MOTH Washing line SALE

MOTH is having a washing line sale on Sunday!! Jo, the designer and owner from the brand is a very good mate of mine.  You may have noticed that Jo style’s many of the shoots I work on.  Well obviously I was very happy to help her shoot the flyer for the SALE.  Check it out and go shopping…camp out the night before…go mad!!  Limited stock available.

Carike Keuzenkamp for the cover of LIG Magazine

I was fortunate enough to work with the lovely people from Lig Magazine, when we shot the September Cover featuring Carike Keuzenkamp and her two grandsons.

The photographer was Johan Wilke and Kim Gray did the styling. 

 Find this issue of Lig on shelves now.

Taking home the Gold

The annual VOW Sabia Awards was held last week Thursday at The Vineyard Hotel in Newlands.  Unfortunately I did not attend, but I heard it was a wonderful evening.

I got an email from Sabia today with a small summery of the winners.  Turns out that I won Gold for best Make-up artist in Cape town.

Thank you for all your support!

For further information about SABIA or to see a complete list of the 2010 SABIA Brides’ Choice Awards, please visit SABIA

Bright eyes

I love this bright eye – This was the story that Olivari and I, never got to finish, on the day we did the Natural Beauty shoot.  We will however, book Kayla again and finish it up.  Next time, I might tweak it a bit more.  I like the word tweak…I might just make it, the word of the month.  (ha ha!)

How to get started?

I have recently had a lot of aspiring make-up artists mailing me for advice.  They are either just out of college and need to start working, or they are in the wedding industry and seeking work in the commercial market.  Everyone wants to know what the secret is to finding loads of work…  In my experience, it is perseverance.

 This is my 9^thyear working as a make-up artist.  My spirits have been lifted many times and in a heartbeat they have been thrown to the floor and stepped on.  I have heard a lot of NO’s, but I knew what I wanted and I am still working at it, EVERY day, to get it.  The first three years of my career was part-time and mostly assisting.  It was tough and I did a lot of freebie’s. But I had to do it.  I find so many ‘freshman’ complaining or refusing to do free tests.   “Why should we test?” 

1. Every free test you do is at least two pictures in your book. 
2. You get to network and meet new photographers, stylists and models (word of mouth is your best tool)
3. You get to play around with new products and with no creative boundaries. (unless you have a set reference)
4. And lastly, It is fun!!  I looovvee to test!

I was lucky enough to start building my portfolio before I went abroad.  Having something in my book made it easier to get small jobs overseas.  And the shoots I did in the UK, has helped me tremendously to lay down a very solid foundation for the work I have done back home in SA.  I still try to test as often as I can.  Not because my book desperately needs it, but because I find it sets me free.  I get to constantly push myself, amaze myself and sometimes even impress myself.

 “How do I start assisting or testing?”

1. If I had to do this all over again, I would phone up a list of magazines and ask them to mail me details of ten make-up artists.  (this is if you are seeking work in the editorial field)  If you seek work in the wedding industry, focus on artist working mainly in this field.
2. Phone up the artists and offer your services to them.  Ask if you can spend a week with them, or even just a shoot. 
3. On that shoot or in that week, carry bags, wash brushes and make yourself ever so much useful.
4. Phone up artist management companies and photographers to tell them that you are looking for assisting work – referrals work wonders!
5. Many agencies even have a list of photographers that are looking to test too.  They can hook you guys up…
6. Go to photographic schools and drop your details there.

 I can go on all day, but I think you get my point…?  It all boils down to pictures.  We want them, we want them to be great and we want them in our books…  You can be as sweet and talented as anything, but if you don’t have the pictures or tearsheets in your book nobody will even look your way.  Like my father says…”It pays to advertise, if you can deliver the goods.”

 I hope that this has helped.  If you need more specific advice, please inbox me.  Have a wonderful week, love, hugs and kisses. Sebastine

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