Mark Bailey

Testing is essential to building a top-notch body of work and forging the relationships that’ll further your career, but how do you get the most out of it?

As the creative force behind Manchester’s leading makeup academy who offer professional makeup courses, KLMA, Kiera Louise Harrison imparts some of her experience for those who are looking to follow in her footsteps:

Behind every great make-up artist and carefully curated portfolio, is always a whole catalogue of experimental test shoots. Not to mention a wealth of on-set experience garnered from testing with a whole host of different photographers, stylists, models and hairstylists, all keen to push the boundaries.

Testing is a vital part of building yourself up as a makeup artist with both established connections and an impressive book, especially if you’re trying to take your career in a new direction.

Of course, it can be time consuming, and connecting with the right creatives is imperative to making it worth your while.

What should a make-up artist hope to get out of testing?

Testing is a vital part of our industry and something all makeup artists should look to do as much as possible. It not only results in portfolio images, but the on-shoot experience and relationships that are formed from collaborating are invaluable.

Choosing who to shoot with and what type of tests is the challenge. I shot with amateur models and inexperienced freelancers when I first started and, although I made contacts, the work wasn’t great. Once I started shooting with artists at my level or better, I started to see the results.

In terms of what can go wrong on a test shoot, what should a makeup-artist look out for?

Anything, and it often does go wrong, so be prepared for every eventuality. The most common issue is someone not showing up.

Many shoots have an element of improvisation, so the ability to adapt is key. Try not to throw in the towel if something goes wrong, and look for other solutions. Practically speaking, bring kit that will cover all weathers when shooting on location. We once shot in 40 degree heat and the makeup artist’s kit melted. Turns out a cool-box is multi functional.

What’s going to compel a photographer to want to test with a makeup artist?

Photographers are no different to employers. They want to see quality, experience and your style. A lot of our industry is based on perception. They choose makeup artists visually (ie: based on their portfolio) so I’d always suggest a makeup artist spends time and money making sure their work represents their artistic vision, is presented beautifully and shows that they have worked with top talent where possible.

What’s the best way for a makeup artist to self-start a test shoot?

A good test shoot starts with a single idea. What do you want to shoot? What’s the concept? Who influences your work?

I used to come up with wild ideas for test shoots that were influenced by artists, nature, fashion, film… there should be no rules or limitations when it comes to conceptualising a test shoot.

Once you’ve got an idea, put a mood board together (Pinterest is great for this) and think about where you could shoot it and who would be right for your shoot.

How would a makeup artist go about finding the right creatives to collaborate with?

My trick was always to find people who I thought were better than me. Look for freelancers who you think will bring value to your shoot.

Hair and styling are very important but if you choose a bad photographer and model, it will really show. When starting out, it can be tricky to attract the more established freelancers to shoot with you, but you’d be amazed at how many will say yes if you ask.

If you’ve got your concept together, you can add a link to your professional looking moodboard which often deflects from the fact your portfolio is at its early stages.

How do you make sure everyone gets what they need from a test shoot?

• Sit down with everyone involved before anything happens. Make sure you’re all on the same page. We have a downloadable Test Agreement which outlines things like copyright, when the images will be given out, whether or not they’ll be retouched, and if you plan on submitting for publication etc.
•  Find the balance between managing a shoot and overpowering a shoot. If you are the one who has arranged the shoot then you are probably the one with the vision.
•  Remember, you’ve chosen the others for their talents, so once you’ve showed them your idea let them express themselves. If someone isn’t getting it, take them to one side and have a quiet talk. A test shoot takes a lot of effort from a lot of people so it’s important to get it right.
•  Be serious when you’re shooting, be fun when you’re done. I once worked with a top stylist in London who I’d met socially on a few occasions. As soon as our shoot started, he stopped joking about and focused. After the shoot we all went for drinks and he was back to his fun self. I learned two things that day; Don’t mess about when the shoot starts, and you make amazing contacts if you go for a drink after.

Is it ever time to stop testing?

