elementfoto wrote:
1. So I can better communicate my vision (and understand theirs) to the artists I collaborate with.
2. So I can have a better and more opinion of what does and doesn't work and why

So where can I get a HIGH END online (or book) crash course, and an ongoing (but not too time consuming) education in your areas of expertise.

(I'd rather read a book, or take an easily digestible course, than have to check a blog or youtube for "daily tips".)

the three that come to mind, and i own

Makeup: The Ultimate Guide - Rae Morris
The Art of Makeup: Kevyn Aucoin
Making Faces: Kevyn Aucoin

books at least have an editor or publisher who have vetted and determined that the author has skill of some sort. youtube videos on the other hand are only dependent on the viewer to figure out what is good advice. developing an eye and the language to talk about the subject can have pitfalls. mostly, it's about finding people who have the skills. finding them is the main problem. anyone can put color on a face. understanding what the camera sees and how each photographer's lighting and settings affect the results are things the best mua do.

hair is a bit different. there are models with good hair, models with so-so hair and models with bad hair. then you need a stylist that knows how to treat each kind of hair and work with the face and lifestyle and fit the job at hand. hanging around horst rechelbacher, diego messina and yosh for a few years helps.

"high end" is, unfortunately, over used and often misunderstood. mainly, it's a matter of knowing what you are actually looking at. one person's "high end" is another person's garbage.

Leonard Gee Photography wrote:

the three that come to mind, and i own

Makeup: The Ultimate Guide - Rae Morris
The Art of Makeup: Kevyn Aucoin
Making Faces: Kevyn Aucoin

books at least have an editor or publisher who have vetted and determined that the author has skill of some sort. youtube videos on the other hand are only dependent on the viewer to figure out what is good advice. developing an eye and the language to talk about the subject can have pitfalls. mostly, it's about finding people who have the skills. finding them is the main problem. anyone can put color on a face. understanding what the camera sees and how each photographer's lighting and settings affect the results are things the best mua do.

hair is a bit different. there are models with good hair, models with so-so hair and models with bad hair. then you need a stylist that knows how to treat each kind of hair and work with the face and lifestyle and fit the job at hand. hanging around horst rechelbacher, diego messina and yosh for a few years helps.

"high end" is, unfortunately, over used and often misunderstood. mainly, it's a matter of knowing what you are actually looking at. one person's "high end" is another person's garbage.

elementfoto wrote:
I actually know Rae Morris personally

then why don't you ask her if you can sit in on a workshop when she's in the states? didn't really develop an good eye for makeup and hair until i had hung out with people who knew what they were doing and listen to them talk shop, discuss the models and worked with them for a while. the back and forth interactions while working with them helps you to understand how to talk with the mua and hair stylist. you know what they are looking for and they understand what the photographer is trying to accomplish.