Whether you are flipping though a fashion magazine or a travel brochure, chances are the photographs that you see have been manipulated in some way. That sunset probably isn’t really that orange, and the ocean water isn’t that blue. And for years, photoshop has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Every time you flip through Vogue, you can’t help but wonder, Damn. Where are the stretch marks, though? 

The truth is, yes, those photographs have been touched up in one way or another. And that’s because, let’s face it- we like perfect, pretty things. 

The question now is, is that really ethical? And how much photoshopping is acceptable, or unacceptable? 

The Popular Opinion acts “holier than thou,” whining, “The ads are a misrepresentation of reality! We protest!” 

Let’s start by stripping photography down to its bare essence. The basic facts. 

Before everyone started frolicking around with their Canons and MacBooks, artists were already fiddling with reality. Take Gustav Klimt, for example, with his gold-shit-crying gal. People had already been toying with their versions of reality.  

After photography became a hit, people suddenly came up with the idea that it was the “realest form of reality.” This is partly true. Photos do catch incredible details that 20/20 vision can’t. They do seem like one of the more accurate forms of art.

But, photography isn’t the ultimate, unbiased, objective truth. That’s way too much pressure on something that’s just one moment in time. One version of reality. One 2D impression amidst the millions of 3D things that happen in a 4D world. 

Don’t forget about the photographer, either. He chooses the people he wants, writes the stories for them, and manipulates the feelings we have towards his version of reality. When we bring up “Beauty Photography” and her best friend “Retouching,” we have to ask some questions.

What does retouching even mean? What counts as retouching? What about hair, makeup, and the choice of model? And aren’t we already meddling with reality from the point of advertisement? You decide your answers. 

This is going to be a quick blog post on what I did to improve my beauty photography within the last several months. Here are 5 things that I'd like to share, so that you can become a better photographer yourself:

1. Better Understanding of How Light Works         

Understanding the physics of light is essential to not only creating interesting images, but it can also improve the quality of light on your subject. You should spend time with different lighting modifiers to learn how each one of them can affect your subject. Personally, I like using the beauty dish as it gives my subject more defined shadows and better contrast. While softboxes are great for softening the skin, I find that it can sometimes make the images look flat and uninteresting. The size of the light source will also affect your subject's skin. The larger the light source is, the softer your subject will look as it eliminates shadow areas. The same idea also applies to the distance of your subject from the light source. The closer your light source is to the subject, the softer it will look, and vice versa. Obviously, this is all personal preference. The smartest thing to do is to test out each one of the modifier and set-up to see where your preferences lie. 

Quick tip: Always tether your camera to a larger screen, so you can analyze the results as you test your light.

2. Learning How To Retouch My Own Photos

Knowing how to retouch your beauty images is essential in improving your beauty photography. You should at least know the basics of skin retouching, even if you prefer hiring other retouchers to work on your images. Knowing the basics will allow you to be aware of what to look for, and help you develop an eye for producing balanced images. There are so many great resources out there that will teach you all you need to know about skin retouching. Just go on YouTube. 

3. Getting Better Models 

As your photography and retouching improve, you will be able to work with models with better features, and better SKIN! Part of your job as a photographer is reaching out to different people, models, or modeling agencies. Be professional (with a professional portfolio - no nudes), and contact them. If you're new, you might not get any response right away. Don't be discouraged, just keep on improving your work and you will eventually make those contacts. It took me more than several attempts to get a positive response from a modeling agency, but I was conscious about my effort in improving my photography that agencies eventually allowed me to test with their models. 

4. Working With Better Makeup Artists

When it comes to beauty photography, makeup artists can make or break your work. You should only work with artists who have great attention to details. After all, you don't want to be spending hours of your time correcting someone else's mistakes in Photoshop. Similarly, as you improve your craft, you will be able to work with better makeup artists. Makeup artists really appreciate photographers who can capture and enhance details in their work, so if you can do your job as a beauty photographer, you will have no problem making contacts and building relationships with them.

5. Practicing Daily

Photography and retouching require a lot of practice if you want to get better at it. It's all about time, effort, and repetition. There's no way around that. If you want to understand lighting better, shoot in the studio more often. If you want get better with retouching, practice your retouching daily. Retouching, in my opinion, is a use-it-or-lose-it skill. If I go for more than a week without retouching, I come back to a foreign feeling on my Wacom tablet. If you're serious about your work, then daily practice is a must in mastering your skill set. 

I hope that this blog post have been informative to those of you who are getting started with photography, or to those that are curious about how I got started in beauty photography. I will be doing more of these blog posts on a regular basis. If you have any question, please feel free to write to me below. Thank you for reading!