A little background and tour of my new Vancouver studio

I know the pandemic resulted in a lot of big changes for a lot of people. In my case, I also had to deal with some very serious illness in my family and the difficult and emotional conclusion of a decade long relationship. But, with sad endings, come beautiful (and sometimes a little scary) new beginnings. After a frustrating stint of looking for live/work studio rentals, I went to a viewing at what was once a Liquor Distribution Warehouse, built in 1901.

It was converted decades ago to lofts and was the very first artist live/work building in Vancouver. A long time resident who has been here since the beginning told me that when it opened, there was a line around the block of hopeful artistic applicants. This place is special and I’m so honoured that I get to call it home. Unlike other Vancouver buildings I’ve lived in, there is a sense of community here and although I’ve only had my place for a month, I’ve met some incredible people. There’s Beata Kacy, my lovely building manager and founder of Soigne and Octopus Studios who has fantastic stories of her many travels. Jennifer Williams is a talented boudoir photographer a couple floors down from me and she instantly felt like someone I’d been friends with forever. She brought me sushi when I had no furniture and we sat on the floor and laughed and got to know each other. And across the hall, there is Ashley Wray, of Mala Collective, whom I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting in person yet as she’s adventuring in Europe, but I just know through our text communication is an absolute sweetheart.

I’ve added a few more plants since this video was taken, but this gives you a good idea of the space.

Here are some images I’ve taken in here so far!

Claire of Key Models, H+MU by Rio Translado - Lia Liza of Key Models Styling by Jason Pillay - Briana Buckmaster, H+MU by Swank Make Up Artistry

I cannot wait to invite you over to take your headshots, maternity photos, commercial beauty and more and I hope you love this place as much as I do! Also, comment your favourite tropical house plant because I’m not done with this obsession.

Check out our "Ugly Location" challenge and enter to win a Profoto A10!

One of the highlights of this year so far was being able to work with Profoto and Socality on an ugly location challenge with two other super talented photographers. We were each provided with a couple of A10s and some modifiers like gels, soft boxes and grids and we were given 15 minutes with a model in an ugly location. When I tell you….I gasped when I walked into this garage!!! It wasn’t like….a cute vintage garage….there were boxes of TP and random Tupperware containers. I could feel the panic rising in my chest but I somehow volunteered to go first. It was truly so incredibly cool to be able to see how everyone harnessed the light in different ways to create images that were pretty in line with our styles. I work with artificial light often, but usually in a studio setting and usually with large modifiers, Nicole Ashley (a super talented portrait and wedding photographer) rarely uses flash and I was blown away with how she emulated the sun. Jonathan Zoteman who creates the dreamiest imagery and shoots frequently in more urban environments, used the light by almost painting with it via shutter drag.

Check out the full video and all of our final images here!

…and while you’re at it, you can enter to win a Profoto A10 and let me tell you, these little lights pack a serious punch for their size! You definitely need one in your kit! You can also vote for your favourite photographer while you’re at it ;)

Check out my final shots of Tasy Nicole with glam by Janna Huget

Leave a comment below and let us know how we did!

A wet look moment with Asel and Rio.

For this look, we were inspired by an iconic power shot of supermodel Christy Turlington with wet hair and a black bodysuit. Usually when Rio and I brainstorm a concept, we’ll find a few images, usually vintage, that we’re inspired by and try to put our own spin on them. This was the image that we loosely based our shoot with Asel on.

Having only ever shot with strobes or natural light, I was excited to try shooting with continuous LEDs and was curious to see how the experience would be. When you light with LEDs, what you see is what you get - you can adjust your lighting and see how your images will turn out in real time. The Nanlite Forza 500 is powerful enough that you can shoot with a range of apertures and it also worked really well for behind the scenes video.

Taken with the Nanlight Forza 500 with a reflector and mixed with a bit of ambient window light

Taken with the Nanlight Forza 500 with a reflector and mixed with a bit of ambient window light

Taken with the Nanlight Forza 500 with a parabolic octabox

Have you ever shot with continuous lights? Let me know what you think!

Let’s talk about derivative art.

