Headshot Makeup Basics

Good makeup is an important part of a great headshot. It deserves some attention.

As with everything else in life, there are two options to consider: do-it-yourself, or hire a professional.

(Note: This isn’t at all fair, but as I mention when I give headshot tips for guys, men can typically get away without any makeup. However, when women are photographed without makeup, the look can appear incomplete because it’s just not what we’re accustomed to seeing.)

DIY Makeup

If you’re comfortable doing your makeup yourself every morning, you should have no trouble taking the DIY approach for your headshot session. But note that the look you’re going for may require some adjustments from your daily routine, and it’s definitely not the same as your night-on-the-town look.

Check out this excellent post on headshot makeup, with basic pointers about everything from foundation to powder. They explain the difference between a “natural look” (which is what you want), and “light makeup” (which isn’t necessarily the same thing).

For a more extensive step-by-step tutorial for headshot-ready makeup, this post has you covered.

Hire A Professional Hair and Makeup Artist

While not absolutely required, I highly recommend you consider professional styling for your session. Clients tell me all the time how much they enjoy the extra pampering.

You can stop by your favorite makeup store or salon before your photo session (the links above will help you communicate the look you’re going for), or we can arrange to have a professional join us at the shoot.

Don’t Stress

I never want clients to feel stressed going into a session, so choose an option that feels good to you. When you schedule your headshot shoot with me, we’ll have a conversation to cover any specific questions you have and figure out what makeup and hair styling options make the most sense for you. Whatever you decide, we’ll have you looking your best! If you're ready to discuss some options now, just drop me a note and I'll be in touch.

Detroit Headshot Photography Coming Soon

Big news: We are moving to Michigan!

My family — and my headshot photography business — will be relocating to Detroit.

And soon! Our plan is to settle in the fantastic suburb of Rochester, Michigan, by mid September, 2016.

For more updates on the move, keep in touch via my email newsletter. If you’re in the Detroit area and would like to schedule a headshot session, drop me a note and I’ll let you know as soon as I’m up and running.

Chicago friends, don’t despair. I’ll be back in town from time to time, but if you’ve been thinking of getting a new headshot, let me know ASAP so we can get you in before the studio is packed.

We’ve had a fabulous few years in Chicago. I’ve made wonderful connections and lifelong friends. We're going to miss you!

And Detroit — here we come! I can’t wait to get started. If you’re a fellow small business owner or photographer in the Rochester area, I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite local business resources? Restaurants? Bike trails? Coffee shops? Maybe I’ll see you there!

Thoughts On WPPI 2016

I just got back from WPPI in Las Vegas. It’s THE conference for wedding and portrait photographers and it was my first time at the convention. Reportedly, the attendance was around fifteen thousand people – huge by any standards.

For a few days, I attended lectures on marketing & branding, family photography, commercial filmmaking and lighting. In between classes, I walked the trade show floor with not one but two enormous ballrooms full of photography related stuff.

From a tech standpoint, the mirrorless cameras are on the offensive. Fuji is my favorite among the pack. Nikon and Canon have challenges ahead, but I was encouraged after seeing some the latest Nikon gear.

It was wonderful to see so much emphasis on print products – albums, frames, metal prints etc. Name a surface and someone figured out how to print on it. As a portrait photographer, it’s my responsibility to educate and remind the public about the power of a print. What good are the thousands of iPhone pictures if you don’t print one on occasion?

Remember the Polaroid? Check out the Fuji Instax camera – your creativity will thank you.

As a photographer, here are some thoughts on a couple of the deeper conference themes:

Branding

Personal branding is everywhere (not just in photography). As people like me leave the corporate world and hang out their own shingle, effective branding and marketing is essential for sucess. The way we entrepreneurs differentiate is through marketing ourselves – not necessarily the art we make or literal service we provide. Anyone can push a button, sell a house or sell you insurance. But it’s the story behind the individual and the experience that makes us want to buy.

Create Vulnerable Art

This is tough to cover in a few sentences, but I’ll try… As an artist (in any medium), we must be comfortable creating work that reflects our experiences. Sometimes we will offend. But by not sharing, we deprive others the right to connect with our work. Personally, this is a struggle for me, especially when weighing the branding issues above. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in building a finely tuned brand that we don’t show work that deserves to be seen because it might not fit in. So keep on eye on future posts for some different work...

Documenting Our Disney Vacation with a Fujifilm X100T

On my last family trip to Disney World, I took only my Fuji X100T, a couple memory cards and 3 batteries. I didn’t even bring a camera bag! Why, as a photographer, would I travel so light?

Two reasons. First, it’s a family trip. So the whole point is to be present with my family. I want to remember being there and living the trip, not simply the process of documenting it. Lugging around a bag full of lenses and cameras would’ve kept me from my family.

Second, I wanted to show that you can still make great images from the simplest of equipment. The Fuji X100T is an extremely capable little camera. But it is a fixed focal length lens and it can’t be changed. So of course, there were shots I missed. And that’s ok.

In a world of endless camera equipment possibilities, limiting the options is quite liberating. These limitations allow a certain focus to develop on a trip. You soon learn to tune out all the “if only I had this lens…”, and begin only to see the shots suited to the selected constraints.

For extra credit, I shot just about everything in a black in white square format (think made for Instagram). Okay, I really shot in RAW + JPG mode, meaning the camera saved a black and white JPG file and a RAW file with all the color data. But the fact is that black and white JPGs that come out of the Fuji cameras are simply amazing. They need very little post processing, if any. The decision to go black and white was harder than the decision to take one simple (and light camera). Vivid colors are everywhere at Mickey’s. But again, leaving out colors allowed me to see things a little differently.

The result? It was a great trip with lots of memories. Now a Chicago resident, we no longer have the luxury of making a quarterly visit to Orlando, but within my own constraints, I believe I’ve put together a better story of images than in any previous visit.

Images you see here are all from the JPGs, with maybe a bump or two of contrast or exposure adjustment.

So enjoy your next big family vacation, whether you’re a pro photographer or just the designated family photographer. Give yourself a little self assignment or specific constraint for the trip and don’t stress about capturing every last hug from Mickey (he’ll be there next time, looking exactly the same).

Day In The Life Photography in Lake Forest

As summer fades from Chicago, I wanted to recap a great summer session that was long overdue for a post. My day in the life family photography sessions are designed to let you simply enjoy the time with your family. If you’re stressed during a family portrait session, you’re doing it wrong. Laughter, tears, meltdowns, kisses and hugs, cookies, and even a bucket of water can be found in these sessions.

There’s no posing. Just pick out whatever activities you want to do that day. The Sweet family of Lake Forest had quite the brisk schedule!

When I arrived, the boys were already well into the first baseball game. An extra sticky round of street hockey followed, thanks to the super high humidity. With cookies in the oven, the whole family played an intense game of shinny (look it up).

Dad took a breather with the latest issue of GQ after a hard played hockey game. And then came some good old fashioned fun with a slip and slide, a hose, and a bucket.

To me, family photography is not about picking out the perfect subtly coordinated outfits, or finding just the right light in a random field. It’s about enjoying the authentic moments (with all the drama, good or bad) together as a family—doing whatever it is you like to do together.

Check out the video for the whole story!