I'm having a professional black-and-white portrait taken. Should I do something special or different with my makeup?
My favorite portraits are black and white. For me, there's an artistic majesty about them, an elegant and strong accessibility. In addition, people seem to look more thoughtful, even profound, in black and white! I don't know why, since most of us live in color, but there's just this unexplainable something amplified and modified simultaneously, which lends a timeless beauty to the image.
But, because all you're seeing are tones of light and dark, when you apply makeup for black-and-white photography, the balance of contrast is everything -- and too much contrast is a killer. Remember, lighter areas appear more prominent and the darker regions seem to recede. This, coupled with already existing planes and contours of individual bone structures -- which create natural lights and shadows of their own, all have to be taken into account to create a flattering portrait.
So, as far as makeup is concerned, the idea is to even out face tone as much as possible. These tips will help.
If you do nothing else, make sure to add highlighter to the darker areas of your face, like under the eyes -- and blend well!
The best makeup will be conceived with knowledge and understanding of how the photographer is lighting the photo. Ideally, request that he set up the lighting first, so you can prepare your makeup in, or as close as possible, that very light.
Foundation should be flawless, even and smooth.
Don't ring eyes with hard black eyeliner; you'll look ghoulish. Instead, blend a hazier looking charcoal-to-black shadow, and blend outward.
Don't make the lips too shiny; you'll look like you're drooling.
Remember, create contour by placing dark next to light, best done by honoring the natural contours of your face and blending well, always highlighting with lighter shades and contouring by graduating to darker ones.
Choose the proper background. For example, a darker-skinned woman's features will appear more prominent against a lighter background, and a lighter-skinned woman will appear more vivid against a darker background.
