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Should I hire a Make-Up artist? For Headshots?

1/30/2016

Make-Up Artist Betsey McKenzie of www.be-luminous.net

Neither of the above photos are retouched or edited in anyway.

Are you debating on whether or not you should investment in professional make-up application for your photo shoot? I hope this convinces you that it's a great investment...

No stress about if your foundation is the right color, if your eyebrows are colored in enough, or even application. This gives you time to arrive as scheduled and stress free.
Not all make-up is created the same. Your $7.99 drugstore foundation may not photograph well or provide enough coverage for your skin tone and type. Having access to the best make-up money can buy is guaranteed when you hire a pro.
Learn what best works for you, from someone trained to make you look your best. Hiring a pro is also giving you access to all the knowledge she has! Learning new things about how to amp up your routine is just one of the perks of hiring a Make-up artist!
You still have creative control, but now with professional execution. Have you always wanted to try a dramatic cat eye but you just can seem to get them to match? This is great way to try make-up styles you don't feel confident to try yourself simply based on how well you can apply. And if you don't like it, you can try something else!

I can't think of a time when a Make-Up artist was hired as part of a headshot photo shoot and my client wasn't really happy with the end result. Having a personal touch in the studio while feeling pampered and special is just a small perk of the service!

Check out more of Betsey's work at www.be-lumious.net!

Schedule your headshots for Valentine's Day now! It's a great time to start an online dating profile!

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My favorite lighting set ups

1/19/2016

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My 4 favorite lighting setups

My favorite lighting set up personally is the 16' beauty dish with sock. I love hard shadowing and the way it gives dimension to the face. I feel like this lighting is interesting and dynamic. I would say it's best suited for creatives or perhaps online dating profiles. It can be used for corporate head shots, but is more artistic than commercial in it's aesthetic.

Ironically due to it's compact size this lighting modifier is what I use for onsite product and food photography. I am attracted to the way this light creates such beautiful shadowing, and really lends some dimension to my compositions.

Taking my favorite modifier and adding in a reflector makes this light appear more "commercial". Basically softening the shadowing on the face but leaving a lot of dimension this photo is anything but flat. I would recommend this for an updated commercial photo, online dating photo, or acting headshot. You'll notice that the reflector also lightens up the background. In this case I am using an 8' silver reflector that really throws the light back. A smaller reflector directed on the face will not fill in your background the same but it will soften your shadows for a less dramatic lighting effect.

My 60" Brolly box is a cherished light modifier. I really love the romantic and soft light it throws on my subjects. I am, primarily a single light setup photographer and these two light mods are my "go to's". You'll see that this light can almost mimic natural light which is great in the winter months here in the midwest when it gets dark at 4pm. I use this for the majority of my corporate clients. It is also dynamic in shadowing and doesn't flatten the face.

The challenge with such a large light modifier is low ceilings. This image, shot in studio with 14' ceilings allows for me to really work with the light. Onsite, with low or 8' ceilings this mod can feel like it's taking up the room... but it's worth it.

You can see by adding in my 8' reflector in this case I am lightening the shadows on the face but not really changing the background lighting. This is due to the size of the modifier itself and directing a larger pool of light everywhere. The side effect of this again, is soft beautiful even light. The reflector just throws enough light back onto my subject as to lighten my shadows without removing them and keep I the dimension to the face and not flatten my image. This is a great go-to light set up for my corporate head shot clients and is often how I shoot my clients onsite. This light is interesting and doesn't appear to be "studio portrait" or "classic" but still conveys professionalism.

Finally as a comparison here is a shot of just natural afternoon window light and my 8' reflector again. You'll see that the Brolly most mimics this afternoon lighting and looks quite natural. I do love natural light for head shots and will always try to capture that first. The studio has large banks of windows and it really casts great light. I suppose it helps that the windows haven't been cleaned since the 1970s so the grime softens the light. I'm not kidding. Lol, the dirtier your windows the more diffused your light. So if you're getting really harsh shadows from your window light consider putting the window cleaner down for awhile and letting them get a little grimy for this diffused look!

Special thank you to Mike Bredon for being my lighting model. I really have a great time working with Mike! I just noticed how these images get a little less smiley as they go down, lol but I shot them in reverse order! Goes to show how goofy I get to work out some smiles! Thanks again Mike!

