Star wrote:

A god photographer can guide the process. Paying for a quality model with great skin, teeth and hair will be wonders for your portfolio. No matter how good the make-up, if it isn't on the right type of model is is worse than useless in your portfolio. If the photograph is poorly lit, then it is useless for your portfolio.

A lot of us do work for student make-up artists that help them get to place where they can do
quality tests, and from there do paying work.

Most agencies will not approve someone to do make-up on their girls unless they already have agency girls in their portfolios.

Listen, look at my work, go on my site. Good tests to not equal a career, experience, patience and a little luck equal a career. Her paying someone does not mean she will suddenly have a career. And it's wrong to imply such a thing. Agencies don't approve the make up artist, they approve the photographer and trust that that person can choose a good make up person. She should work up to the level, not pay and hope for the best. Look for real clients, collaborate with artists and have the respect to see us as fellow artists not as payment for your rent. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet a prince, and you have to have a lot of shitty tests before you get some good ones there's no easy way out.

KungPaoChic wrote:

I agree with that but I also think a makeup artist should have a few kickbutt beauty shots in her book that showcase her work.

And of course the value of having some tearsheets from a legitimate print magazine helps too.

yuuuup or she could work with someone who isn't too far away who LIKES to shoot beauty

MA YE wrote:
Listen, look at my work, go on my site. Good tests to not equal a career, experience, patience and a little luck equal a career. Her paying someone does not mean she will suddenly have a career. And it's wrong to imply such a thing. Agencies don't approve the make up artist, they approve the photographer and trust that that person can choose a good make up person. She should work up to the level, not pay and hope for the best. Look for real clients, collaborate with artists and have the respect to see us as fellow artists not as payment for your rent. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet a prince, and you have to have a lot of shitty tests before you get some good ones there's no easy way out.

Listen, go to my work go to my site. I actually know a bit about this.

A make-up artist with a portfolio full of non agency standard llamas WILL NOT get tests with even passable photographers. No one i know would bring on a MUA that doesn't have at least a few solid shots.

If your portfolio is not even a little bit developed you will not be allowed to even kiss the frogs. Instead you will do test after test and get nothing usable back, because the team wasn't worth working with.

We already know the OP is not getting what she wants or needs from tests. She is not able to test up. She is STUCK.

If she wants to progress her best bet is to pay some people to help her develop her portfolio. Once she has a few viable images she can then find better photographers to use her on test shoots with agency llamas.

But as it stands she will NEVER get that chance because the only people working with her can't give her what she needs. They can't guide her. They will ask for shit like dark eyes and red lips, and then bring in a short llama with terrible skin and frayed extensions. The images will never look good, no matter her skill level, because she is working with the wrong people.

A few shoots with agency standard llamas, and photographer who know how to shoot at least decently, will help shave YEARS off of her portfolio building. And it will also help curb bad habits that form, like thinking that taking inspiration fro the candy episode of ANTM is a good thing.

If you want to work in the fashion industry you need clean looks on beautiful llamas shot by someone who knows what they are doing. You are not going to get that with a test, unless you already have something that looks like you can do that in your book. A few great shots in her book will lead to more tests, better tests, more fruitful tests.

Star wrote:
no, they are not. The crew are people who love my work and want it in their portfolio as payment for being a part of my work. They are not my clients. Clients pay me.

On a TFP shoot, they ARE paying you. With their time.

Mask Photo wrote:

On a TFP shoot, they ARE paying you. With their time.

no they are not, I AM compensating them with my images. People pay me in money.

Luckily i am good enough that people like and want my images as compensation.

Star wrote:
no they are not, I AM compensating them with my images. People pay me in money.

edit: pfft, not worth the drama

ChiMo wrote:
Jen, what you want to do is test with photographers that specifically shoot beauty. Find those guys (or girls) and see if they are open to testing.