As a photographer, you are left little choice but to put your work online so that potential clients might stumble across it but this does mean that you are exposing yourself to countless instances of copyright infringement. As soon as an image gains traction on websites like Pinterest, there is really no telling where they could end up. I have found my work being used to advertise other photographers, products from household-name beauty brands. I’ve found it in the pages of Conde Nast magazines, book covers, and even had portraits of mine being sold in the Second Life community for gamers to “wear” as “skins” on their virtual avatars. There are ways of fighting this IP theft. I’ve had success with websites like Pixsy.com - a service that automatically scrapes the web for uses of your work and allows you to sync your instagram - but it is only effective in certain countries and the internet can truly be the Wild West. Fighting all the instances of copyright infringement I encounter would be a full time job, so you really have to take a deep breath and pick your battles. 

Copyright laws are complicated and vary from country to country but it’s generally understood that taking someone’s photograph and using it without permission is wrong. Derivative art, however, seems to be even more of a murky subject. As an art school graduate and illustrator myself, I feel a bit as though the concept of “using a photograph as reference” has been skewed. To me, a reference is something that serves as a visual aid for pose, expression, texture, emotion, lighting etc, but is not to be copied exactly. For example, I might flip through Vogue and find a photograph of a model in a pose that inspires me and use that to map out a composition. I might be inspired by how Alphonse Mucha draws hair and find an old travel photo from Italy that I want to reference for the background. Sure, I’ve incorporated elements from different existing works but the end result is unrecognizable as I’m putting my own spin on it. With the rise of photorealism and digital art, however, the line between reference and copy is becoming increasingly blurred. I’m honestly flattered when people use my photos as proper references - I love that my art inspires more art, but when I see images that have been copied, pixel by pixel - or worse, simply have a filter added - it hurts. Especially when that “original” piece is signed and up for sale without my permission or the permission of my subject. 

Overall, I know it’s a tricky subject from a legal standpoint to bring up, but in terms of etiquette, from an image creator’s perspective, it is always best to ask permission when you want to closely replicate work and ask yourself how you would feel if someone did the same to you without asking. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Where do you draw the line? Pun intended.

How to make a double exposure style Photoshop composite

Introducing Kate Whyte Lightroom Beauty Presets!

Most of the popular presets on the market are very film based and a lot of them are meant for natural light, lifestyle photography.

When I made the switch to studio photography, and specifically beauty, I realized that a lot of the settings I was using in Lightroom were too heavy handed, too contrasty and they destroyed the detail I needed to retain for skin to look natural.

I developed these presets specifically with studio beauty photography in mind and this 4 pack of XMP files gives you variation in saturation, contrast and tone so you can take your beauty photography to the next level.

As with any preset, it’s crucial to adjust the white balance and exposure to achieve the best results and it’s also important to remember that these presets are not one click solutions, but they provide a base for further editing in Photoshop.

Kate Whyte Presets/Profiles require Adobe Lightroom Classic CC 7.5 (and newer) or Adobe Camera Raw 10.5 (and newer). A video demo of the presets in action is included.

sale

Kate Whyte Beauty Desktop Lightroom Presets

Sale Price:$45.00 Original Price:$59.00

3 tips for working as a photographer with anxiety

Let’s get vulnerable for a second. I debated writing this, as sometimes I feel an obligation to present myself as super confident with all my sh*t together all the time, but I think it’s important to talk about- as I know it often comes up when I’m talking to fellow creatives. We artists are generally blessed with an abundance of sensitivity and the world in general is quick to tell us that that’s a negative thing. It can be a challenge in certain situations, for sure, but I think it also really helps understand our clients needs, relate to our subjects, make them feel comfortable and get the best images. 

Define your style.

Even after doing this for over a decade, I still get occasional nervous pangs that my client isn’t going to like their photos. Once I deliver them, I hold my breath a little. I’m not going to lie! Sometimes it takes me a minute to open an email because my over-active imagination tends to veer towards the worst case scenario. If you are the same, I challenge you to dream up 3 alternate positive outcomes for every negative - it helps, I swear! As you develop your style as a photographer, this eases up as well. If you are producing consistent work, clients know what to expect when they book you. Confidence is also about knowing when to speak up if something doesn’t align with your artistic vision. When I was starting out, I was afraid to voice my opinion when I knew something wouldn’t look good. I probably hesitantly delivered some Pinterest nightmares that weren’t consistent with my work as a result. If you are assured that the work you are handing over to your clients is true to your style, you have much, much less to worry about.

Practice getting rejected.

