So you may be asking, why would I pay someone to do something I do every day? Great question! To answer that, we need to begin by remembering that professional photography and your photo shoot are different than every day life. There’s a reason you decided to hire a professional photographer instead of getting your mom to take photos of you using your iPhone in your backyard. This is a special event and you want your photos to come out looking great!
You see, a makeup artist knows all about lighting, colors, skin and what looks the best on “film”. If you wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis, it may be too much for photos. If you regularly wear no makeup, the camera will show a lot of things you don’t notice in the mirror. A makeup artist will work with you to make you look like you on your best day - smooth and even skin, big, open eyes, the perfect amount of lip and cheek color, and to make sure your body color and your face color match. A makeup artist who does this work everyday knows what to look for once the photographer takes a test photo and what should change.
A hair stylist can see and reach angles of your head you can’t reach yourself, so you can be sure there’s no “weird spot in the back” you missed! They also know what amount of volume looks best on camera.
What does working with a stylist actually look like?
A stylist will spend about an hour and a half with you before your session to do your hair and makeup. Great natural light is an ideal place to get ready. The stylist will bring everything from brushes to hairspray to mascara - you don’t need to bring anything except clean skin and hair prepped as discussed with your stylist (depending on your style). If you have a color or hair accessory you really want to use, you can bring that. Especially if you’re not a big makeup wearer, you will save a lot of money having someone do it for you rather than buying products you don’t know how to use and may never use again.
During the shoot a stylist will be the photographer’s second pair of eyes. When a stylist is present the photographer can just focus on you and coach you through the shoot. The stylist will make sure your hair is in the right place, your makeup looks good, and your clothing and accessories are laying correctly. A stylist has experience with what looks good in real life vs. what looks good in photos and will adjust accordingly. You don’t have to worry about hair in your face or which shoulder it’s flipped over or your necklace being backwards- they see and fix all that!
On a personal note, I may be biased 😜, but I have never done a shoot with anyone who regretted hiring a trained, professional stylist. They have always expressed how it put them at ease and made the entire process seamless and painless. Conversely, I have known many friends and acquaintances who hired a photographer but opted to not hire a stylist who did regret their decision. This is rarely a reflection on the photographer but rather due the individual simply not having any experience in doing makeup and hair for photo shoots.
At the end of this process what I want most for you is a set of photos that sparkle and shine just like you! As a trained and experienced stylist I am confident that we can make you look as good on film as you do in real life!