The only time I stopped testing was at the height of my editorial career as I was shooting on-trend campaigns that kept my book up to speed and honestly, didn’t have the time. On the other hand, when I was shooting commercial jobs that were very much just for the money, I’d test in the evenings to stay in the loop and keep my fashion crew close to me. There’s never a time to stop learning, that much I know to be true.

Article by Kiera Louise Harrison of KLMA Makeup Academy, Manchester

Video games and photography may not go together on first sight, but zoom in and focus (get it?) and you will start to see just how being a gamer will help you become a better photographer.

You hear the criticisms all the time – games will rot your brain. They make you stupid and take your attention away from any real time to learn some essential life skills. In reality, the complete opposite is the truth and these people have no idea what they’re talking about. Games aren’t just one of the greatest entertainment mediums on the planet, they are an incredibly powerful tool in teaching many skills, with one of those being photography.

Compiling an entire degree’s worth of knowledge into one engaging game is the hidden beauty of the many hits you have played in the past couple of decades, so let’s go ahead and highlight just three of the ways in which video games can help your photography skills (yes, photography too!).

1. Framing a good shot and making it count

As the graphical detail in games reaches insane levels of clarity and artistic beauty, many people felt inspired to create their own photographic marvels in-game. Developers listened and soon enough, photo modes popped up in all kinds of games – from Horizon: Zero Dawn & Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, to Gran Turismo Sport and Firewatch.

Each game has its own set of individual quirks, with many giving you full control over focus, shutter speed, aperture and more, with plenty more manual functionality. Others, on the other hand, limit you to just a 360-degree wind-up camera – Firewatch uses one as a key element of the story. This teaches you the importance of planning each shot, to be economical with your shot count.

2. Making quick calculations

Despite what you thought about maths in school, they do have some real-world applications, including photography. Working out the correct shutter speed is a matter of understanding geometric sequence, as each increase multiplies the amount of light entering the lens by a factor of two – meaning one incorrect move leads to a blown-out shot (arguably something that’s more of a concern in analogue photography, though). Oh, and don’t forget to think about the lens diameter as you adjust the aperture! If you want to get serious about photography, getting mathematical is key.

And from the exercises on Nintendo DS’s Brain Training to rapid calculations of running a Theme Park, you can train your speedy mental calculations with ruthless efficiency. These can obviously help in many other situations in life, including making rapid-fire calculations while playing video slots through working out probabilities and understanding paylines and ensuring you stay on the right side of your monthly budget.

3. Choosing the right filters

Filters do not make a shot, but they can break one. Instagram has become a great tool for both pros and aspiring starters to hone their craft and receive immediate feedback on the quality of their photos. But for every perfectly framed masterpiece, there are thousands of over-saturated, over-filtered eyesores to scroll through.

Believe it or not, many video game photo modes also come with plenty of post-shot customisations including filters to choose from. Experimenting in-game and making mistakes in the virtual world is actually training you up for real-life photography, as you start to see what filters emphasise what elements of every shot!

Take The Last Of Us for example – separate of the whole “zombies are trying to kill you” thing, the photo mode has a whole array of filters, from the subtle to more extreme. In any situation, you can bet only 2-3 of the filters work for the shot you take (with the level tweaked for perfection). Any others would the picture, and this is the important lesson to learn. Just because you have a lot of filters doesn’t mean you should use them.

As a professional photographer, one of your main concerns is how to maximise your photos for the best quality- your business depends on it.

When it comes to digital images, there are several tools that make this possible. In this piece, we will guide you through basic techniques to make your photos pop. It’s easy, even a beginner can have a go at it.

Once you master composition and exposure, you are well on your way to producing crisp quality, professional photos.

Capture interesting lighting

Lighting is easily the most underrated technique among beginners, however, experienced professionals don’t overlook it. When done well, it adds magic to the look and feel of an image. Lighting is the most important feature that will make any photograph look professional.

If you are shooting a portrait, one way to capture interesting lighting is to place the person in the shade so you can add uniform lighting on their face. Alternatively, you could make them back the sun so that their face is not raked by hard shadows.

