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Category Archives: Places I love
Lifestyle shoot – horseback on the beach
Some shoots really are a day at the beach! In this case, Crane Beach, one of the most beautiful oceanside stretches of sand I have seen (at least in New England). Quiet, serene, and we shot until sundown. And if that weren’t enough, this shoot had HORSES!
My job was to groom the two girls and manage the flyaway hair of the two professional riders (they didn’t even get makeup since the focus of the shots wasn’t their faces). Here’s a sampling of images by the incredibly talented lifestyle photographer, William Huber:
You can see more (including behind the scenes snaps) at M Doucette Production’s blog.
Also posted in Collaborators, Lifestyle, Photoshoots
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Stuff Boston cover and article
I was thrilled to be a part of the shoot for October 18th cover of Stuff Boston. It was such a well-organized shoot – only took a few hours! – and came out in print only a few weeks later, which is not the norm (usually I’m waiting for months). Very fun, and very rewarding to have my work on the cover of the issue.
The goal was to showcase fetish-inspired wardrobe for Fall (with softer makeup, to keep the result from being too gothic or costume-y), as well as feature the new, soon-to-open bar Descent, which is located underneath the stylist W Hotel in downtown Boston. I loved the location, it definitely felt like one of those places I might not be be cool enough to get into (haha!) so it was a treat to work there and see the space before it opens to the public. I kept Tessa’s eyes subtle with a soft smoky brown liner and wispy false lashes, and gave her a punch of fuchsia on the lips (vibrant lipstick is huge this Fall!)
Here are scans of the pages that show images from the shoot, starting with the cover:
Online article links:
Photography: Conor Doherty
Model: Tessa (Maggie, Inc.)
Hair: Kara Hurston (Shag)
Also posted in Collaborators, Fashion, Photoshoots, Published work
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Grooming for menswear ads
Yes, men need a little makeup love too when they’re going to be in front of the camera all day – that goes for models appearing in print ads, actors and personalities on TV, as well as everyday-Joe grooms who don’t wish to look like shiny, blotchy messes next to their immaculate new brides! For the most part, makeup for men is a subtle affair – just enough touching up to the skin to make it look smooth and even in photos. Here are some examples from a recent ad campaign I did with Jackson & Connor, a local designer menswear retailer. This was an especially fun shoot because John and Paul, the guys in the pictures, aren’t models – they are local businessmen. I think this was the first time either of them had been made up for photos!
Here’s a little behind-the-scenes glimpse (I’ll bet fellow locals can tell where we are!):
EDIT: and here’s the behind-the-scenes video from the shoot!
Photos by The Terrible Child; styling by Candice from Jackson & Connor. Check out their store in Thornes! I’ve shopped there before, though (haha) not for myself, and I can highly recommend them – amazing clothes and the owners are incredibly helpful! It was a treat to be able to work with them on this shoot.
Also posted in Advertising, Behind the scenes, Male grooming, Photoshoots
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Natural light
…it comes and goes! Saturday was the perfect example of how shooting outdoors in natural light can be both exhilarating and unpredictable. Myself, model Chioma, and photographer Stephanie Pierce traveled to the Quabbin Reservoir (so beautiful!) only to be teased and ultimately thwarted by light that was either too intense, or disappeared entirely behind the treeline.
Eventually we found ourselves a gorgeous field along a hill with an unbroken skyline where we proceeded to make the most of the setting Autumn sun:
Bright, direct sunlight can be very unkind if you’re wearing too much makeup, or the wrong colors, so I kept the makeup very natural, showcasing Chioma’s amazing features with just a bit of blush and coral tones on the lips. We kept going until the light disappeared behind the mountains (which is happening earlier and earlier everyday it seems). It was a tricky start to the day, but we got some lovely images in the end.
Soon I’ll be retreating to the studio for shoots like this – not too many models are excited to shoot outdoors in freezing temperatures!
Also posted in Advice, Collaborators, Color choice, Photoshoots
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Guess who’s going shopping?
