In this video, QC Student Ambassador Stephanie Wyatt lets you in on the secrets she picked up while taking home study makeup courses! Get a sneak peek at what could be in store for you with QC’s online courses!
Watch the video or read below to learn all the secrets!
Stephanie dives right into some of the techniques she learnt in her home study makeup courses! She says she learnt to conquer and perfect them because of the unlimited practice time that comes with self-paced courses.
Lighting
Stephanie recalls when she first began getting into makeup at 14-years-old, she used to apply her foundation in terrible lighting – which resulted in foundation too light or dark and uneven application! Something she picked up from her online courses was to always apply makeup in good lighting! She used to struggle with this and couldn’t understand why she would always end up looking orange – she underestimated the importance of good lighting!
She suggests using natural lighting – especially for those without access to studio lights or a lit vanity. Stephanie mentions that when she began doing YouTube videos, she didn’t have access to studio lights. So, she would film the videos in front of a window to get the most even lighting possible.
She found that no matter what camera she used, it was impossible to get good photos of her makeup without proper lighting! This is especially important for those taking online makeup classes in which they have to submit photos of their work.
Photographing your work
This leads Stephanie into her next point about actually taking photos of your work. She talks about how she took her course photos on her iPhone, and suggests using the back-facing camera because it’s higher quality! Don’t fret if you’re worried about not being able to see the photo you’re taking, though! She says she learnt to use a handheld mirror to help her see the screen of her phone while taking photos of her work! This way, she got the better quality of the back-facing camera, with the benefit of being able to see the selfie you’re taking!
With this secret “hack,” you won’t need to invest in a pricey camera in order to take photos of your course work! Using just your phone, you can photograph models and yourself easily! She really emphasizes how important it is to get good-quality photos of your work!
Camera angles and poses
Next, Stephanie discusses how to pose or how to get models to pose when you photograph your work. She specifically discusses eye makeup looks. She says that taking photos with your eyes completely open or completely closed are not a good way to photograph your eye makeup!
She suggests having your eyes (or the model’s) half-closed, because it shows off your lashes and the eye shadow or eyeliner work behind them! Stephanie says this looks best when you’re taking photos of only the eye. You can end up with a silly face if you’re trying to have your eyes half-closed in a full-face shot!
She jumps into talking about angles as well. She suggests taking photos parallel to your subject or a bit higher. This will avoid strange shadows! Taking photos from above also slims the face and will make your contour pop!
She goes back to talking about using natural lighting to photograph your work. “Golden hour” is a time in the evening that is perfect for photographing your work with natural light. At this time, the sun is setting so you don’t get harsh lighting that you might get in the afternoon sun. The warm lighting also makes your skin look flawless and your highlight glow!
Your portfolio
Taking great photos will help you build an incredible portfolio! Stephanie learnt to take great photos from her home study makeup course, which has helped her build her portfolio. She emphasizes that having a great portfolio with good photos will help you impress potential employers and clients!
Take your time and practice!
With QC’s online makeup classes, you have up to three years to complete your course work. Stephanie found that this made her feel very relaxed and she had more time to practice a look before submitting it! Having no deadlines also helped her find clients and models to work on. Since her time was flexible, she was never scrambling to find someone to model for her!
Stephanie wraps up the video by letting viewers know that these secrets are what have worked for her. They may not be best for everyone, but they’re definitely worth trying out! Home study makeup courses are all about learning what works best for you!
I love makeup tutorials! They teach me so much. I didn’t really get into make up, until it was too late!!
Wow great tutorials