This sounds counterintuitive but it’s important. We alllllll get rejected and it can hurt. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard the word no (and polite variations of the term) in my career and I know I will continue to hear it. Someone once told me that you “miss every shot you don’t take” and I feel like it really shifted my perspective. Now I go after everything, no matter how big and seemingly ridiculous. Hearing the word no isn’t necessarily a closed door. It’s just a door that is not ready to open….yet! Sooner or later with the right combination of tenacity, talent and luck some of those no’s will turn into yesses and then you’re cooking with gas. Still waiting on the yes to shoot Rihanna for Vogue, but it’ll come….it’ll come!

Don’t compare yourself to others

Social media invites comparison and that can be really tough. It’s easy to feel like you’re late to the game and it’s impossible to catch up to people who have been doing this for ages. It’s a trap we all fall into from time to time - there will always be people with more followers, bigger clients, and frankly better images. Let that inspire you and fuel you to move forward instead of discouraging you. That person that you admire is also only a human being and if they can do it, you can too, but in your own way - they are just at a different stage in their journey.

I hope that if you are a photographer who also struggles with anxiety, that reading this made you feel less alone. If you have any strategies that might help others, please feel free to share them in the comments.

At this crazy time in our history and beyond, remember the words of our beloved Doctor Bonnie Henry - Be kind, be calm, be safe.

Look mom! I'm a Canon Ambassador!

I’ve been shooting with Canon Cameras for 12 years. I started with a Canon Rebel XTi in 2008 and I adored that camera. I shot angsty self portraits, documented nightlife antics and did fashion shoots for local magazines. I fell in love with documenting the people around me and having a camera in my hand as much as possible. Back then, I didn’t really know how to use my camera beyond auto and I wasn’t charging enough to make ends meet (which is good because I probably shouldn’t have been charging much, haha!) Making a career out of taking photos wasn’t an easy path and I’ve written before about how I was lucky to have other skills to fall back on at the beginning but ultimately agency life wasn’t for me and I’ve never looked back. I’ve never been happier than when I’m clicking a shutter or processing a shoot that I’m excited about. I invested in the best gear that I could afford and worked on my skills incessantly. Even in this difficult time that we are all facing, taking photos has been something that has really helped me cope and I can’t wait to pick up where I left off in studio when it is safe to do so. I am humbled and grateful to be recognized by a brand that I’ve used for so long and I’m so looking forward to the projects we’ll work on together.

How to do a photoshoot while self-isolating

The news is heavy right now and a lot of us are struggling to figure out what to do next and how to make use of a sudden influx of alone time. Jess Adams and I decided to get creative and use humour to lift our spirits.

While this is going to be a challenging period of a lot of us, I’m loving the creative ways people are finding to connect with one another. Comment below what you plan on doing with your time! 

Be safe and stay healthy <3

Kate

3 tips for working with agency models

Maybe your friends are tired of you practising on them and you want to up your game by working with professional models or maybe you have relationships with agencies in your city but are wondering how to approach an agency while you are traveling abroad. While agency models don’t work for free, they will participate in mutually beneficial portfolio building sessions called “tests” or “creatives” at no cost to you if the agency deems your style to be in line with their aesthetic. These are a few things to consider when reaching out.

Be polite and professional 

Agents are extremely busy people and are constantly dealing with an influx of emails - it may seem obvious, but your email might get missed if you don’t state your purpose in your subject line. I usually label mine “test shoot with (name of model)” and include links to both my social media and my website and those of any make up artists/hair + clothing stylists I have on board. I also make sure to mention that the shoot is non commercial and for portfolio purposes only. If you plan on submitting the shoot to a magazine, you should mention it up front. Showcasing the work you create together in magazines, social media, blogs and personal portfolio websites is usually completely fine, agents just want to make sure that their model’s image isn’t being used for profit to promote brands, products or organizations.

Hello!

I just wanted to introduce myself - my name is Kate Whyte and I’m a beauty photographer from Vancouver. You can view my work at www.katewhyte.com and instagram.com/katewhytephoto. I’ll be in your city from May 6th to 12th and I’d love to set up a non-commercial creative with Model Name while I’m there.

MUA Name (instagram.com/muausername) is available for H+MU and I’ve attached a mood board, but we’re flexible if there is a direction that you’d prefer that we go. I can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Kate

Ask for new faces

Agencies usually have two categories of models - established faces from their mainboard and new faces on their development board. If you are starting out, I’d advise requesting one of their new faces as they will be more likely to need new portfolio material. Once you build trust with the agency and they like your work, they will be more likely to offer up more experienced models for you to work with.

