Photoshoot Guidelines

(AKA The Controversial Blog Spinoff)

The world of makeup artistry portfolio and network-building would rely on photoshoots. Photoshoots are part of beefing up a makeup artist's portfolio. These photoshoots may be paid or unpaid, but for shoots where money is not involved, there are a few things I would like to clarify.

My good friend and fellow makeup artist Tippy wrote a blog entry in his website some clarifications in photoshoots as well as certain protocol in photoshoots. Apparently, there have been makeup artists complaining that they were not fed, the pictures take ages to come out, or they have been mislead. As a follow-up post to the controversial blog entry that has awakened makeup artists, I would like to write this post as well. Part of being a good freelance makeup artist is being a good businessman/businesswoman. If you must work where cash is not involved, whether a new makeup artist or a veteran, you must know your rights and privileges.

X-deal versus TFCD versus TFP

Please note that these three terms are different. Please do not use them loosely if you don't know what they mean. The similarity between X-deal, TFCD, and TFP is that cash is not involved. For X-deal, instead of money, in exhange for our services, we get a premium item like clothes, makeup, gift checks, etc. TFCD means we get a CD of ALL the pictures taken and the chosen pictures in a seperate folder. There should be a CD that we receive instead of grabbing pictures in Multiply or what-not. TFP means Trade for Print, meaning we get PRINTS of the choice pictures and a CD. These terms should never, ever be interchanged.

Food is not a privilege. It is a RIGHT. (I quote from Tippy)

Hungry makeup artists are cranky, moody, dizzy, and most of the time, work is not executed well. So please feed your makeup artists, or offer water/refreshments at least.

Confirm the day before or earlier.

This also applies to paid shoots, personal clients, events, etc. Please keep in touch. We have our emails, cellphones, and all contact information in our websites. Don't leave us hanging. If you received an email/PM/text from us of the price list you asked for, please acknowledge that you have received it. If we confirmed our attendance for the photoshoot, please acknowledge. Please keep in touch also with regards if we also have questions, for the pegs, or whatever instead of leaving makeup artists hanging.

A makeup artist is a makeup artist.

When we say makeup artist, we do makeup. If we are hair-and-makeup artists, we do hair and makeup. A stylist provides the accessories and clothes.

For location shoots, please secure all permits necessary plus clarify the facilities that should be used.

Renting studios have the package of being able to use the dressing room/makeup room, lights, power outlets, etc. For location shoots, it would be different. Facilities include use of power outlets that are important for lights, blowdrying/hairstyling equipment, compressor (if using airbrush makeup), lights, and each and every area to be shot. Specify the areas that you will be using, because some locations really need specifics. If you need to use lights or power equipment please specify. Also, in doing location shoots, survey the area first if there's a good place to do makeup or dress up. If there's none, provide a studio/makeup area that's comfortable for the model, makeup artist, and hairstylist and then go to the location and just touch up there.

If you are a group of makeup artists/stylists stick to your models.

If you must change the makeup/retouch another model, do not grab the model and powder him/her without asking permision from the makeup artist who did the makeup. Ask the makeup artist who did the makeup and ask "Can I retouch your model?" or "Can I do your model's hair?" out of respect to the other makeup artist. That's ethics. Even if you're very close to the other makeup artist, you still must ask permission. Do not touch what's not yours.

If it's pro-bono, please help out with the transportation and miscellaneous product usage at least.

Our gear's heavy, mallette pa lang haggard na. Maarte ang MRT, and imagine lugging all the stuff we have, especially if we are to do hair pa. If you could arrange for transportation, please do. Otherwise, please help with our cab fares and fare sa gas, toll, parking, etc. Nababawasan rin produkto namin like tissue, sponge, cotton buds, etc.

Please give us the pictures instead of making us wait for ages.

Some take ages for pictures to be given to us, months or years even. Those are our work.

Credit properly.

Self-explained.

These are some of the many guidelines of photoshoots. I'm just writing from experience and also from the experiences of my fellow makeup artists. Makeup artists, especially the good ones, are not just plucked out from a neighborhood parlor. They trained, invested, and experienced blood, sweat, and tears in an expensive and prestigious makeup school. Makeup also is expensive, even the drugstore brands. Makeup artists also have rights and it's time we are all awakened, whether a hobbyist, a newbie, or a veteran, we all deserve to be treated well .