SFX Makeup Photography. 😍

I've been lucky enough to work with some of the local beauty schools here in Dublin. They also do SFX courses, and it's so much fun to shoot.

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All of these shots were shot with my Nikon D750 and either the Sigma 85mm 1.4 HSM lens or the Nikkor 105mm Macro, which allows me to focus that bit closer.

They also utilize various versions of the Lastolite collapsible backdrop, which is an amazing tool for turning ordinary rooms into viable shooting scenes.

Lighting: Godox X1 system, usually one or two TT685n flashes, sometimes 3 or 4. Look at the catchlights for clues about what modifier is used in each case. If you're looking for a cheap off-camera "strobist" set up, I would recommend the Godox X1 system. The same trigger that you use for the flashes can also be used on the bigger Godox strobes, making the upgrade path very straightforward. If you shoot Canon, the Yongnuo stuff is superb value.

All images edited with Lightroom (I've since moved to Capture One) and Photoshop. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I'm not unable to spend long hours perfecting the retouching on each photo. In a typical day in the beauty academies, I might shoot anywhere between 8 and 20 models, with each MUA requiring up to 4, sometimes more images. Do the maths and that adds up to a lot of time retouching, even if you only spend 15 minutes on each image!

Regardless, it's terrific fun and has given me some cool shots for the portfolio. I'm shooting some SFX makeup in 2 weeks, so stay tuned for more!

Upvotes, comments and resteems grately appreciated.
If you resteem me, please let me know ;)

Oh, and Happy Hardfork!

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Shot in LA Academy, Dublin
Words and images: @condra