Be prepared

Having a plan is important. Before you send your email, take some time to assemble a team and create a mood board. A mood board doesn’t have to be complicated or over-designed. Agents are just interested in getting an idea of the styling and overall vibe of the shoot. I recommend keeping things simple if it’s your first time reaching out and making the natural beauty of the model the focus. If the agency agrees to let you work with their model, they will ask you for a call sheet with the details for the shoot and contact information for everyone involved.

A mood board can be this simple - it lets the agent know that you’re going for minimal, 90’s supermodel glam

Because so many people request to work with their models, agents are often extremely particular about who they say yes to so don’t take it personally if you don’t get the response you were looking for. Often they have a small roster of photographers that they work with regularly to keep the style of the model portfolios consistent.

Best of luck working with agencies and if you have any tips that have worked for you, feel free to share them in the comments!

WHAT I LOOK FOR WHEN WORKING WITH A MODEL FOR BEAUTY PHOTOGRAPHY

After I wrote my blog post about what I look for in a make up artist, I got a few requests to write a similar one about models. At first I felt apprehensive about writing one about models as I felt that it might seem like I’m dictating what models looked like physically and that feels off to me. While there are certainly features that work well for beauty photography, those are certainly not the only deciding factors when I’m looking for a model for a collaborative project.

It’s Theatre, Baby!

Make up and styling is transformative and as a model, you must be able to take on different roles and convey emotion though your expression. The work we do is theatrical and the images reflect that. Models become the characters dictated by lighting and styling. A sharp liner, latex gloves, and slicked-back hair is going to demand a different personality than soft curls, florals, and pastels and this versatility is definitely something that I look for when I’m reviewing portfolios.

Model @shaarleeen of keymodels with beauty by @riotranslado and styling by the  @luul_luul of @rmartists 

Team Player

Teamwork makes the dreamwork. The work we create together depends on us being able to communicate well and to come together to photograph a shared vision. If it seems obvious to me that you’re simply looking for images of yourself and you’re not really interested in being part of a group art project it probably won’t work out for me. I also get messages all the time from models saying they love my work but it seems a bit disingenuous when I check out their profiles and they don’t even follow me. These shoots are a combination of multiple skillsets and it’s important to me that each one of them be respected and showcased. To that point - share the work we do together and credit the whole team. The importance of visibility on social media might be an irritating reality but at the end of the day, we do these shoots to further our careers and using our platforms to promote one another is a crucial part of the transaction. If you don’t think the work we will produce will be in line with your page’s aesthetic, be up front about it as it might factor into the decision.

Appearance

It’s beauty photography after all - I am after faces that inspire me. I love unique features like freckles, gap teeth, androgyny,  a wide array of skin tones. I also want models who are blank canvases for make up / styling and this means staying away from lash extensions, coloured contacts, overly groomed brows (I loooove them natural - the fluffier the better) fake tans, and nail art. Each of those things can define a look, limit the creativity of a make up artist and can add hours to the retouching process. 

Beauty comes in all different forms and it’s my privilege to be able to showcase it. As models, I’d also really love to hear what’s important to you when working with a photographer!

What I look for when working with a make up artist for beauty photography

Beauty Photograph of Brianna Anderson @brriannaanderson Hair and makeup by Rio Translado @riotranslado

Make up for beauty photography is a lot different than special occasion make up where the focus is usually airbrushed flawlessness, sculpted brows, contouring and lashes for days. I’m lucky to get approached by talented MUAs regularly but there are a few things that I look for that influence my decision to work with someone.

Skin 

• I want to be able to see it. Often, make up artists I work with don’t even use foundation for beauty. They might colour correct under the eyes and spot fix a few imperfections, but in general, they let the skin shine. When I’m retouching an image with heavy foundation, it’s very difficult - if not impossible - to maintain a natural skin texture. Skin has minuscule colour variations and foundation unifies it and fills in pores - this is great for a wedding or graduation but, in my opinion, doesn’t usually work for the style of photography I do. I also tend to avoid chunky, metallic highlighter in favour of a light gloss as I don’t love the way the pigment catches the light.

