Glow or No Glow from a Fashion and Beauty Photography Ace
Los Angeles-based photographer and art director Jason Clark shares his perspective on glowing skin both for camera and in person. Photo by Jason Clark @jasonclarkfoto.
In addition to a wide array of pigments and colors, Mineral Air allows you to control the amount of glow you want or don’t want. Three of our products are in play here: our classic Four-in-One Foundation applied with the AirMist Device, Setting Mattifier also with AirMist delivery and Mineral Air Skin’s Renewal Serum applied with the ElixerMist Device.
With his keen eye and experience, photographer and art director Jason Clark has some excellent advice in the glow department even for those of us who don’t happen to be models on a fashion shoot.
“Without question dewy skin is beautiful in person,” says our photographer friend and art director Jason Clark. “It speaks to health and freshness. But what may look great IRL may not look so great in a photo (or on Zoom.) Too much glow doesn’t give the eye a place to rest and on some faces can look greasy.
“Glow is about light,” he continues. “Photography is about the physics of light and shadow which give definition to the form. It’s this contrast that creates interest. In the studio, we can achieve glow with makeup, hydrating products or moving the lights. I myself enjoy shooting outdoors in natural light so the time of day and weather conditions will influence the play of light and shadow on the face.”
1) Hydrating light bounce
Light requires a smooth surface to bounce off of. In skin, smoothness comes from an even texture, adequate hydration, plumpness to the touch and the absence of dryness. Whatever its cause, dry skin to the naked eye is rough and roughness absorbs light rather than reflects it.
Dry skin can be a skin type, that is, your sebaceous glands don’t produce much oil or it can be a sign of dehydration which is the lack of water in the upper layer. Splashing water on your skin won’t do much because water molecules are too large to penetrate the skin’s lipid barrier. (Sadly, it’s a myth that drinking a lot of water will hydrate your skin from the inside. Water consumption is super-healthy for tons of reasons but this isn’t one of them.)
What will help dry or dehydrated skin are topical products that are hydrophilic, that is, water attracting. They work to plump the skin by holding water in it and helping prevent what’s called transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In skincare, hyaluronic acid is an hydrophilic superstar as well as being a prominent ingredient in our very own Skin Renewal Serum. Hyaluronic acid is also a major player in our Four-in-One Foundation formula which is why skin looks so naturally cushioned and glowing after application.
2) Digital perfection
Glow attracts the eye which can be a good thing or a not such a good thing if you have skin flaws that make you feel self-conscious.
“Unlike old school photography on film,” explains Jason, “digital photography is too perfect, that is, it picks up every little thing and is quite unforgiving. So if you find yourself traumatized by selfies or other informal shots, it could be that the lens in your phone is actually too good. Be assured that in real life nobody is going to notice.
“So if you have areas you’re not happy with, my advice for both photography and real life is to take a page from professional makeup artists and stick with matte makeup on most of your face and only glow on the areas like the cheekbones that you want to emphasize.
"In terms of glow to beware of,” he warns, “is creating hot spots, particularly on the forehead. It’s a large area and if it flashes too much light that’s all the eye is initially going to see. So stick with matte there or at least matte down the center so that there isn’t this one big slab of shine.”
Photographers know that controlling glow is about telling the eye where to go. With Mineral Air on hand, you too can do the same.
What’s the difference?
Mineral Air offers two device-plus-formula categories, one for makeup, the other for skincare.
Mineral Air original (MA) includes its AirMist Device, an easy to use, everyday consumer tool that rivals professional airbrushing in its cosmetic application of our eponymous foundation, blush, or bronzer. Mineral Air Skin (MAS) features the Renewal Serum System with its ElixerMist Device for lightweight vaporized delivery.
“Photographers know that controlling glow is telling the eye where to go!”
Jason Clark
Photographer and art director
W JasonClarkFoto.com
IG @jasonclarkfoto