How to create a close-up beauty portrait

Photographer Jessica Wikström’s client, a make-up artist, was entering a competition for eyelash extensions and needed an image that really showed off the work she had done. Jessica decided to create a close-up beauty portrait to really amplify all the details of the work. Here are the steps for creating the look yourself.

Step 1. Add an Umbrella Deep White XL with diffuser to your Profoto D1/D2 or other Profoto flash go get a very soft light on the model.

Step 2. In order for the light to have some character and not being too flat, position it a bit to the side to create more depth.

Step 3. Add a V-flat to light the shadows that will appear in the model's face. This will also emphasize the highlights in the make-up.

Tips
When it comes to beauty portraits, try to think about what should be in focus and enhance that through lighting. It could be a colorful lip or the eyes of the model. Black flags can be used to remove light and to create negative fill. 

Use a camera suited for detailed beauty shots. Jessica used a Fujifilm GFX 50s with a 110 mm lens to really capture the details with sharpness.