Strip lashes

• BIG lashes are everywhere these days. From Sasha Velour to Kim Kardashian, it’s clear that we love them! And why wouldn’t we? They have the incredibly ability to transform a face and instantly up the glam factor on a night out. All that being said, my MUAs almost never use them. Lash bands have evolved to be thinner and more invisible than ever but the way I photograph picks up every detail and strip lashes always end up looking too artificial. Up close, they are too obvious, too uniform and they are almost never used in high end fashion photography. Pick up a Vogue and try to spot the strip lash. I bet you can’t. If it’s more of a lash focused look, I always prefer individuals.

Restraint

• Being able to show restraint is a big one. Often when I’m looking at MUA portfolios, I see a lot of big, over-the-top looks. Lots of flowers glued on faces, teased hair, big lashes and bold lips. I totally get it, it’s so fun to experiment and play and when I look back at my work from years ago, it’s also really busy and shouty - like I was trying to cram as many elements as I could into one image. I think there is real magic in those quiet beauty moments. I’m not saying to avoid those fun experimentations entirely, just prove that you can do both. In my opinion, for beauty photography, a subtle gloss on a lid can have more impact than a five colour cut crease.

There are so many different styles of make up artistry and finding your voice can be such a journey. These are just a few preferences that I have as a photographer but by no means is it the only way or the right way and there are always exceptions to every rule.

New Year New Me

Except it’s not just a new year, it’s a new *decade* - which means I’m jumping on the bandwagon and reflecting back on the last ten years and setting some positive intentions for the next few spins around the sun. This past decade been a rollercoaster. I went from a bit of a wild child, who felt directionless and spiralling to a square peg trying to fit myself into the round hole that was a very traditional office job to taking a passion of mine and turning it into a profitable business. There have been highs and lows, questionable decisions (I’m looking at you, 2011’s side shave) and celebrated accomplishments. It’s so cool to think that because of a skill I taught myself, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to work with top brands and celebrities. I’m excited to carry this momentum into 2020 and these are a few professional goals I have set for myself. 

Experiment more.

It’s easy to get comfortable. As creatives, we figure out what works and develop a bit of a formula. Personal style is incredibly important and clients must be able to trust you to deliver an image that is in line with your portfolio, but that doesn’t mean you should stop pushing personal boundaries. I find social media limits our creativity sometimes because we feel an obligation to create work that fits within our feed’s aesthetic and often if we deviate, it’s not well received. I’m challenging myself to ignore all of that and play around a bit more this year.

On location lighting.

This is something that I find challenging. I feel at home in a studio where I’m fully in control of my surroundings but throw me in an unknown location and my heart rate will go up. I will figure it out and I will get beautiful images out of it, but I’d love to expand my on location lighting toolbox so that I feel more confident in these situations. Some of my very favourite photographers shoot on location and I’d love to do more of it.

Diversity.

Representation is important and in 2020 I want to make sure that I’m showcasing a broader array of beautiful faces and bodies in my creative projects. I work hard to make sure I’m not displaying a homogenous standard of beauty and I love models with unique features but I know I can always do better, especially in terms of gender and age.

Workshops.

I always find it so honouring that people want to learn from me and I’d love to pass on the knowledge that I’ve gained over the years so I want to work hard and finally plan a workshop and other educational materials in 2020.

I’d love to hear what your 2020 goals and resolutions are. Please share them in the comments so we can inspire each other to reach new heights this year and beyond!

3 reasons why personal projects are important

In the industry they are called collaborations, “TFP” (although this term makes me cringe a little bit) or creatives - whatever you choose to call them, these personal projects are essential to networking and portfolio building and these are my top 3 reasons why.

1. Personal work allows you the freedom to get creative and experiment without client parameters.

Client work is great! We want alllllll the client work - but a great way to get the attention of your dream clients is to create work that truly showcases your potential. It’s also one of the best ways to focus in on your personal style. Without the pressure of client expectations, time restrictions and guidelines, you are free to experiment and take risks that you might otherwise avoid and those risks sometimes become a regular part of your repertoire. On a creative set, you might hear me laugh and say “well……we tried it” after a failed experiment, but more often than not, pushing my own boundaries creates the work that I’m most excited about and allows me to level up. I can’t tell you how often clients will show me my own creative work as examples of the look that they are going for so I view these sessions as super important business development. That being said, I will only take on creative work that aligns with my style/vision with creatives that I trust. As hard as it is, learning to say no when the fit isn’t right is also an incredibly important but sometimes difficult skill to practice as well.

