How to Plan the Perfect Beauty Photography Shoot
Hair and makeup have always been a passion of mine. Having originally trained as a makeup artist, it came as no surprise to me that when I picked up a camera that I was instantly drawn to the genre of beauty photography. Although it’s common that an unexpected photoshoot with little to no planning can yield amazing results, it is not always the case. With beauty photography, rocking up to the studio without a plan, research and the right creative team can pose a little bit of a problem.
We’re all guilty of it, upon first starting out we would be excited to have anyone on board that would agree to help create some images with you. From the model, through to the makeup artist, hair and even in some cases the retoucher. As time went on, as my eye developed and I began to work full time as a beauty photographer, this laissez faire attitude towards planning was diminished. To create truly great images, I needed to do something a little more than just showing up on the day.
I enlisted myself on a course at Conde Nast College in Creative Direction led by Ruth Marshall-Johnson. Although on a lot of jobs, a creative director is enlisted, it goes a long way being able to better understand the creative process and being able to work effectively in a team. Where I found it most helpful is better understanding my own personal projects and curating my style, ultimately being able to execute my beauty photography to a much higher standard. At Conde Nast College, we were taught how to utilise trend forecasting, the broader cultural context of the theme we are shooting, effectively storyboard, create stunning and cohesive mood boards, selecting the correct creative team, who we wanted and why they fit the brief. Lot’s of lengthy seminars, assignments and lectures, but what did I really take away from the course in terms of planning a beauty photography shoot?
Moodboard Example 1. Here I have compiled the first few references to build an idea of the direction I want the beauty shoot to go in. I will generally keep this private and until I have built upon my ideas.
Brief. What are we aiming for here, is it a portfolio shoot to showcase the models bone structure and beautiful skin texture enabling her to book more jobs through her modelling agency? Or are we showcasing a skincare brand’s new product or a sparkly new eyeshadow? The brief will determine everything that follows, even though generally speaking a beauty shoot is focused on the skin and usually features tight crop of a model face, the mood, team and final results can wildly vary based on what we are looking to capture. If it’s for a brand, you need to carefully research the brands tone and messaging, how they want to position themselves in the market and the target market they want to reach.
Mood Board Example 2. Identifying the light I would like to create and pulling together a number of images that portray the look I would like to create. In this case, it’s a hard light. So I will plan to use either a Parabolic umbrella in the focused position or a bare bulb strobe.
Moodboard. Idea’s and inspiration to visualise what we want the end product to be. Moodboards can be scraps of material, through to pictures, screenshots of movies, paint swatches or anything that inspires you in relation to what direction. How I would moodboard for my personal projects is as follows: Start collecting images that inspire you, saving them from Instagram, Tumblr, magazines or anywhere that inspires you (see example 1 below). Once I have done that, I look to lighting references. I imagine what sort of light fits my style and the look I would like to convey. I will use either canva.com or Pics Collage App on my iPhone. I would have my initial moodboard titled lighting references. Once I have done that, I will look to find around 10 images that convey the hair or makeup look I am looking to capture in the beauty photoshoot. Once I have created a mood board for the lighting style and then another for the makeup looks, I would then look for a makeup artist and hair stylist to share my ideas with them, ask for their input and any references they might want to add to further develop the mood board.
Creative Team Selection “You are not an Island”. A phraise I picked up during my course at Conde Nast. Whilst it is possible to do everything yourself, is this going to produce the best work? Beautiful work comes when you enlist your trust in true professionals who are experts in their field and your ability to work in a team effectively. When selecting a team, it's good to work with people that have the same creative vision as you. Look through their portfolio, get a good idea of their style. Some makeup artists are heavily editorial and some makeup artists are more towards the glam style of makeup (i.e. Kylie Jenner), there is a big spectrum and artists that fall in both categories. But it’s a good idea to make sure everyone is on the same page and this why sharing a clear cohesive mood board is so important. For example, I had an incidence in the past where the makeup artist and the hairstylist had very different styles, leading to bashing each other and creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for the model caught beneath them in the makeup chair. As you can imagine, the images could have turned out better. It taught me a few things, I have to be prepared to mediate on set, realign and bring everyone back to the mood board. Ultimately, the more time you spend preplanning with the team, the likelihood of successful photoshoot increases. I now always make sure that I am selecting artists that complement each other to ensure that we are all working together towards a common goal.
On the day. I can not stress this one enough, make sure that everyone has the call sheet with detailed directions so they can find the location or studio without difficultly. There is nothing worse than showing up late and flustered as the postcode doesn’t take people straight to the studio door or the directions are unclear. Studios are often in warehouse districts and can be difficult to find. Get yourself off to a good start by making it possible for attendees to arrive calmly without getting lost. Providing refreshments is a must, caffeine and proper nourishment goes a long way in making sure everyone is happy and fed.
Model. Selecting the right model for the look you are going for is important, some models won’t suit certain styles and you need to bear that in mind when reviewing options. The best places to find models is via Instagram or contacting modelling agencies. If you are just starting out, it’s best to produce some sample images with friends before contacting modelling agencies so that you have a portfolio to show the model agents. Before the shoot, show the model the moodboard so she also has an idea of what is happening, the vibe you want to create. Telling the model to step in front of the camera without a vision is not the key to a successful beauty shoot, even if they are a talented and experienced model - it’s best to make sure they are on the same page. Print out the mood board and stick it everywhere to keep it fresh in minds.
During the beauty shoot. Shoot tethered so that the entire team can make sure that the hair and makeup is perfect from afar. It can be distracting and uncomfortable for models to have a team of people crowding them slightly out of shot. If you’re not operating the camera, keep an eye on the model via the monitor so that the model has some breathing space. Sometimes makeup can look great in front of the makeup mirror, but not how the makeup artist imagined it under the strobe light. Take a moment to check with the makeup artist and hairstylist that they are happy with how everything looks after a few test shots before you proceed with the photo shoot.
Lighting. Make sure you have planned out how you would like to light the photoshoot prior to getting to the studio, make sure you have all the equipment you need ready to go. It’s good to draw up some lighting diagrams in line with your lighting references. Often things don’t go as originally planned, but the lighting set up can be tweaked to achieve the result you would like. It’s always better to have a plan and make changes as you go rather than going in blind and figuring out whilst the team waits for you.
Have fun. As much as planning is important, shoots are fun and I definitely encourage you to have a giggle. I’ve made some great like minded creative friends through my beauty shoots who are as obsessed as me with hair and makeup. When everyone is having a good time, you can always see the good energy shine through on the images you produce.
Moodboard Example 3. Makeup Inspiration developed with the makeup artist pre shoot.