I’m just warning you now…this post is pretty wordy. Sorry. 
I’m really happy to see that some of you folks out there are interested to know a little bit about what goes into a shoot like my make up editorial. I love this kind of stuff and so I hope you do, too. And hopefully it will inspire you to try something new. I must say that even as wordy as I get in this post I have still condensed some info and probably breezed right past others. So, if you ever interested in knowing specifics on anything I talk about here or want me to further elaborate just let me know.
So here goes…
I am blessed and oh so grateful to have been able to produce enough good work that stands out to models and agencies. In the case of this shoot I had this gorgeous model, Antonia (represented by AZ Model Mgmt), reach out to me through my Facebook page. She was going to be in town for a couple days and wanted to do a shoot with me. I try as often as I can to shoot with agency represented models first (before hitting up Model Mayhem) especially when it’s a project I am REALLY passionate about and/or I cannot have anyone flake out.
Once the date/time was set I then needed to decide what were we going to shoot, was it going to be studio or on-location? At the time the shoot took place the weather was really great and I could have done something outside, but a collaboration like this I wanted to challenge myself and try something new. So, studio it was. I have a pretty tight space in my front room of my house (believe me, my very own shooting space would be a dream come true) so if I was going to shoot studio I knew I could only go for a tight body crop or less. OK, that’s no biggie. So then, what am I going to shoot? What’s the story or the purpose?
Recently I have been really inspired by some of the more over-the-top make up applications and their intense color palettes in some really great editorials. Then I thought, why not try my hand at my own version of a make up editorial shoot? However, the more I thought about it the more I knew I didn’t want JUST the make up to be the center focus, I wanted to bring in some other elements, props & “accessories” if you will. But first I had to find the make up artist who was going to make this all possible.
Knowing this was a relatively short notice shoot (about 5 days away) I had to act fast and get someone lined up. I hit up a few gals I knew and worked with already only to find they were already booked. I logged onto my Model Mayhem account and started going through my “friend” list of make up artists to see whose portfolio aligned with the vibe and style I wanted. I needed someone with a good enough editorial background and creative eye, not just someone who can rock wedding and bridal make up. After getting a couple “sorry, already booked” replies I received one “maybe, let me get back to you” from an amazing gal named Rosie Reed. It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a NO. I instantly started to compile a story board for the shoot concept I had in my head. I pulled images from my Pinterest boards, images from Google, anything that depicted the mood or style I was wanting to achieve. This has to be one of THE MOST important parts of my shoot productions. Storyboards or mood board or style boards – whatever you want to call them – really help define and visually articulate what you want to creatively and photographically achieve. This gets everyone involved on the same page. Intensely crucial.
I forwarded to Rosie my storyboard for the concept. Reckless Abandonment. This was going to be our make up editorial for throwing caution to the wind, going for broke, our creative freedom from conventional beauty. And it worked. Rosie WANTED this as much as I did which I think is another important factor in shoot production. Surrounding yourself with those who want and love the collaboration as much as you do. Rosie arranged her schedule and did some time management juggling just so she could be a part of this shoot.
[original storyboard]
Once Rosie was confirmed then I started my scavenger hunt. Anything that I could turn into a prop with make up. I found a ton of great things at the $1. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. If it had color, if it could stick to the models face/head, if it added dimension and/or texture then I grabbed it. I didn’t know what I would do with it, I didn’t know how many of the items I could actually use, but this was part of challenging myself. Go for broke.
[I-spy with my little eye: bubbles, candy, suckers, tin foil, flowers, spanish moss, stickers, flower pin wheel...and lots more!]
There was also something else I had been wanting to try in my little studio that can only be done for tight crop headshots. I had seen another photographer create a tin foil backdrop and the results in the photo blew my mind. So, 30mins before the crew arrived, I attempted my own little version of a tin foil background. And let me tell you, it could not have been any easier.
Crinkled up tin foil + elmer’s spray adhesive + white tri-fold foam core board =
Or a better way to see [via crappy cell phone pics]…
All in all the shoot went WAY better than I could have dreamed. Rosie is incredibly awesome and talented and crazy hilarious…fo reals Antonia was an absolute delight and didn’t cringe, fuss or say one word when we said words like “spanish moss on your head” or “gold glitter flakes on your eyes”…
Before I had even downloaded a single image I could just feel that we had created something really amazing. Therefore I knew I wanted more for these images than to just become part of my portfolio. I wanted to attempt a submission and the girls were on board with the idea. It was going to be a bit of a long shot; we had some strong images, but did we create enough looks for a proper editorial? Make up stories are treated a little differently…you don’t need 7-9 looks like you do a traditional fashion editorial, but variety will definitely get you noticed. To me it was worth the shot.
I started my search for independent fashion and/or beauty mags. I wasn’t coming up with a whole lot of options until I reached out to Rosie to see if she knew of any. She then forwarded me a link to this relatively new magazine called Ellements Magazine. I looked it up and instantly knew it would be a good match. Oh and their next submission deadline was only 7 days away, BUT the theme was avant garde. Ummm, helloooo…how perfect a theme is that for our make up editorial?! So, I got cracking on the editing and retouching work. I submitted a contact sheet of all the final photos to the editor and heard back within 3 days that they wanted 5 images to run in the next issue.
WOW! I was so excited…hearing (or rather reading) those words…they will never get old to me. It’s still so amazing to be able to create something from nothing and then to be able to share that art with others via a fashion magazine. Incredible!
Fast forward to 10 days ago and the Avant Garde issue was released. Woo-hoo!! A little bummed to see we ended up with 2 out of the 5 selected images being published, but I know that’s just how publishing works. The editor(s) is having to juggle many editorial submissions and so images are bound to be cut. However, I am still so proud to have these 2 really strong images appear in the Ellements Magazine.
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looking good michelle!