I’ll be in New York for an arts marketing conference (day job!) Friday-Tuesday, staying with good friends in Brooklyn. Yay, I love going to New York, even if this time I’ll spend most of it in conference rooms at NYU. But the days I travel to and from the city leave me a little bit of time for exploring, taking in the sights… and, of course, shopping.
I don’t have any major shopping plans, actually, but I may take the opportunity to restock a few makeup kit basics and poke my nose into some of the more tempting professional lines. Why not, right?
Here are a few potential stops on my list:
- Alcone – I love their makeup removing wipes! They work well and are non-drying, unlike baby wipes and other cosmetic wipes I’ve tried, and don’t require rinsing, so I tend to go through them like lightning (especially at shoots where I do multiple makeup looks). I’m all for price breaks, so I usually buy a bunch at a time. I also love the Jao hand sanitizer, because it actually smells good and (again) is non-drying. Can you tell I like things that don’t dry out my skin?? I’m such a princess about that, seriously. Alcone’s non-latex sponges are also nice, although I’m not usually a sponge-application girl. Alcone also stocks several brands I dig like Kryolan, Eve Pearl, Ben Nye, Three Custom Color, etc. but I’m probably going to wait until the Makeup Show to actually shop for color cosmetics. (Or at least, I’ll make a valiant attempt to do so.) So, this will mostly be a disposables run, though I’m happily already set with mascara wands (thanks, Karrie)!
- Makeup Forever – They’ll no doubt be at the Makeup Show but I want some peaceful browsing. There are a couple matte eyeshadows I have my eyes on in particular – their shadows are incredible. Need? Well, no. Want? You know it!
- Inglot – I gaped through the window of this store the last time I was in Times Square, but they weren’t open yet so I didn’t have a chance to play. I hear mixed reviews of their customer service, honestly, and since I’m not really in the market for color cosmetics (nor do I tend to want to spend a lot of time in Times Square), I may just wait until the Makeup Show to check them out.
- MAC Pro – I need to take a quick inventory of my kit and see what, if anything, needs restocking. The Pro store has a better selection, too. Of course, the last time I was there all I did was trade in some empty containers for new lipsticks in nice nude shades – I didn’t even need my Pro card for that! I’ve become so boring. Well, it’s always worth a visit.
Bet you anything I only end up hitting one or two out of this list. Alcone’s a must (even though I could always mail order), the rest are just gravy.
Also posted in Products I dig
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A love note to the Hallmark Institute of Photography
One of the best things about doing makeup in Western Massachusetts is that there is a photography school chock full of fantastic young talent, amazing studio spaces and top-notch equipment right up the highway in Turners Falls. In the past few months, I have been “friended” on Model Mayhem by dozens of Hallmarkers who are seeking project collaborators to help fulfill their class assignments and personal projects. I’ve been fortunate to get some nice images out of these gigs, too.
Right now they all seem to be doing high key portraiture, which is great for my portfolio – the models’ faces really stand out against the white, shadowless background. Hallmark has the kind of studio equipment that few freelancers can afford (or make room for)… this shot, by Alex Minkin, was taken with a beauty dish the size of a television studio satellite dish (around 7 feet in diameter):
(We did crazy black lips and gold leaf in the second round. And didn’t Jen do an incredible job on the hair??)
It’s also fascinating to wander through the building and see the photography on the walls. One model I work with fairly regularly (hi, Freya!) graces the wall near some of the faculty offices. Come to think of it, I should check out the Hallmark Gallery on Avenue A. It’s a stone’s throw from the Rendezvous.
Anyway, I worked at Hallmark on Friday and Sunday, and plan to spend most of next weekend up there as well. It’s hard to say no! So if you’re a Hallmarker who happens across a bespectacled brunette doing makeup in the women’s bathroom, and taking up most of the counter space (that’s one thing Hallmark needs: a makeup studio), be sure to say hi.
Also posted in Photoshoots
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