Boudoir Photography Tips: Why a Boudoir Photographer Needs a Makeup Artist
Photography is a form of art. To photograph people is the art of bringing out certain unspoken qualities of the subject, such as the relationship with themselves or the others in the photo. Street photographers, for example, use lighting and composition to tell their subjects’ stories but prefer to keep them as natural as possible.
Those specializing in family portraits, on the other hand, want their subjects to dress and wear makeup like they would on an average day, albeit slightly more done up. Boudoir photographers have a different goal than either of these. It is about emphasizing the subjects’ bare beauty in a stage-like setting.
A photographer cannot do this alone. The job of a Make-up Artist is to primp the client, setting her up for success in an otherwise nerve-wracking situation. Basically, a boudoir photographer needs a makeup artist like a camera needs a lens.
Plus, the subject should not be expected to put herself in a vulnerable position both body AND face. That would be kind of unfair, and many clients would feel that the odds for a successful shoot would not be in their favor.
This is because make-up is such a psychological thing. Most girls won’t go outside without putting on make-up first. It’s like bottled insta-confidence. So having a professional in your studio help glam them up will just make them feel that much more beautiful and confident, resulting in better photos.
Ultimately, a makeup artist is like Photoshop without the computer, he or she will cover up and smooth out those blemishes so that a subject not only suits the scene but also looks fabulous acting it out.
From their choice of color, design, and style to use, a mood is set and the portraits will follow suit. Sure, we couldn’t survive without post-processing, (Boudoir photos absolutely need to be edited) but the better a subject looks during a shoot, the less you’ll have to change, and the overall quality and feel of the photos will increase dramatically.
Quality photos mean happy clients. Which is what you want. Ergo, having a make-artist = happy clients. It’s a simple formula, really.
