” or seeing your pictures in five years and saying, “What was I thinking???” And while clothes are critical, your makeup choices are even more important, especially for any close-up portraits. But never fear, here are some easy dos and don’ts that will have you looking fabulous!
Do…
1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! No amount of photo editing can fake healthy skin, and the least “correctable” skin issue for me as a photographer is parched-looking skin and lips. I can zap out blemishes and soften a line, but dewy skin tends to read well on camera. A simple moisturizer (no sunscreen) and lip balm applied before the rest of your makeup can do wonders.
2. Go natural. A little makeup can enhance your features a lot, but you also want your photos to look like you. Also, while that latest bright coral lipstick for spring may have looked awesome last night on American Idol on J. Lo, in five years an ultra-trendy color may look dated. Go for “you-but-better” shades on your lips and cheeks. If you are unsure what blush would flatter you, find something that matches your cheeks if you give them a pinch, or the shade that matches your natural flush. And for lips, a gloss or lipstick is fine, but choose a shade that is within a step or two of your natural lip color (either lighter or darker) rather than something drastically different from your natural shade.
3. Groom your nails. Your hands may appear in some shots, especially if you are doing a newborn shoot (because you will be holding the baby for much of the shoot) or a couples shoot. You don’t need to polish, but nicely groomed nails are a must. And if you do opt for polish, again choose a natural shade. This will look more timeless, and if the picture is turned to black and white, you won’t look like you have dark smudges at your fingertips.
Don’t…
1. Wear mineral makeup. I know, I know, you may be a diehard mineral makeup fan, and it’s not that I don’t think they have great products. But the very minerals that protect your skin–particularly the sunscreen ingredients of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide–cause light to reflect back at the camera and can make your skin tone appear lighter in print than it does in real life. It makes sense if you think about it; these sunscreens work by bouncing sun rays back off your skin, but unfortunately the same thing happens on camera. I’ve had one or two clients wonder why their skin appeared lighter in their pictures, and mineral makeup was to blame. Beware of any products with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide for your photo shoots.
2. Look like an Oompa Loompa. I’d prefer you avoid self-tanner altogether, and if you must indulge please do not go tanning or spray-tanning the day before your shoot. Both traditional tanning and spray-tans can cause your skin to look unnatural and even burnt, and that is the last thing you want in your timeless photos! A better choice is to just do a touch of powder bronzer on your face in the areas that would naturally get “sunkissed” after a few hours in the sun: the cheeks, jawline, and a touch across the bridge of the nose (think of where people get freckles)… but again, a little goes a long way. And really, we live in Washington. Nobody is expecting you to look like you just got back from a Hawaiian vacation.
3. Go matchy-matchy. Just as matchy-matchy clothes can look a bit contrived, resist the urge to match your lips, blush, eyeshadow, and nails. Just say no (see note above about natural shades).
Bonus Tip!
A little mascara and eyeliner go a long way to really making a woman’s eyes stand out. My absolute favorite mascara for no streaking and smudging is Bobbi Brown’s Perfectly Defined mascara. If you are a photographer, you *need* this mascara. After getting frustrated at smudgy mascara caused by pressing my eye against the viewfinder, I stumbled on this mascara. What a lifesaver! And if you are not a photographer, it will still stand up beautifully to crying or eye watering (warning: my clients are known to get emotional during our photo shoots!).