Light and Make-up, how do they relate in a shoot?

Let's talk light and make-up:
In order to get a well lit shot in a portrait, lighting is important. Photography lighting is as powerful as stage lighting because even with the new cameras, we want to keep the ISO (film speed) as low as possible to get nice crisp images. No matter how a portrait is lit, whether the result will be dramatic or romantic and soft, lighting needs to be powerful. As a rule, light bounces off light surfaces and skin falls into that category when strong light is directed at it.

It is best to wear a heavier base, no matter how dark your skin tone is. Powder matts the skin and helps absorb some of the light, lending the skin a natural appearance on the photograph. it is said that eyes are the window to the soul and this is doubly true in a photograph. Never apply eye-makeup you would wear during the day. The smokey eye works best for glamor shots and for business shots go just a little less smokey. Cheeks should be accented to lend the face some angular planes. If the face in question has natural angularity, a little will go a long way. with a round or heart-shape face, it is important to accent the cheekbones.

The camera sees angles, light plays off them and creates a beautiful image. Accent your strong points in your face for the best shots. If in doubt about what to do, have your make-up done for the shoot and tell your make-up artist what you are after. This is something you should discuss with your photographer prior to the shoot so you are on the same page.

Below are two examples of good make-up for a glamor shot, both for color and black and white.

look at the eyes, they are expressive and the skin looks luminous, without make-up appropriate for lighting , she would look washed out.

the same holds true in this color photograph, her cheekbones are accentuated and her eyes sparkle.  both models have a smokey eye for best results.