Digital styling

It is not always enough to take photos and submit, particularly if you are building a professional portfolio. Add verve to your pictures with digital styling. It allows you to creatively alter the contrast, colours and exposure.

While some real photographers frown at Instagram filters, many will admit that images look better with digital styling. The same concept can be applied to your professional photos. Learn to play with lighting and photoshopping skills is a necessity.

Animate your photo augment

This is a cheeky photography skill and it is always fun to try. While the Ken Burns effect is a common way to bring your still image to life, it is quite overdone. Interestingly, you can use YouTube to give your 2D images 3D depth.

Tools like Movavi can teach you how to make a YouTube video. Simply open your multimedia file, add some special effects, incorporate fades, include a soundtrack and so on. An enhanced image is pixels better than a plain 2D one.

Unique perspective

Sometimes you will find an interesting subject, but the location is not nearly as interesting. Professional photos look the way they are because they are taken from a unique perspective. So instead of just accepting any position, see how you can manipulate the environment to augment the photo.

For instance, photograph the photo of a company founder from below- that is looking up at him or her to make them appear more powerful. Or, for a city skyline, take the picture from an altitude to give an aerial perspective of the whole city.

Finally, don’t forget the mood of the photo is just as important as the lighting. It is an ideal way to make you picture look more expressive. Always ask yourself, “what mood will this photo exude?” This way, you’ll avoid taking a photograph that comes out bland- a common mistake many photographers make.

As you build a portfolio worthy of professional value, you will be paving the way for bigger commissions, and hopefully more recognition in your craft.

Photographers spend endless hours perfecting their craft and sharing their work with the world, for others to enjoy. If you know an avid photographer, you’ll most likely know how passionate they are about their profession.

This Christmas, why not treat your photographer friends and family members to a special gift that you know they’ll love. Below, our list of cool Christmas gifts contains the best tools and gadgets for photography newbies as well as professionals.

For a touch of Christmas shopping inspiration, read on to discover the best gifts for photographers on the market right now.

LensPacks – £14.99

LensPacks are the perfect little gift for photographers on the go and, better yet, they’re affordable too!

This innovative lens change system allows you to change your lenses quickly and easily, so that you never have to miss a great photo opportunity again.

For LensPacks and more camera accessories, visit The Case Farm website.

Hubsan X4 Mini – £38.98

For those looking to start out in drone photography, the Hubsan X4 Mini is the perfect entry level drone to get started with. In fact, any camera enthusiast will appreciate this little gadget!

The Hubsan X4 boasts high-quality video and photo functionality as well as very stable flight, making it effortless to use. Also, with a highly durable, compact and lightweight frame, whoever you gift this great product to can take to the skies with ease!

Custom Foam Insert Case – Price Varies

Many photographer’s build their kit over time, carefully selecting the right cameras, lenses and tools to suit their needs. The end result is an extremely valuable selection of equipment that needs protecting at all costs.

A protective case with custom foam inserts from The Case Farm is the perfect gift for any photographer. You can personalise the foam to fit all of your tools snugly inside, giving you peace of mind that the contents are safe and free from harm.

Spudz Microfibre Lens Cleaning Cloth – £5.95

This may seem like a small gesture, but a lens cleaning cloth is a gift for photographers that will never go unappreciated.

This cleaning cloth from Amazon allows you to attach it to any camera, belt or case, so you’re always at the ready when your lens needs a quick clean.

Apple Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader – £29

This SD card reader from Apple is a god-send for any photographers that also own iPhones.

This handy gadget allows you download photos straight from your camera’s SD card onto your phone.

The reader also supports standard photo formats and video formats, making it easier than ever for photographers to share their work with family and friends.

Leather Camera Strap – £26.72

This durable leather camera strap from etsy shop, Tether Straps, is the perfect gift for any photographer.

It’s suede and leather materials makes it super comfortable for the wearer and its high-quality means that it will stand the test of time. It’s a thoughtful, long-lasting gift to give this Christmas.