MAKEUP ARTIST FOR MY HEADSHOTS IN LOS ANGELES
Should I hire a makeup artist for my headshots in Los Angeles?
The answer is, it depends… If you are a male, typically I would not recommend you book a makeup artist for your headshot session. Now it doesn’t mean that a little concealer and powder will not be needed, but as far as I’m concerned this is something I can handle for your headshots and there is no fee for this basic service. I am very experienced with basic makeup, especially when it comes to headshots so you can save some money here and save your budget for the headshot package you choose and for your headshot photography session.
There are always exceptions, I have had gentlemen feeling more comfortable having a professional makeup artist here, it is something that they feel more confident with and it is also in their budget to hire a makeup artist so no problem, I’ll have a MUA here for them. There is also the consideration that someone may have a skin condition and having a professional makeup artist here to work with them in their headshot photography session can be very helpful.
Now if you are a female, and you feel very confident with how you apply your own makeup on your skin then in your case it may preferable that you do your own(?) There are many different ways to look at this, even though you might be comfortable doing your own, you might want more of a glam look in your some of your headshots in Los Angeles, in which case you might want to have a MUA here that will take your “glam look” to the next level(?) Again, it all depends on how skilled you are applying your own makeup. Some actresses and models are so experienced that they’ve learned over the years what their personal preferences are and can apply the makeup themselves, they would rather take care of this on their own. Now when it comes to headshots in Los Angeles, although an actress or model may have experience with their own makeup some will still prefer to have a MUA at the headshot session, it’s a comfort and preference issue, to each her own.
Headshot photographers in Los Angeles often tells a client that there is only one way to go, it is to book a MUA. I disagree, when it comes to headshots in L.A. more often than not you will want to keep your makeup clean and natural, especially for an actress headshot in Los Angeles. Casting directors in Los Angeles are mainly interested in seeing actresses that look authentic and natural in their headshots, because if you are portrayed in your headshots as an individual who does not look like it in person, then everyone has a problem once you show up to the audition. Now that they see you in person, you don’t really correspond to the type they were looking for in a particular role/part for their project, this could be a waste of time, not only for them but for you as well.
For a corporate headshot in Los Angeles, once again, are you a woman that is comfortable doing her own makeup? Maybe you are but you’d still like to treat yourself and have a MUA there for your headshot session(?) There is no wrong or right about this, you are the “producer” of your headshot photography session. If you are unsure, you should definitely have that conversation with your headshot photographer. It is also often a matter of budget, to me for a corporate headshot in L.A. if you can apply clean, simple and natural looking makeup on your skin, the outcome of your photo shoot (taking into account you are working with an experienced headshot photographer in Los Angeles), the outcome should turn out just as great as if you’d book a makeup artist. Now, if applying makeup on your skin is something that you absolutely cannot do, then I would recommend that you add a MUA into your budget. There are makeup counters in Shopping Malls that offer this service sometimes for free or at minimal cost, the only difference in going that route is that this MUA will not be at your shoot for touch-ups and corrections. The advantage of booking a makeup artist through your headshot photographer in L.A. is that he/she will be there (should be there) for the entire time of your headshot photography session.
One more thing, post headshot photo session, your headshot photographer should be able to make any slight corrections via retouching & color corrections, more on “retouching” for your headshots in a new article/blog I will write soon.