This is our model Cynthia in her everyday makeup. Although her makeup is perfect for everyday activities, it washed out a bit under the lighting required for a formal portrait. Although makeup should be kept natural and fresh, it should also be applied a little more dramatically than for everyday wear.

With the help of a local makeup professional, Cynthia appears here with the proper makeup for a perfect portrait. However, yellow is not the best choice for most skin tones and Cynthia's face seems a bit washed out. Although she was right to choose a solid color, yellow can make people with light colored skin appear pale, as you see here. And surprisingly, light and pastel colors actually look best on lighter backgrounds, while dark backgrounds, as shown here, look best with dark solid colors.

Prints and/or striped clothing is never the best choice for a formal portrait. The designs are distracting and overwhelming, taking the focus off the subject. Here we see Cynthia in a darker blouse, but the design and wild colors makes it hard to focus on Cynthia herself. Avoid prints or patterns - middle or deep color solids are ideal for formal portraits and long sleeves generally look better than short sleeves.

Here we see Cynthia again, this time with proper makeup and a dark color solid blouse, the perfect choice for this formal portrait. Her face tones are natural looking, even under the photographer's lights, and the focus is clearly on her. We'd like to thank Cynthia for being our ever patient model.