Student Makeup Portfolio Shoots - What’s involved?
It’s always exciting to sit with my team as we go over ideas, themes, colours and what’s trending internationally in makeup and hair to arrive at “The Look” for my student portfolio shoots.
From there we select models, communicate with designers, photographers, florists, jewellers, milliners and even furniture specialists (the French Antique dealer was a highlight!).
The set is created over two days (anything from a tropical paradise, to a Parisienne Florist Shop to a Wintery Wonderland to name a few!)
On the morning of the shoot, the models arrive from some of Melbourne’s top agencies, various couriers arrive with anything from haute couture gowns (worth up to $10,000!!) to faux fur coats, to the latest swimwear – depending on our look. Multiple velvet boxes with rows of precious stones and accessories arrive, along with hat boxes containing the most amazing creations; shoe boxes with anything from gold ankle boots, through to the latest strappy stilettos are lined up ready and matching their alloted outfits.
The students arrive and are scheduled so that I can be one on one with them as they work on their model every step of the way. My aim is to give them the full (and true) experience of what it is to work on a professional shoot, working on faces that are in demand, and working with a crew that is heavily booked at high levels of the industry. Applying top quality makeup is one thing, but I equally want each student to learn how to harmonise with the hairstylist, how to collaborate with the fashion stylist and incorporate colours from the garments into the design element of the makeup (often you need to be able to do this on the spot!); equally important is learning etiquette on set – what a photographer looks for in a great makeup artist, how to make quick changes without impeding the photographer or being inappropriate, how to deal with time constraints and things that may not have been planned for.
When I first started out I had to do it the hard way – that is often working on TFP (time for photos) shoots (also means unpaid), which more often than not, meant working with other people who were in the same boat as me – models who were trying to put together a folio and who were inexperienced and not able to be signed to an agency yet; photographers who were still building a folio and honing their skills etc etc – the result was sub standard photos, at times dealing with unprofessionalism and not getting very far. These shoots are worthwhile in that it gave me experience, but it didn’t give me good contacts, it didn’t give me great photos or do my work justice and I found I could ‘work’ endlessly doing this as I was always receiving requests to do them, but always without pay.
For this reason I organise high calibre photo shoots for my students – not only do they get really stunning photos of their work to promote themselves with to potential clients, they can also pitch to industry professionals that are already successful and who can immediately see looking at the quality of their folio that this student is not a ‘newbie’ and is definitely worth working with.