From Professional Photographer magazine, March 2010 – Reprinted with permission.

Tips from makeup artists Steve Moore of The Moore Agency in Atlanta, Deanna Rene of Scottsdale, Ariz., and photographer Holly Schumacher.

1. BLEND, BLEND, BLEND. You can use your everyday makeup, but use more than you normally use every day. Many makeup professionals use airbrush makeup, the method of choice for high-definition TV, because it’s lightweight, waterproof and gives flawless coverage.

2. SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE. Use less makeup for a day wedding and more for evenings. You can get dramatic with eye makeup.

3. DON’T SKIMP ON CONCEALER. Use a moisturized concealer on the thin, sensitive skin under the eyes. If your concealer isn’t moisturizing, blend it with a skin cream. For blemishes, first treat them with a natural or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, then cover with concealer.

4. DO A MAKEUP TRIAL RUN. It’s the only sure-fire, stress-free way to make certain your makeup will look beautiful.

5. NOT ALL MINERAL MAKEUP IS CREATED EQUAL. Titanium dioxide, a chemical used as sun block, can reflect flash, giving the bride a ghostly appearance. In 2009 makeup artist Annie May launched a line of mineral makeup especially formulated for photography called Advanced Mineral Makeup. May promises it won’t white-out the bride under a flash.

6. USE WATERPROOF MAKEUP WITH STAYING POWER. You don’t want to spend your reception in the bathroom reapplying your makeup. Foundation, eyeliner and mascara all should be waterproof. And in case you cry (and you probably will), have a tissue or handkerchief handy to gently blot your tears right at the eye.

7. KEEP YOUR LIPS MOISTURIZED AND COLORED. Dry lips look dreadful in photos. Have someone carry your lipstick for you and touch up often. Matte and gloss lipstick both photograph well, and be sure to use blended lip liner for enhanced definition.

8. DON’T FORGET THE GROOM. If the groom is red faced due to too much sun (or drinking), a little powder can help. That goes for shiny heads, too. And it’s a good idea to slip a tube of Chapstick in the groom’s pocket for his dry lips, as well as a handkerchief to dab well-wishers’ makeup smudges off his suit.

9. DON’T SPRINKLE ON GLITTER. In photographs, it tends to look like little white spots, as if there’s something wrong with the camera.

10. REMEMBER to apply foundation and powder to your neck, shoulders and décolletage—you want your head to look like it belongs to your body!

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*Schedule the photography session when you’re in your prime (some people are morning people, others aren’t).

*Have personal care items on premises, such as brush, comb, hairspray, chainsaw (for those really bad hair days), make-up, lipstick, mirror, hair clips, etc.

*Bring a change of clothes, preferably two or three.

*Have fashion accessories on premises, such as scarves, jewelry, hats, flowers, etc.

*Avoid bare arms where possible. Opt for long-sleeve shirts/blouses rather than short-sleeve.

*Clothing colors:

• Avoid bright reds and orange (they battle the subject’s face for attention)
• Darker colors are generally better than light colors
• In general, the best colors are medium shades of blue, green, burgundy, and rust.

*If taking a group portrait, everyone should wear complimentary colors. The outfits don’t have to be duplicates to look good; however, you don’t want everyone in light blue and one person in bright red.

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Have a great Holiday season, and we’ll see you again in 2010!

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How does it work? Pretty simple, really: Schedule your Senior Class Portrait session (click here) before August 15 (that is, reserve before then, the actual session can be whenever you want), and you are automatically registered* to WIN a $500 print credit for your portraits absolutely FREE!

(*The fine print: You can safely ignore this, as it doesn’t actually say anything except that if your session is selected, you will be awarded the $500 print credit. Winner determined by random drawing from all sessions booked. Odds determined by number of entries received. Need not be present to win. Print credit is only usable toward product from Black Eagle Studios, and may not be exchanged for cash. I can’t think of any more fine print, exclusions, or limitations to put here, so this sentence is pointless. I hope you ignored the preceding, it was even more dull than I thought. Lawyerese isn’t even interesting to lawyers.)

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Fritz and Wendy,

First… Emily and I would like to thank you and your family for a great senior picture experience! Both Emily and I were a bit nervous going into it, but you guys made it fun… thanks so much, the memory will last a lifetime!

*Thank you so much for your kind words. We really strive to make the experience enjoyable, and it is always nice to hear that it worked. We, too, had a wonderful time. You and Emily were loads of fun, which is a big part of the reason we were able to capture so many great images. It helps, too, when the subject is as helpful as Emily was.

Second… I want to start purchasing pictures after the Christmas holiday, and have a question. On your Web site, you list a package price of 112 wallets for $96.99. On the day of Emily’s sitting, we talked about mixing the wallets to total 112, but when I go to each individual picture, that option isn’t available. How do I order the 112 picture package?

*When you click on an image, the screen shows all the prices and sizes. Second from last option is “Packages & Collections.” If you click on that, the wallet packages show up.

Third… Is there anything I need to do for Emily’s yearbook picture, or do you guys handle that? I don’t want to wait until after the deadline to discover I was supposed to have arranged something.

*Emily’s yearbook image is already at the school, so no, there is nothing you need to do there. I, too, don’t want to have problems with the yearbook image, which is why I have the student and/or parent select the image for the yearbook during the session, so I can then edit and prepare it for publication, and get it sent right off. I generally have the image to the school the day after the session, and I did this time, as well.

Fourth… Do we wait until after our first purchase for the three digital files? Do we get to pick them?

*You don’t have to wait to select the digital files, and you most certainly get to choose them. Simply e-mail me your choices, and I’ll get them sent out via return e-mail, usually the next day.

Ok, I think I’m about questioned out for now, but I want to say thanks again for the great experience, and look forward to hearing back from you.

*Please feel free to keep up the questions, I don’t mind, and they help eliminate confusion – always a good thing. If you ever need a quicker answer, feel free to text me at 989-292-0612. Thanks again for choosing us.

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… and then back to the studio for some outdoor images…

…and we finished inside, where Anna kept us in stitches…

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