Hair and makeup artistry at Portraits of Connection studio.
Portland hair and makeup artist Linda Wong works her magic with Camas portrait client Janet Traweek in glittery Kpop style.
I’ll be honest: Makeup intimidated the hell out of me until very recently. At first, I wasn’t sure exactly how to integrate a hair and makeup artist (HMUA) into my practice in this new Camas portrait studio - or whether I should, at all.
When I was growing up, my mom would “put her face on.” That phrase never hit me right. Do women not have a face unless we “put it on?” That turned into baggage I’ve been trying to put down: (https://www.charityfeb.com/camas-studio-portrait-photographer-charity-feb-blog/portraits-transform-us). Defiantly, I decided early on in life that, for the most part, I wasn’t having any of that makeup stuff.
But, makeup can help express femininity. I started looking at it anew as I came out as bisexual later in life. I’d done some healing work surrounding cosmetics in the past year with my daughter, Elspeth, who just so happens to be a makeup maven. We would practice together, she would give me tips, and then we’d take selfie portraits together afterwards: (https://www.instagram.com/p/CzokcMxRyqf/).
Then, my photographer friend Missy Fant (https://missyfantphotography.com ), upon hearing of my hopes for this studio (welcoming clients from diverse, marginalized communities), leaned forward in one of our local photographer group meetings and suggested I reconsider working with a HMUA. When Missy leans in and says something to me, I listen. I started sharing my vision for this studio with more of my fellow photographers. Who do they trust for HMUA? Irina Negrean (https://www.irinanegrean.com) sang the praises of her friend and HMUA Linda Wong (http://www.lindawongmuah.com). I was thrilled when Linda agreed to meet me for boba tea to see if our styles meshed.
When we met, I shared my checkered history surrounding makeup with Linda. I remember my senior high school photos, with a photographer who made no effort to know me, all made up - did a relative apply it? I don’t remember - in a manner that did not reflect who I was, at all. Those photos did nothing for my already fragile high-school self esteem. I shared my goal - to make this portrait studio a place of healing and safety for folks in all stages of their journeys towards knowing, loving and expressing themselves - with Linda.
To my surprise, considering her impressive portfolio of arts and entertainment clients, Linda was as kind and humble as could be. She heard my own struggles surrounding makeup with patience and understanding, and described the joy she feels in sharing her art, teaching others what she knows, and bringing out the beauty in her clients. What’s more, Linda’s clients include folks in all stages of exploring their relationship with gender expression. She was excited to work with my vision, and I’m so excited to offer her services to you, my clients! As we start to work together, I find myself eagerly anticipating hiring Linda Wong for my own self portraits.
My own cosmetics journey continues. I feel I’m still in early days of learning to express myself with makeup. In homeschooling my now-teen kids, I’ve kept to the mantra that I don’t have to be an expert in every subject, but can come alongside my kids, learning with them. This practice has served us well. So it is with makeup, as I support my clients in their styling on the day of their portrait shoot.
I can share a few things I have learned recently, though:
It can be tempting to go all out and push your comfort zone with hair or makeup styling - and sometimes that push out of our comfort zone just what we need. But it’s best to speak up if you get there, and find it uncomfy! As a photographer who focuses on grooving on your wavelength, I’ll speak up if I sense a break in your groove, but remember, your portrait session is for you - both the finished photographs, and the experience itself. So feel free and welcome to speak up in your session, even if it means changing gears!
Au naturel is a fine, fine comfort zone. I still hang out here most of the time, and am delighted to find my self-portrait work transforms the me I see, makeup or no. It’s a beautiful feeling.
The more I learn about both health in my chronic illness journey, and beauty in my portrait photographer journey, the more I learn that many (if not most) of our “standards” - beauty or medical - are made up, often by folks who stand to gain by our “deficits.”
Don’t let anyone tell you who you are, who your should be, or how you should express yourself.