Makeup Party!!

For my 3rd Self-Promo, I wanted to explore some soft beauty lighting, and do an image for a beauty spread - something fun, sunny and young.   Emily Winchell, who is a photographer in her first year at RCC, was PERFECT for this.  She has such great personality and is so comfortable in front of the camera.  Emily was immediately tuned in to what I wanted, and she gave me so many options to choose from!

When shooting this, I had one softbox lighting the paper background, but I really needed two to reduce the shadows created by the streamers.  Because I didn't solve that problem in-studio, I decided to shoot a new backdrop and composite Emily onto the new one.  Here was the image I submitted for this assignment:  

It was my first time with this kind of photoshop work, but I learned so much.  We're actually learning photoshop so quickly now that I have since learned some better techniques for compositing, and plan to revisit this image and see what I can do to make it work even better.  

The multitalented Miss Holly Mann did the hair and makeup for this shoot.  She's an amazing photographer as well, and when she wasn't helping me with makeup, she pitched in to assist me with lighting and setting up the backdrop.  

Thanks so much to Emily, Holly and also to Anna Tucker, who loaned me the blouse that Emily is wearing.  Absolutely couldn't have done this with out you three!

Here is a snapshot of my lighting setup:  two broncolor lights with softboxes attached, one broncolor light with a grid for the hair light, and one broncolor on softbox pointing toward the backdrop (which in hindsight really needed another on the opposite side for more even lighting).  You'll also see I put two white panels for fill light.  

See that little space between those two softboxes?  Thats where I shot through.  Great setup, look forward to trying a version of it again soon!