He made it a condition I should go to the studio with no trace of make up and my hair just washed and blow dried, no hair product allowed. He says he does this because he tests with agency models and first he takes very natural shots, then they do their make up, if any. He has a tense relationship with MUAs so he never allows them on shoots, he is definitely a no make up guy. After a couple of test shots he let me get ready but decided my make up bag was out of bounds. I pleaded to use some mascara and that was the only concession. He was particularly scathing about the use of blusher, for definition. "It is the light that will give your face some definition, not that red powder". With such ground rules I had two options: accept and go ahead or refuse and leave. I chose to stay.
Natural shots. What is their appeal? The fact that they give an illusion of reality?
I worked with another photographer who wanted absolutely no make up. He was doing a series on imperfections and for him it was essential that his models should be totally natural, as if straight out of a shower.
The natural look is reassuring, it is the girl next door look. It is wholesome and pure. Agony aunts columns always have messages from girls wondering whether guys like a natural look or prefer make up. 'Should I wear make up?' they ask.
Photographer: Nick Treviss
There is of course a contrived natural look, for which there is quite a bit of make up applied and yet the overall effect is that of a clean face. It is the natural look we see in ads - a lot of make up goes into achieving the natural effect but you can't really tell it is there.
Photographer: Terri Lee-Shields
I am a performer at heart, so costume and make up appeal to me as means of expression. I am thinking here of Asian theatre traditions where indeed the clothing, the heavy make up and colour symbolism are as essential as the dancing, the acting and the rhythm - Kabuki or Kathakali are a good example. All these elements go into making the whole of the theatrical experience.
Photographer: Pascal Renoux
(All photos modelled b
I was about to say. Body painting sounds like something good for you.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big difference between "makeup as expression" and making up to impress. The second is like a lie in that it presents a false image with intent to deceive, but with expressive makeup, there is no hint of deception; rather, this is a persona the model/performer has put on.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember seeing the "wounded bird" picture, but that sounds like a magnificent and totally legitimate use of makeup artistry. Kabuki is much the same, a performance art; when the performer takes off his garb and makeup, he is no longer "the Kabuki artist" but rather his "offstage persona."
Although we all know of actors who come to confuse their characters with themselves--George Reeves, the original TV Superman, comes to mind--all the actors I know understand very well the distinction between their onstage personas and their offstage selves. There is no deception here. The convention of the theater and of fiction is for us all to temporarily suspend disbelief, but there is never a true confusion between "stage" and "life."
Where I draw the line is with those women who never allow themselves to be seen without makeup. Let's say that a young woman decides to put on makeup to impress a date. If a relationship (and all that word might imply) develops, at some point or another the man is going to see the woman without makeup--with a "naked face" if you will. What then? Will he be disappointed? Will he feel deceived? Oh, and what if, in the heat of a passionate interlude, the guy accidentally ingests some of that stuff?! *lol*
So, makeup for the stage and photographer's studio doesn't involve any serious deception; but I have come to believe that in "real life," honesty in all things is best. Especially between potential lovers. If a man and a woman accept each other as they are, not for what they seem--that's a much better foundation for lifelong love.
Thanks Eric, body painting it will be. Jochanaan I have partly replied on deviantArt. No, definitely I would not advocate make up for deception. It does not work anyway. I love it as a form of fun and self expression. A chance to paint one's body. Make does not conceal anything. It is a great fallacy that it does.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to makeup and my work, I prefer a less is more approach.
ReplyDeleteI have a rule: if I notice that you're wearing makeup, you're wearing too much makeup. And I mean, without thinking about it.
That usually means that makeup is limited to mascara, but that's pretty much the only makeup that actually does anything to improve the look of a face by making the eyes pop (photographer lingo).
Of course, that's not to rule out the excellent work and exciting possibilities of makeup as an artform. Makeup ARTISTS are a very useful and often the most interesting and important part of a photoshoot.
These photographers you've been shooting with strike me as a bit overzealous.
But, as I said, I'm a minimalist in terms of makeup. The issue is that many girls are brought up to think that makeup is necessary to appear attractive and then they slap on a horrible cake of foundations (which NEVER looks good EVER), concealers (take better care of your skin, so you don't have to conceal anything), and awful eyeshadow and lipstick combinations.
And you see this self-conscious over-medicating (medicating 'plainness' with makeup) carried over with these older women who still adhere to outdated standards of beauty to the point that they pluck out their eyebrows and draw them on, wear outlandish blushes that don't match the fake skin tone they gave themselves with foundation, wear unflatteringly bright or dark lipstick shades, put on bizarre green shades of eyeshadow...
It's just... not good.
While I appreciate the example set by 'the natural look' in mainstream media and commercial photography, passing off a 'less is more' ideology - there's a while to go before women stop turning themselves into clowns for my benefit.
As someone once deep into theatrical performance and dance, I am with you on this, Alex. Makeup is part of artistic expression, it is part of the persona I wrote about in my post in response to your "Exhibitionist" post. In modeling, too, I do not show up to simply sit there. I perform. I take on a character that may be an aspect of myself or may not.
ReplyDeleteIn every day life, I think of the clothes I wear as "costumes." They reflect my mood that day or a role I am playing. Makeup is the same thing. I might be a vamp one day and go without makeup and wear a ball cap the next.
I've considered body painting for 3 years, and it just has never worked out, mainly because of the time commitment involved. But it's something I'd definitely enjoy. Go for it!