Photographic shoot!

Shoot Day!

So today I had my photo shoot, I planned to arrive at 10 have a little chat with the photographer and get set up in time for the arrival of my model at the studio for 10.30. I showed him the mood board I took with me so he could get a jist of exactly what I wanted to achieve.

 My mood board

I arrived with Charlotte and her model, we set up, then my model arrived!

I introduced myself and asked her if she needed a drink or to use the bathroom before we started. I wanted to make sure she was as comfortable with me as possible as we were complete strangers!

Before the shoot day I made sure my model had no allergies and that she was ok with the look and products I wanted to use, she told me she had no allergies and was fine so that was good, it meant that I didn't need to change anything I had planned. I told her to come wearing some sort of bottoms as I had a shirt for her to wear as it was only a head and shoulder shot, I just wanted to make sure she didn't turn up in a dress or a jump suit as then she wouldn't of been able to put the shirt on without taking everything off! 

I brought everything I think I would need in a clear set bag from PAM, I chose to bring this instead of a case as I didn't know how big or small the studio would be, and if I would have a space to set out my kit, so by bringing the clear bag I could see where everything was, and easily accessible. I'm glad I did as there was only a small round table and there were two of us that needed to work on it. I brought 2 false flowers for the shoot, one a wine red rose and the other a bright red carnation, just like the ones in the D&G SS15 catwalk.

I decided to start on the hair first:

- I brushed through her hair then section by section I curled it using my own curling wand. I sprayed each curl with Schwartzkopf extreme hold hairspray it is my absolute favourite hairspray and the only one i find that actually holds the style, especially if you have hair like mine which drops instantly! The hair was pretty stiff at this point but that's how I wanted it whilst I did the make-up so it keeps it's curl, I dressed it out properly at the end.

- I started by cleansing my models skin as she was wearing a light amount of foundation as she'd had a break out, she also had leftover mascara and eyeliner from the night before, she told me as it was water proof she struggled to remove it. I used Garnier micellar cleansing water which is hypo-allergenic and can be used on all areas of the face including the eyes. I removed the make-up from her face and her mascara using a cotton pad, then remove the eyeliner along both her bottom and lower lash line using a cotton bud, with the cleansing water. I then applied an oil free moisturiser all over her face using my hands which of course I checked with my model first to see if it was ok, I chose to use an oil free moisturiser as I noticed my model had quite oily skin.

- I then applied MAC studio fix fluid in shade NC15 as it was a perfect colour match. I applied using a foundation brush then buffed in using a bronzer brush, I find this technique works really well when you want to achieve a flawless skin look.

- I then applied concealer I used my La Maquillage palette to conceal, my model had quite yellow undertones with a touch of pink, so I mixed the lightest beige shade, with the yellow, and a tiny bit of the peachy pink. I applied to around the nose, the forehead and under the eyes, I used a concealer brush then buffed in using the same bronzer brush from before.

- Next I did the contour; I used the light brown colour from my La Maquillage palette. I applied using the same foundation brush to the cheekbones, down the sides of the nose and up to the brow, to the temples and along the jawline I then buffed in using the same bronzer brush. 

- I then mixed a highlight colour by using a bit of my foundation colour combined with a small amount of white grease paint. I applied to the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, to the chin, on the brow bone, on top of the contour line, I then blended it all in using the same bronzer brush but made sure I cleaned off the contour colour with IPA first.

- I then applied prep and prime translucent powder from MAC all over the face using a powder brush, as my models skin was quite oily I felt this was the best decision. 

- I then applied a dark blush colour from MAC to apples of the cheeks, and then applied a bronzer along the cheek bone and blended together.

- I then brushed through the brows, then filled in using my Ben Nye Colour shadow palette, I combined colours black brown and cocoa brows to match my models natural colour. I filled in using a small angle brush. I then sharpened the outline of the brows using a eyebrow pencil from MAC; to get the really sharp and defined. I didn't have any brow gel so I applied a small amount of Vaseline to a mascara spool and brush through the brows, I thought this would look really good under the studio lights and give off a nice shine in my shot.

