The worst thing you can do in your online makeup course is to take terrible photos so that your tutor can’t provide you with proper feedback. In this video, celebrity makeup artist Nathan Johnson teaches you the know-how on how to take correct photos of your makeup, so that you can make the most of your education!
Getting the MOST out of your makeup course
There are two things you need to do to get the most out of your makeup training at QC. First up: practice, practice, and practice! Second, make sure that your assignment photos are high quality. If you have a professional DSLR camera, great! But if you don’t, that’s okay too—your phone is exactly what you need.
Your camera may take great photos, but it is how you choose to compose the photo that determines whether you give your tutor what they need.
Don’t take a photo of your model back-lit
Don’t have your model stand in front of your light source. If you do this, your model’s face (and makeup!) will be in deep shadows, and your tutor won’t be able to see the makeup in order to give you feedback.
Do have your model facing the light
Make sure your light source is facing your model so that your photo has perfect illumination and your tutor can see all your hard work!
Don’t take selfie-style photos
Don’t take your photos on an angle, and have your model looking directly at the camera (not with a head tilt!). Also, make sure your model’s hair is away from the face, either tied back in a ponytail or tucked behind the ear. This way, your tutor can best judge your makeup symmetry.
Do submit close-up photos
When your assignment asks for a photo of the face, don’t submit a photo of your model from the waist up, or posed sitting in a chair. If your assignment asks for a photo of the eyes, crop your photo to show just the eyes. However, be very careful not to crop away the corner of the eye!
Don’t submit photos of your eyes closed
It may be tempting to submit a photo of your model’s eyes closed so that your tutor can see every bit of your precise application. BUT, reality is, makeup has to look great when the person is alive, with their eyes open. Plus, your tutor can only see true symmetry when the eyes are opened. So unless the assignment specifies otherwise, ALWAYS submit your photos with your model’s eyes opened.
Avoid filters and editing
Do not submit any photos that use any form of enhancements. This includes filters from FaceTune, Snapchat, Instagram, and the other photo altering applications. Do not use portrait mode or any other mode on the phone or camera that alters the the focus and smooths the skin. And do not use ring lights. These deliberately blow out the skin, making everything look smoother and more perfect.
For the purpose of these courses, anything but the raw image would be considered cheating. At the end of the day, you want your work to be as perfect as possible. For your tutor to help get you there, it is essential that they see your work as it really is – 100% of the time.
Remember: Beautiful, clear pictures are the secret to amazing feedback in your makeup artistry course.
