Ten Steps for creating a Model Beauty Shot and podcast recap

On my podcast radio show Model Talk today I talked about Beauty Modeling tips, and
working as a beauty model comes down to two things:

1. How well you can capture your assets on camera

2. How well you can market them

Your compcard should always include at least one beauty shot, which is an image of your face showcasing your assets, like a beauty ad or skincare ad, with a fresh, natural and pretty appeal.

Beauty is an area that a shorter girl can pursue because beauty has nothing to do with height or weight.

Beauty modeling actually does have something to do with the glow you give off in your face and your height is not an issue. So don't think it is.

To market yourself as a beauty model you first need the right photos. A few different variations are best to create. Here are ten steps to creating a beauty shot.

1. Look at examples of where you see beauty shots in magazines and print ad campaigns, (you could also study commercials for skincare, beauty products and hair care), notice the ads, notice the angle of the model's face.

2. Go to the mirror and actually practice posing your face, notice what happens to it when the light hits different parts of it while you move it slowly side to side. Study your face.

3. What are your facial assets? Before you get infront of the camera, be a prepared model and smart model, first try to imagine the photo you want to capture.

4. Seek out professional photographer's, only those who know the craft of photography, and who know what a beauty shot is. Approach them by calling their photo studio or by email setting up a meeting in a public place. When approaching the photogapher send a headshot of yourself and also an example by jpeg of the type of beauty shot you are going for.

4. At the meeting, before you set up a photo-shoot, bring examples of the type of shot your are going for. See if the photographer gets the beauty shot you are going for, and if so work out a time to shoot.

5. Ask about makeup for the shoot, or suggest a makeup artist you know. It is worth paying some bucks for a good makeup artist, or if you are having a hard time, get your foundation down right by visting a cosmetic counter at a department store or Sephora a few days before the shoot and buy the foundation and apply it at the shoot, then add some mascara, curl your lashes, and some natural gloss or chapstick or lipstick, nothing too bold for lips and eyes, natural is the best beauty shot. Again you will see this when you look at ads and editorials in magazines in step 1. Bring these examples with you to the makeup counter or share them with the makeup arist ahead of time.

6. remember NOT to over-do the makeup, it should be natural, it should be the true you, not you coated in makeup. Think airy, flowers, garden, ocean, fresh, not clogging pores with cakey makeup yuck!


7. Bring hair clips and hair ties to the shoot, you may want shots with your hair down or out of your face and totally pulled back. Bring hair spray as well and a brush or comb.

8. Bring clothing! a selection of sweaters, dresses, and be aware of the front of the garment, and notice what part of the garment will be captured during the close up. You could have a pretty dress but if the front of it, when cropped and zoomed in on, looks bad it could ruin the shot.

A beauty shot could have bare shoulders but doesn't have to! So bring clothing. If you want to do something more about body, you could also bring a scarf to wrap around your bare shoulders. Stick to the style of the body and skincare ads you see in women's magazines.

9. A full body shot that is shot at high resolution could be cropped and turned into a beauty shot. Sometimes it is hard for a new model to get a beauty shot she likes if she is anxious and not experienced, so while at the shoot also take some full body shots, and later you could crop the full body into a headshot and use this as a beauty shot as well.

10. I love natural light, out doors light, and keep in midn that lighting is so important when you do a beauty shot, make sure your photographer has skills with lighting. You want the light to capture the best of you. It is not going to look as pretty if you have to photoshop the photo all day to get it looking nice. Focus on getting professionalism. Slow down and let the shots you need become a process not a race. You want the shots to be lasting, professional, beautiful and sell you well.