NiPHEC 2014

Hi my lovelies! 

Like I said in my previous post, I attended 2 conferences in the week ending 3rd May, 2014. The first was the Makeup in Nigeria Conference and the second was the 2014 Nigeria Photography Expo and Conference (NiPHEC) which this post is about.

It was sponsored by Nikon and held from the 29th of April, 2014 to the 3rd of May, 2014. Being a big awoof lover, I attended the 2 free sessions on 2nd May, 2014 :)

The first session was about Maximizing the Potential of your DSLR Camera by Cesar Parroco, a Nikon Manager from Dubai. 

The second session was about Appreciating and Understanding Photography by Michael Imomoh, ‘The Greatest Photobiker'

I’m always looking for tips on how to shoot better photos as great pictures are necessary for a makeup artist’s portfolio, lucky for me, I got a few tips which I will share :)

• using a small aperture keeps everything in the picture sharp
• a shutter speed of 1/250 is extremely fast and will freeze subjects which are moving. Using speeds of 1/60 or 1/15 are slower and will blur the action (these can produce quite creative pictures)
• stick the eyecup of the DSLR to your eyebrow to improve stability when taking photos
• do go on one knee if you are shooting low, use tables or walls if needed
• ensure your subject is in the centre of the focus points 
• best way to shoot a person is to focus on the eyes
• remove distractions from your pictures by blurring them, i.e. use a small aperture number
• for portraits (most beauty shots are portraits) use lenses such as a 55mm, 85mm or 135mm
• when taking a portrait, focus on the eyes
• use the rule of thirds to create more interesting photos
• try to have a distinct style with your photos
• ensure you make the most of the available light, lighting is a very essential tool in taking great photos
• a reflector is essential to shooting great photos as it helps with lighting. Find out where to buy them from locally, they usually have a silver side and a gold side. I got mine from Amazon UK and its a 5-in-1 as its got the silver side, the gold side, a black side, a white side and can be used as a diffuser.
• if you aren’t sure what settings to use on your lens, you can google what the ‘sweet spot’ is for your particular lens. It will let you know what aperture value your lens takes the best photos at.

If you don’t understand some terminologies I’ve used, just tweet me @youmakeovers and I will respond, otherwise, Google is a great friend to ask :)

This last piece of information is very crucial for us MUAs. Please ensure you get your clients to sign a model release form. This form is needed whenever you take an image of someone and it will protect you against civil liability lawsuits should an issue arise sometime in the future. It will protect your client also. As much as possible, also save the release forms in case you need them in the future. There are so many templates of this form available on the internet. Google it!

Hope I’ve been able to share some information! Till my next post, love makeup, love beauty, love life!

#versefortheyear - Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord - Luke 1:45