Makeup & Photography

Whether you're planning to hire a professional photographer for your wedding day or for family photos, having your best face forward is important! I interviewed professional wedding and portrait photographer, Danielle Allendorf of Danielle Allendorf Photography to get her perspective on the subject. Enjoy & be sure to check out some of her work at the end of the blog.

1) Does professional makeup make editing pictures easier for you as a professional photographer? If so, how?

YES! When my clients have professional make-up done for their portrait session or wedding it makes all the difference when I'm sitting behind my computer editing in Lightroom. We all have small imperfections in our skin and that's totally normal, a blemish here or there can pop up every now and then, and I know I get dark circles under my eyes even if I am well rested! We're only human. When you have your make-up professionally done, your skin looks flawless and your eyes look bright and refreshed! This saves me tons of time when I'm retouching because I don't have to worry about editing out those pesky red marks on skin or bags under eyes!

2) If a client doesn't wear makeup or get it done professionally for a shoot, how does it affect your editing & posing process?

It definitely slows down my editing time. I have to spend extra time taking out those pesky imperfections in Lightroom. I am always considering and posing my clients based on the most flattering light. But I have to be extra sensitive if they don't have make-up on when considering different poses or locations to shoot in. 

3) Have you ever had clients wish they had professional makeup done after doing a shoot?

One of my brides had a family member do her make-up. It totally looked great for about an hour. She did not do a first look, had a very long church ceremony, followed by family portraits and wedding party photos. By the time we got to bride & groom photos, her foundation was completely gone, her mascara was down under her bottom eyelashes due to the heat of the day (and the emotions), and it was a challenge to want to get those up close shots knowing I was going to have to edit out all her blemishes. It was not ideal and I definitely wish she had hired a professional.

Some might say, well isn't that your job? Photoshop? When you're editing hundreds of photos for a wedding gallery and delivering a high volume of images (sometimes 1000+), it is not ideal to have to take every single photo of your bride and photoshop their skin. If I can do it in Lightroom it's ideal, if I can totally avoid it, it's the best! They do say time is money!

4) Other tips for photoshoots or perks of having makeup done for them?

I think planning to have your hair & make-up trial done on the day of your engagement session is SO important. I know it's an extra planning step but it benefits everyone involved! You're able to communicate with your artist/stylist about what you like and don't like and it's the perfect excuse to go have photos taken! It's a win win win.

One tip that I have come across lately. People often say "You need to wear more make-up on your wedding day because it looks better in photos." While yes this is true, brides need to remember they should also feel like themselves. You have to be happy with the way you look on your wedding day - if it's not you then don't be afraid to speak up and say something. If you're not happy with it, say something. And all the more reason to have a trial run!!! As someone who hardly ever even wears mascara, I get it. Too much make-up feels weird. But hear me out - I had my make-up done by Hillary for a branding portrait session recently and was thoroughly impressed. Yes I had a full face of make-up on but it totally felt natural & light! It was truly incredible. My skin looked perfect and my eyelashes were to die for but I still felt like myself and that's the most important part! 

Visit Danielle's Site Here