Editorial photograph of Morgan Antush @oohmorgan
Hair and makeup by Rio Translado @riotranslado
Styling by Marchel Eang @mrchymrch represented by RM Artists @rmartists
Balloon sleeve top by The Attico @the_attico
Crystal Earrings by Alessandra Rich @alessandrarich
Shot at the DOUGLAS Hotel @thedouglas_van

2. Networking with local creatives

Find your people! For all its evils, social media has given us this incredible gift of connection and allowed us direct access to a talented roster of all disciplines. I’ve met just about everyone that I work with on a regular basis either on Facebook or Instagram. What started as a DM has turned into many friendships and great working relationships. We all recommend each other for jobs when we can and our creative work is proof that we work well together and can produce polished end products. If you’re new to a creative community, start searching #yourcitymua, #yourcityphotographer, #yourcitystylist etc and start some conversations with people who inspire you.

Beauty photograph of Whitney Peak @whitneypeakk
Hair and makeup by Rio Translado @riotranslado

3. It feeds your creative soul

Creative work keeps me excited about photography. Photography has always been a passion for me and when it turned into a full time job, I didn’t want to lose the joy that it brought me so I make it a rule to continuously have personal projects on the go in between my client work. Coming up with creative projects can be daunting, because sometimes you can put too much pressure on yourself to create something totally unique will blow everyones minds, instead, try to focus on improving or experimenting with one small aspect of every shoot, whether it’s trying a different retouching technique, switching up your lighting a bit or trying out a location that challenges you. It’s also a hugely important bonus to always have new content to post.

Get out there and make some magic!

Starting out as a freelance photographer

We face a lot of pressure in our youth and early adulthood to “figure things out” and to have a plan for the rest of our lives. We have to pick a career, spend tens of thousands of dollars on an education (or more in some cases), intern for free for months and hope to find an entry level position somewhere in our field so we can gradually pay off our debt. For some people, this is just the way it goes and they find themselves happily climbing corporate ladders or otherwise advancing, but for those of us who lose the drive or the passion for the careers we trained for it can be daunting to come to the realization that we crave change.

From a very young age, I knew that art made me happy. I loved just about anything that allowed me to be creative and I excelled at languages. I’d spend hours and hours on working on pen and ink drawings, losing myself in the details. I think I’ve always suffered from depression and major anxiety and art was my escape. It seemed only natural that I’d pursue a creative career but I wanted something with a bit more job security than just being an “artist.” My mother is an incredibly talented fine artist and I’d seen first hand what an uphill battle that life can sometimes be. After spending an exploratory first year at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, I decided to apply for the IDEA program at Capilano University. The three year course covered Illustration + Design and was well known as a practical program that prepped their students well for the real world. Unfortunately the real world I entered was recession-ravaged 2008 and no one was hiring. I was up to my eyeballs in student debt, working at coffee shops and handing out resumes on my days off. By the time I actually landed an internship that turned into a full-time job in a graphic design capacity, my skills were borderline obsolete. We’d been one of the last generations to go through school without a focus on web so unless I spent more money to refresh my skills, I was stuck in a weird limbo of occasional branding projects but mostly designing keynote presentations. I was making decent money, but I felt like I wasn’t making the best use of my skills. I had more to give and powerpoint just wasn’t doing it for me.

When I graduated from Capilano, my parents had gifted me a digital camera. I had used it to take angsty self portraits and made my friends dress up for mock fashion shoots in back alleys and abandoned warehouses. Something about taking photos was so satisfying to me. It turned into a little side hustle - I wasn’t making much with it, but I’d shoot headshots here and there, nightclub snaps and a couple of weddings. When I got my corporate job, I let it go for the most part but still indulged myself occasionally with some make up artist friends.

After four years of sitting at a desk, I made the slightly terrifying decision to convert to freelance. Having a skill like graphic design and also the contacts I’d made after my time in the corporate world really helped make the transition a bit easier. I knew I couldn’t expect to make up my salary based on photography alone so having additional skill to supplement was pretty essential. I also realized that graphic design doesn’t make me happy while photography does. I still do the occasional design project for select clients but photography has my heart.