- Now for the eyes my original plan was to keep my models top lashes her own, but apply lots of mascara then clump lashes into groups as seen at Rochas SS15 show, then do the look seen at Nanette Lepore's SS15 show; white liner applied along the lower lash line to make the eye appear bigger then apply false lashes along the 'new lash line' created with the liner.

-I held the false lashes I had brought with me on the bottom of the eye and I just wasn't happy with how it looked so I thought on my feet and decided to place the false lashes on the upper lash line, I then applied a white pencil liner from Kryolan along the lower lash line, bringing the line right to the inner corner and round to the top lash line, and the outer edge into a flick pointing downwards. I then applied alot of mascara to my models lower lashes as they were really long anyway. I then applied a dark brown shadow from Ben Nye using a small thin brush along the upper lash line, I used a mini smudger brush to blend and soften the line. 

- I then applied cherry red lip liner from MAC around the lips, and filled in the corners as this is the place lipstick fades from first. I then used my Kryolan lip palette, to create a dark red colour, I mixed a dark red and a little dark purple together and applied to the lips using a lip brush, I applied a few coats as I find it more of a lip stain/gloss and II wanted it to be really bold like it was a D&G's SS15 show. 

- I then used MAC vanilla pigment to highlight under the browns, down the bridge of the nose, on the apples of the cheeks, in the cupids bow and the chin.

- I then finished off the hair; i brushed through the curls gently making sure not to pull on the hair too much so I didn't pull out the curls, I just wanted to lose the 'crispiness' from the hairspray. After I had done this I wrapped some of the curls around my finger to define them again. I then applied Schwartzkopf volumizing root lift powder, to the roots of my models hair as it was quite fine and flat, I then sprayed salt spray throughout the hair, making sure I was moving the hair as I did it, to ensure even coverage. 

- The last thing I did was paint my models right hand finger nails with a red nail varnish, as this was the hand that will be in my shot, holding the flower accessory over her right eye. 

- I then asked my model to change into a dark green chiffon shirt I had brought for her, I chose this colour as I thought it would compliment the reds of my lip, flower and nails. 

Time to shoot!

My photographer gave us a choice of a white background and a charcoal grey one, I chose the charcoal grey as I thought it was more i-D magazine, and I didn't want the white and red combo along with a red English rose, giving the wrong impression, I think it would have look more world cup patriotism, rather than SS15 fashion. The grey just looked more chic and complemented my look alot better. 

I told my model just to have fun really look into the camera, because front covers have to catch your eye; I wanted my model to look as if she is staring at the reader, drawing them in. The first prop I gave her was the rose, I'm really glad I decided to use props to cover the eyes as my model couldn't really wink! Something I never thought of being an issue! Pedro (photographer) thought the light should be hitting the right side of the face (where the flower was) to create a shadow over the left side of the face. The shots were looking really good so I was happy. 

I also got her to use her hand to cover her right eye, to show off the nails.

I then got my red carnation prop, I got my model to place her right arm across her head and position the flower over her left eye which also looked really good, I'm going to have a tough time choosing the final shot!

My model was amazing she switched when she was in front of the camera, and knew how to work it, she was quite shy in person, but oozed confidence when the camera was on her.

I pinned the models hair back at one point so the photographer could get a full face shot of the make-up, without the hair on the face. It's quite a good thing actually as the shots with the hair pinned back will be quite good to put on this blog to show my make-up application.

Overall I was so happy with how everything went, I'm really proud of myself for arranging the shoot, and recruiting a studio space, model, and photographer. Also of my planning, time management, and make-up application on the day! I can't wait to see the final photos!!

Problem solving

I noticed that my models hand holding the flower was limp, so I asked her to make an elegant shape when holding the rose so the image didn't look sloppy, after she did this it looked so much better!

Another thing I noticed was fly away hair showing up on the camera, so I went in and used my postiche brush to smooth down the top of the hair, and secured it with a little hairspray. 

Below are some behind the scenes pictures of my shoot:

Flower props I used on my shoot