A Look at DPX

I'd like to spotlight a good friend and one of my favorite working partners, DPX. When I met DPX I immediately liked him because he reminded me of one of my oldest friends. We had many online discussions and met in person before we worked together. When we did, it was like we'd done it a hundred times before. I'm incredibly comfortable around him and find that I am never disappointed in our work together. From elegant to funky, we pull it off!

Here are some of my favorite pieces he's done with other models.

It's Fine Art, Not Porn

There is nothing more frustrating as a nude model than meeting the accusatory stares when you tell someone what you do as a hobby. Here in the bible belt, any time I tell someone I am a fine art model, I get blank stares. Occasionally I can leave it at that but more often than not, people want clarification. When I explain that fine art modeling is tasteful, classy, artistic nudes, all they hear is "I DO PORN". And it's rather difficult to change someone's perception once they think the worst of you. So for a while I would simply say I model. But people always assume this means you're on advertisements and have some sort of contract with a major makeup brand or something. And once you explain to them that you prefer to work with local artists than be represented by some horrible, soul-sucking agency, they give you the look. The "oh-that's-so-cute-she-thinks-she's-a-model" look. Seriously, folks?

For the most part, I don't even tell people I model anymore. It's way more difficult than it's worth and I'm not a fan of lying. But as something that is so important to me, it's hard to keep it a secret. It's not the status as a model, it's the artistic endeavor. I do very few "artsy" things so I pour out a lot of my artistic side into my modeling. I want to be able to share it with more people. But as long as I live in the bible belt, I don't see this happening. Enter, the internet. I've found a nice little niche on deviantArt and thank goodness for that. I would highly recommend using this site, even if you aren't in an artistic closet. I've made a lot of great contacts on the site and I feel completely at ease sharing my pictures because there is a huge community dedicated to fine art photography. Go check it out and while you're at it, hit up my page.

The Look Book

Something I find to be incredibly useful when practicing makeup is keeping a "look book". I'm constantly browsing wedding magazines and occasionally others like Glamour and Cosmopolitan. I cut out pictures of makeup, hair and nail looks that I like. Then I paste them in a notebook and refer to it when I'm practicing different techniques. Here are a few pictures of my look book.

Your look book can be as simple or sophisticated as you want. I used an unlined journal I've had for years because I love the cover but hate writing on unlined pages. It's finally found a good use and I can quickly refer to many different makeup ideas.

Cut out and paste whatever strikes your fancy. I like to pick crazy looks that I wouldn't wear on a day to day basis so I can get practice doing new, creative makeup techniques. If you don't want to pay for a makeup artist for photo shoots and want to develop your own skills, a look book can very helpful.

Tips for a Successful Photo Shoot Part 2

Last time we talked about the importance of makeup. This week I'd like to discuss two more asthetically related things that contribute to a successful photo shoot. Just a short one this week :)

Nails: It's really important to have clean nails. Duh, right? No, not duh. Not duh because too many models break this rule. And yes, it is a rule. Just because you aren't a hand model doesn't mean you can ignore your hands. Even when your hands aren't the focus, dirty or unkempt hands can distract from a beautiful photo. Look at the picture above. Now imagine it with dirty fingernails. Yuck. I was a nail-chewer for the past 22 years of my life. But when I decided to get serious about modeling, I also decided to stop chewing my nails. And it's made all the difference, as evidenced in that picture.

Hair: If you dye your hair, you really need to have it freshly dyed when you do a photo shoot. Not only does this make it shinier for pictures (dull hair = boring), roots in a different color than the rest of your hair does not translate well in pictures, or real life for that matter. Even if you don't dye your hair, you need to give it some attention. Use good products to make sure your hair is shiny and clean. If your hair is naturally curly, fantastic! But I would recommend using a frizz serum if you get frizzies. My hair is bone straight and I get frizzy and poufy in the humidity so I use Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine formula. And greasy is not shiny, greasy is just yucky in pictures. And yes, you can tell in pictures. So take care of your hair and make sure it is in its best condition before you go to a shoot!