When I was first exploring photography as a potential career, I existed in a bubble - I didn’t engage with other photographers because I underestimated the value of those connections, but as I started taking it more seriously, I began making friends within the community and that was the single biggest contributing factor to my career. I was no longer a lone wolf, struggling to figure everything out for myself. Having photo friends I could talk through anything career related helped and continues to help SO much. Sometimes we pass work onto each other if we’ve got scheduling conflicts or feel another’s style would be better suited but the ability to talk through all the little hiccups and technicalities with a peer who “gets it” is truly a lifeline. As I grew, so did my circle and I wouldn’t be where I am today without my incredible network of fellow photographers, models, hair and make up artists, stylists, designers and agents. So if you’re thinking you want to take the plunge and take your career to the next level, my best advice to you is to get involved in your local community. Freelancing can be a scary task to take on alone but when you surround yourself with the right people, it doesn’t have to be.

My Photoshoot with Pamela Anderson

As with any career, it’s important to take a moment to recognize the big milestones and personal achievements. When the opportunity to shoot Pamela Anderson arose, I jumped on it. If you’d told me 12 years ago when I first started playing around with a digital camera that I’d be asked to capture one of the most prolifically photographed icons of my teen years, I’d never have believed you - and yet here we are! These moments are special as they affirm that you’re on the right path and keep you hungry for the next one. On the day of the shoot, I wanted to arrive prepared for just about any possibility so I pretty much brought my entire studio including 3 backdrop options in two sizes and an array of lights and modifiers and an assistant to help me set up, take down and light test. I wasn’t familiar with the location and the shoot was super fast paced so having a test model to sit in while I figured out my lighting was life-saving. My Profoto D2 1000 was what I ended up using for the most of the day as it is powerful enough to bounce off of walls and ceilings while maintaining a wider depth of field and keeping a dynamic subject in focus - Pamela is one of the best posers in the business if you can keep up with her!

Below are some of my favourite images from the day!

Model - Pamela Anderson @pamelaanderson
Produced by Vernard @vernardluvngrace
Photography assistant Kelly Sherstobitoff @kell_sher
Hair by Stacy Minkova @hair_issues
Makeup by Allison Giroday @allisongirodaymakeup
Styling by Janet Adrienne Ross @janetadrienne and assisted by Georgia Primar @georgiahassler72

5 Beauty Photography Tips

Keep it simple

When you’re getting into beauty photography, it’s easy to want to do THE MOST. The hair, the lips, the lashes, the gem stone appliqués. I get it, it’s fun to experiment and create something kinda out there, but I encourage you to dial it back. If you want to play up a specific feature, stick to that. If you’re dying to do a rhinestone studded winged liner, maybe skip the metallic blue lip and pink wig. Keeping it simple helps give your images a polished and sophisticated look, but once you’re confident with your skills and aesthetic, by all means go nuts!

Make sure your models are well hydrated and have good skin

Since beauty photography is so up close and personal, it’s important to work with models who have a naturally glowing complexion. This isn’t quite as important if you are going for a poreless, super airbrushed vibe, but if you want to showcase natural skin texture like I try to, it’s crucial to start with relatively clear skin. A few blemishes won’t affect the end product but sadly overall uneven, and textured skin will. 

Work with skilled make up artists

When you’re looking for a make up artist, look for someone who has strong "no-make-up" looks in their portfolio. I try to find artists who appreciate the natural texture of skin and don’t cover it up with too much foundation. Follow high end make up brands on instagram to keep track of what is on trend.

Make up guru Rio Translado offered this advice for MUAs hoping to get more into beauty work.

“I know makeup can be very intimidating to many of us and going shopping for makeup is even worse. There are many brands and countless  products are launched everyday, but just know that makeup is just pigment and it comes in many different textures. 

They can be in powders, creams, liquids, gels...with different labels on them to dictate us what they are for and how to use them and where to put them...
My advice to you is, just treat them as multi-purpose and use them whatever ways you want as long as it works for you. Be playful and just go for it. Forget about what they are for.
And don’t forget, less is always more.”

Beauty light set ups don’t have to be complicated

I know it’s so easy to get intimidated by the range of options out there - the gels, the snoots the hair lights etc. I think because I come from a natural light background, single light set ups are the most appealing to me. You can achieve a variety of different looks using only one light in combination with reflectors and v-flats. Beauty dishes, umbrellas and soft boxes will all give you different effects so study the catchlights in your favourite images and see if you can work out what the photographer was using. I tend to prefer either 5’ diffused umbrellas for soft light or beauty dishes for more drama.