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WRESTLEPALOOZA VII

1/11/2016

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January 8th in the First avenue main room, sold out!

Here's some high res photos from the show! Unfortunately a series of events kept me from getting to see the first few matches... my doors were frozen shut and I couldn't get into my car. I made it for the last few matches and am sharing my favorite images here with you! Feel free to comment, tag and share the link with your friends, performers or wrestlers! Support your local indie artists and performers! Thank you to Arik Cannon and John Smith for the opportunity!

More when I have time! Stay tuned or check back! And get out there and support your indie pro wrestlers!

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Happy New Year!

1/6/2016

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2016, The Year of Change. Saying goodbye to the Jax

Lindsay Lundeen

2015 was a great year and brought with it amazing and wonderful clients and experiences. I met and worked with a lot of talented models and actors in personal work and forged new friendships! I look back and feel grateful for all of my experiences personally and privately.
The end of 2015 brought news that the artist building where the studio is located has been sold to a developer and will become condos and a brewpub. We will have to vacate our studios prior to May 1st. This means 2016 brings in a year of change and growth! I feel as if this will be an opportunity to push myself and the studio forward and achieve new goals. I'm looking forward to building the business up and creating new art that focuses on the beauty of light. Here's to a bright and prosperous New Year!
Here is an article about the building sale from the Saint Paul Pioneer Press:
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_29122228/artists-work-space-sold-redevelopment

LIndsay Lundeen, Wendy McCarthy's studio at the Jax

I wanted to document as much of the Jax as I can prior to the building closing its doors to the creation of art. I was welcomed by Wendy McCarty and was able to document her space after her 12 year residence in this studio. I was hoping to capture the calm and relaxing vibe of this space. Lindsay Lundeen is photographed in Wendy's grandmothers Kimono from the 1920s. Thank you Wendy for welcoming us to create in your space. I can't wait to see what you create with Lindsay!

Artist Wendy McCarty and Model Lindsay Lundeen

Lindsay Lundeen with artist Melanie Bethke's paintings

I also captured Melanie Bethke's showcase area in the studio. She wasn't in studio while we were shooting so I only captured her display area. I love her work and how she captures movement. These paintings are stunning in person. I can't wait to see what kind of display area she captures in her new studio! No website to link to her work... yet so stay tuned!

I'll be trying to capture more artists work and spaces prior to the permanent closing of the Jax artist building and sharing them with you!

Again here's to a bright and prosperous New Year!

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What our customers have to say

I worked with Elle Halls of Nouvelle Design Studio for my business profile picture (used for LinkedIn, email, website, business cards, etc.) and she was amazing! She really listened to what I wanted, and made me a part of the process, stopping many times throughout the shoot to show me how the photos were looking. What I thought was going to be a "business errand/chore" ended up being a lot of fun! I highly recommend using Elle for your photography project.

Thumbtack client Kristin J.

Excellent experience. Elle was able to coach out the "model" in me and provided many shots I can pick from. She went well above and beyond me expectations and the final product is excellent.

Thumbtack client Scott J.

Working with Elle was wonderful! I was doing a fashion shoot and it was so fun! She's very nice, funny, and professional, the shoot went like that! She has a very keen eye and did wonderful work! Very happy with my photos. Thanks, Elle!

Thumbtack client Elena C.

I love the photos of myself and my daughter. We were given excellent direction so we could get the best shots. I couldn't be happier with the results! I highly recommend booking a session for any type of photography you are looking for!

Shelly S.

Blog

Should I hire a Make-Up artist? For Headshots?

Make-Up Artist Betsey McKenzie of www.be-luminous.net

My favorite lighting set ups

My 4 favorite lighting setups

WRESTLEPALOOZA VII

January 8th in the First avenue main room, sold out!

Happy New Year!

2016, The Year of Change. Saying goodbye to the Jax

Lindsay Lundeen

LIndsay Lundeen, Wendy McCarthy's studio at the Jax

Artist Wendy McCarty and Model Lindsay Lundeen

Lindsay Lundeen with artist Melanie Bethke's paintings

Elle Halls

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