As an actress, every two years actors need to get new headshots. It's one of
those things. We got older, we change our hair, we change our routines (for
better or worse) and we look different. I grew out my fringe, as well as the rest
of my head of hair, and lost a few kilograms (gained them again and then lost
them) in two years. It was time for new headshots.
My cousin had shot my previous photographs. While studying
photography she required a model to practice with, so I got play model for 2
hours one afternoon. We were having fun more than anything else and got some
fantastic shots while we were doing it. I also learned a lot while we were
shooting about posing and energy as it was the first time I was in a studio doing multiple photographs. I used the photos she gave me when trying to find an agent.
Despite loving the old photographs it was time for new ones.
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| Photographs taken by my cousin Danielle Botha |
Once the hair was washed and conditioned, and all the places
that needed to be shaved in the shower and plucked after the shower were shaved
and plucked, I liberally sprayed heat protect in my hair. Then my mop was blow dried
so that all my curls set properly. Otherwise half of my head looks great and
the other half looks like I slept on it. Probably outside. Then the face
started.
As a rule: no sunscreen or any products with zinc in them as
they could make my face appear white in photos when photographed with a flash. Moisturizer, always
in ample amounts, and then primer goes on to make sure that the foundation goes
on smoothly. If I have a red pimple green base goes on the spot so as to camouflage
the red and I end up looking like I’ve been marked to shoot a scene for special effects.
Then the foundation goes on. The stuff that instantly builds confidence. I start
with the shade that matches my skin. Then a shade lighter on my forehead, nose
and cheekbones and shade darker beneath my cheekbones, side of my nose and temples
in order to counter my face for the photographs and high light my cheekbones. Often lighting washes away one's bone structure so that your face appears flat in photographs so contouring helps to counteract that. Once the different smears of colour are all blended in to highlight my bone structure...OK, build my bone structure, the blush goes on. Just a little more cheekbone for me.
Then my brow bones are highlighted, and the crease of my eye is shadowed.
Close to the end I line my top line with liquid liner and put on a healthy coat
of mascara which not only darkens my already black eyelashes, but thickens and
extends them. Its natural, so that sets of strip and individual lashes
remain at the bottom of my makeup box.
A clump!
Another brush is used to try and get rid of the blob of
mascara on the end of a lash. When this proves futile I find a needle and use
that to carefully separate the lashes which the waterproof mascara was
attempting to weld together. The final touches include 8 hour cream for my lips
and powder to set everything.
The curls need help. So I grab a curling tong and re-curl
some of the hair around my face to shape it a little.
A foundation brush, blush brush, eye shadow brush, thin
angle brush, mascara brush (needle) and powder brush, a blending sponge, 2
pallets for foundation and eyeshadow colour, waterproof liquid eyeliner,
waterproof mascara, a hair dryer and curling iron and about an hour and a half
later there I was.
Natural.
Lady natural at least. If I was a guy I would arrive at the
photographer freshly showered, perhaps with a little face cream on and a
freshly shaved face. Ok, a face shaved when a girlfriend complained a day or
two ago. And the photographer would brush some powder on them so that they don’t
shine in front of the camera and they would have a different shirt there which
they would change right there.
Natural.
As I took my 6 changes of clothes home, base, mascara,
powder and lip gloss required for changes and touch ups I was happy.
Photoshop will catch anything I missed.
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