Don’t create highlights where highlights don’t exist

I see this a lot with beauty photography post production. The retoucher will paint highlights in, down the nose, on the cheekbones etc and it always ends up looking a bit artificial. This is why it’s so important to have a make up artist who understands reflective pigments and can be on set to amp up the gloss or tone it down in areas that you don’t want reflection in real time. Part of the fun for me is emphasizing highlights and shadows using dodge and burn but I stick to the ones that exist already, rather than creating new ones.

I’m always posting new work at @katewhytephoto so feel free to follow along!

Jessica of Lizbell Agency with make up by Rio Translado

Alakiir with make up by Rio Translado and styling by Marchel

Danielle Cordick with Hair and Make Up by Rio Translado

Retouching Guide - Kate Whyte Photography 2020 (price in USD)

Sale Price:$35.00 Original Price:$49.00

Jackie at Whytecliff

Some days a last minute shoot just comes together and blows your mind. Ever since I saw this incredible gown by Hannah Tikkanen, I knew I had to shoot Jackie Mae Boudreau in it. She's the most perfect dark siren bride! Arron Leppard came along to shoot video so I have that to look forward to down the road!

How to take a photo of your lunch like a stylish Instagram lady of leisure!

Hi! I'm Kate! I run the Instagram account @katewhytephoto, and I’m going to show you how you too can look like you’re casually sitting down for an afternoon refreshment after spending the morning perusing antique markets in Paris - when you’re really just standing on a chair in your apartment in your sweatpants and unwashed hair while it’s snowing outside!

Theme.

Most lifestyle posts I make have a theme along the lines of what I mentioned above. I like to think of what my stylish, sophisticated alter ego would be doing. Is she sketching in a park? Meeting her husband for a date? Arranging “Just Because” flowers? For this composition, I wanted her to be back from the flower market, about to enjoy a croissant and in the middle of writing a to-do list for the week. 

Colour scheme.

Are you going for something bright and cheerful or soft and romantic? Pick props that reflect what you want to achieve and also don’t forget that people view your Instagram as a whole so it’s important to make sure that your images tie in well together. I try to steer clear of posting images that are too similar next to each other - vertically or horizontally. It’s not a hard and fast rule, and everyone has their own aesthetic but I try to post images in a sequence where there's a slight alternation in terms of the dominant colour - even if that just means “warm, cool, warm, cool” etc.

Layout.

I always prefer my layouts to give the sense that there is more going on behind the scenes and I’ve captured just a small part. Even if there isn’t much more, you can achieve this by arranging your props so that some of them fall out of frame - leaving a bit more to the imagination. I don’t shoot with my iPhone, but a super helpful tip is to use your smartphone camera on a square ratio to help you plan out your final image. You could literally do this by cutting a square hole out of a piece of paper and covering one eye. I find actually looking at it through the square viewfinder really helps me adjust my props to give me the best overall composition. I know that Instagram now supports different ratios, but seeing as the grid is still square, you at least want it to be able to hold its own in thumbnail form. 

Ok, so now that we’ve covered some basics, we’ll move on to this specific post. I was sent this beautiful phone case from Zero Gravity and I wanted to feature it in a very casual way. I’m not a huge fan of sponsored content that looks sponsored (but you do you, girl!) so I try and integrate mine in a way that looks natural. I only partner with brands that are a good fit for my aesthetics and ethics. Since the case was black, gold and marble, I opted to keep mostly to those colours but add a subtle pop of blush, muted teal and blood orange. I laid the props out on the table and turned out every light in our house. Natural light looks SO much better and you don't end up getting any strange reflections:

Try to shoot near a window, with diffused natural light - meaning you don't actually want sunlight streaming in. If possible, it's best to have a couple of different sources - i.e. a corner window but if that's not an option, I suggest using either a reflector or even a piece of white card stock to bounce the light back and brighten the shadows. Once you've used your iPhone to compose the image, take the photo with your SLR in RAW - this gives you the most flexibility in post production. When you are happy with your image, drag the RAW file into Photoshop and adjust the exposure - I usually boost the shadows a little at this point as well. Some people like to keep them more dramatic, but that's a personal preference.

Now all you need to do, is crop your image and neutralize the background. This shot is already pretty neutral, but I personally like to "Select>Colour Range" the marble background and then desaturate it to about 70% to make sure that any colour cast isn't distracting from the focus elements. Another helpful tip - if you're wanting to keep your IG posts light and bright like mine, change your artboard background colour to white in photoshop. This helps you see how close you are and whether you need to boost the exposure. 

I hope that helped and please let me know if you have any questions in the comments!