What is a makeup test shoot anyway?
December 29, 2009 by Joe Edelman
Filed under Makeup, Recent Articles
I have posted several results from recent makeup test shoots and now I am being bombarded with questions about what a makeup test shoot entails.
Let me forewarn you… there is no “industry standard” answer. My answer is my opinion but I am reasonably confident that most of you will agree with its fairness.
Recent college graduate Kelley Kyle, shown here during a makeup test at my studio. Kelley is already making a name for herself in New York and has assisted on shoots in Patrick Demarchielers studio.
The primary beneficiary from a makeup test shoot should be the makeup artist.
In my world, a makeup test shoot occurs either when a makeup artist (generally a new / young inexperienced artist) contacts me hoping to either do work for me or to simply add some of my images to her portfolio to boost her presentation.
I am always open to finding new and creative talent to work with (however I do have a very short list of favorites that work with me on 99% of my images), so as long as this artist is able to show me samples that prove he/she has a set of skills that match my style, I will schedule a test with them.
Now this is the point where I am going to step up on my soapbox for a moment so please indulge me…
I can’t tell you how many times young makeup artists contact me for help and advice and their major lament is that they have been trading and testing with numerous photographers to build their book and they have little to no images of value to show for their time, efforts and investment (supplies). In each and every case the same person is to blame. No NOT the photographer (however this person was incredibly inconsiderate and simply took advantage of the makeup artist) the makeup artist is the one at fault.
They negotiated that they would get a CD or some prints but what they didn’t negotiate is that the photographer would shoot compositions with lighting and camera angles designed to show close-ups of the hair and makeup. As a result the photographer took a ton of great 3/4 length images that are worthless to a makeup artist.
I expect that the makeup artist will create a minimum of three to four looks beginning with a clean commercial look and finishing with something dramatic and creative.
A finished image from Kelley's makeup test shoot. Click image to enlarge.
I will work with the makeup artist to find a suitable subject and then have them provide me with an outline of their planned shots a few days before the shoot so that I can let them know on the day of the shoot what types of lighting and background colors I am planning.
When I walk into the studio on the day of the shoot, I am shooting with the understanding that each shot I work on, needs a great makeup shot, a great image for the model to potentially use in her portfolio and a great image for me to potentially add to my portfolio or blog. This means that some looks will be shot 2 or three different ways.
Nobody gets paid – it’s a test. The model does sign a promotional release for the shoot. I approach the shoot with the attitude that I am looking for something new and different so I will
usually experiment with some lighting arrangement or color scheme that I don’t usually work with.
I also negotiate in advance that I have final say over the selection of the images. If an image does not live up to my standards (because of makeup, photography or model) it does not get released.
So there you have it. A makeup test shoot is an opportunity for a makeup artist to generate new images for his/her portfolio. Ideally all parties involved will benefit.
If you are serious about creating “WOW” images – find a makeup artist. No, wait – find a great makeup artist. As a rule I would never walk into a studio to shoot a commercial job or portfolio and work with a makeup artist for the first time if I had at least not done a test shoot with her in advance. That would be a tremendous risk. Just like photographers… there are more bad makeup artists than good ones.
A finished image from Kelley's makeup test shoot. Click image to enlarge.
Just in case you are considering saving pennies – NEVER let a model do her hair and makeup herself. There are plenty of girls who will tell you they are very good at doing their own. Some of them are however watch what they do when they walk away from your makeup mirror and head to the set… after they run their hands through their hair and flip it around a few times, they will drop their head to look for any adjustments that need to be made to their outfit. By this time all of their good efforts simply look like CRAP and you have an image that is less than ideal.
Click Here for a directory of professional Makeup Artists in the United States. These folks are professionals – I am not telling you that they will be willing to test – but hey – it never hurts to ask. If they have more experience than you do – it’s up to you to sell them that you can offer them something new to their book.
Thanks for posting on Facebook. I totally agree with you opinion on this subject.