When it comes to getting a great photograph of yourself, ensuring that you look your best is obviously a top priority. One common challenge many people face is dealing with oily or shiny skin, which can affect the overall appearance in photographs. When a powerful light like a studio flash hits your face, a very noticeable glare or hot spot can be created where the skin is oily. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: blotting your face!
Most people don’t even realize they may have oily skin, but it’s something that can affect just about everyone. If you live in a humid climate it’s easy for perspiration to build up on your skin. If you were fairly active throughout the day before your photo session it can affect you. It can even happen to women who take great care with their makeup.
It’s a very quick and simple solution, just use some blotting papers or tissues before your photo session. It will give a much better overall look to your photographs and can definitely reduce your photographer’s retouching time! Some of the many benefits of blotting your face before stepping in front of the camera are…
Reduce Shine
Excess oil on the face can reflect light and create an unflattering shine in photographs. Blotting your face with specially designed papers or tissues helps to absorb the excess oil, giving your skin a more matte and even appearance. By reducing shine, you can achieve a flawless complexion that looks natural and well-balanced in photos.
Enhance Skin Texture
Oily skin can often appear uneven or textured in photographs, making it difficult to achieve a smooth and polished look. Blotting your face removes the excess oil that may settle on the surface of your skin, helping to create a more refined texture. This smoothness translates beautifully in photos, making your skin look more even and flawless.
Prevent Makeup Smudging
If you’ve spent time perfecting your makeup before a photo shoot, the last thing you want is for it to smudge or transfer onto other surfaces. Blotting your face aids in preventing such mishaps by removing excess oil that can cause makeup to slide or smudge. By keeping your makeup intact, you can ensure that your carefully applied cosmetics stay fresh and well-defined in your photos.
Minimize the Appearance of Pores
Oily skin often emphasizes the visibility of pores, which can be distracting in close-up shots. Blotting your face before a photo session can temporarily minimize the appearance of pores, giving your skin a more refined and airbrushed look. This reduction in pore visibility contributes to a smoother overall complexion and enhances the quality of your photos.
How Best to Blot Your Face
The best time to blot your face is before photos start to get taken. Your photographer will hopefully offer you the chance to blot your face and provide the materials. Your photographer might even take some test shots first to see how the lighting is working with your face, then take note of any oily or hot spots showing up in the photos.
The materials you use can vary. Normal tissues can do a good job, paper towels can too. There are even very specific blotting tissues that you can purchase that are very thin but specifically made to pull oil off the skin. If you’re careful then all of these can do a pretty good job to reduce shine in photos.
The main areas of the face affected by oily skin are the forehead, cheekbones, and nose. If you blot these areas you should be fine. However, the most important tip when it comes to blotting your face is this: Do Not Rub. In other words, it’s called blotting for a reason. You press the tissue or blotting paper gently against your face, hold it a few seconds and then lift away. Do this over and over to lift the oil from your skin in the troublesome areas.
If you take a paper towel or tissues and just start rubbing your face up and down, this will definitely remove the oil. It will also irritate your skin and make it red, then we have another issue in your photographs! Rubbing your face can also smudge and remove makeup, which we also don’t want.
Some Extra Tips for Makeup
Choose makeup products with a matte or satin finish rather than those with a high sheen or shimmer. Matte finishes tend to absorb light rather than reflect it, reducing the likelihood of hot spots in photos. Some makeup products are specifically formulated to be camera-friendly and reduce the risk of hot spots. Look for products labeled as “photo-friendly,” “camera-ready,” or similar descriptions, as they often have a formulation that minimizes shine and reflects light in a more flattering way.
I hope this article gave you some tips that help improve your next photo session.
Enjoy!
