I recently had the chance to assist my friend and photographer Jeff Mawer (jeffmawer.com IG: metakephoto) when he shot the Art of Makeup School students’ final projects. The Art of Makeup School is located in Portland Oregon not far from where I live.

Their goal being (from their website)

The Art of Makeup School is dedicated to supplying quality education in the art, business, and techniques of professional makeup artistry for the film, television, theater, media, special effects and fashion industries. Our goal is to prepare students with the technical, creative, and marketing skills required to achieve a successful career in makeup artistry.

Entering the main studio was like entering a wild jungle; the movement, the sound, and the smells all contributed to this frenzied atmosphere where students were busy finishing their projects.

They had a photo studio in the back; I only had to navigate past a hoard of various creatures, fantastical beings, and their creators. The focus was of an intensity that I slipped past unnoticed and I luckily didn’t bump into anyone.

Besides shooting some behind the scenes photos I was able to shoot a few photos myself. I didn’t use any of the strobes we had setup because I wanted to be as unobtrusive as possible and I had to be ready to adjust lights as needed.

Even with temperatures in the mid 30s and a slight rain there were a few artists who wanted to brave the elements with their models and shoot outside.

Overall it was a delight to see the student’s creations and creativity come to life with the help of their models.