Some shoots have a very clear purpose from the outset. Jenni Defalco, a makeup artist working across Norfolk and Suffolk in fashion, bridal and commercial settings, came to the studio needing professional images to promote her business. The brief was direct: put the makeup front and centre. Everything else, the lighting, the backgrounds, the outfits, the framing, was in service of that one goal.
This kind of commercial beauty work is different from a portrait session. The client is the makeup. The person wearing it is the canvas. That changes how you think about every technical decision you make.
About Jenni Defalco
Jenni is a professional makeup artist with a substantial background spanning bridal, beauty, fashion and editorial work. Over the course of her career she has worked with hundreds of brides, collaborated with designers, photographers and creative teams, contributed to magazine publications, and worked backstage at fashion shows and industry events. She also spent several years specialising in airbrush makeup, which is its own discipline.
She has recently moved to Norfolk, and over the past year she has been reconnecting with the creative side of her work and developing her portfolio again. That context matters, because it shaped what she wanted from this shoot. She was not just ticking a box on a to-do list. She was genuinely interested in making images that reflected where she is now and what she is capable of. She was also actively looking to build new creative connections with photographers, models and other creatives in the area, which is exactly the kind of approach that tends to produce good work.
She is active on Instagram at @jennidefalcomakeup.
Jenna Oxbury: The Right Model for the Brief
For this kind of shoot, the model is central to the outcome. The makeup is the product being sold, so the person wearing it needs to be able to carry multiple looks, deliver consistent expression, and give you range across a long session. We were fortunate that Jenna Oxbury agreed to come in and model for us.
Jenna is a country music singer-songwriter with releases on Spotify and iMusician, and she brought something genuine to the work. She is comfortable in front of a camera, she reads the frame well, and she was fully engaged with what we were trying to achieve. Her green eyes, in particular, are a gift in this kind of beauty-led photography. They hold the light in a way that draws the viewer straight into the image, which is exactly what you want when the makeup is what you are showcasing.
The three of us, Jenni, Jenna, and myself, worked well together from early on. That is not something you can guarantee. Shoot dynamics are unpredictable and they affect everything from the pace of the session to what you actually come away with. When it works, the results reflect it.
The Brief: Colourful, Creative, and a Little Different
Jenni was clear about what she wanted from this shoot. She wanted something colourful, creative, and a little different. One of the things she described enjoying most about getting back into creative work is having the freedom to experiment. Photoshoots give her space to play with colour, texture, styling and new products in a way that client work does not always allow. That brief suited me fine. It gave us room to make something with a bit of personality rather than producing safe images that could have come from anywhere.
Jenni’s view of makeup is that it sits somewhere between beauty and art. She uses it to enhance a concept and help tell a story through the final image, not just to make someone look polished. With that as the starting point, we built the session around showcasing her work across a range of different looks, each with its own mood and character.
How We Approached the Shoot
We worked through several outfit changes and used a variety of backgrounds and lighting setups to complement each look and create genuine variety across the final gallery.
The backgrounds ranged from dark charcoal and deep wine red to warm golden-brown tones. We used both clean white studio lighting and coloured gels depending on what the look needed. The coloured lighting shots, with their deep purples and red gel highlights, created a more editorial, high-fashion feel that suited the more dramatic makeup applications. The clean-lit close-up beauty shots showed the detail of Jenni’s work at the skin level.
That variety matters for portfolio use. Jenni needed images that would work across different contexts on her website and social feeds, not a uniform set that all looked the same. Giving her options means she has something for a natural-light mood board post, something for a bold fashion editorial story, and something in between.
From a technical standpoint, I was thinking about the makeup throughout. Beauty and close-up portrait lighting is less forgiving than general portrait work in some respects, because the viewer’s eye goes straight to the skin, the detail on the eyes, and the colour accuracy. Getting the light right means the makeup reads clearly, skin tones look truthful, and the craftsmanship in Jenni’s work is actually visible. That was the constant consideration for every setup.
Jenna delivered real range. She can hold a quiet, considered look as naturally as she can give you a full editorial fashion stare. The tighter beauty frames, where we really moved in close, show the quality of Jenni’s work clearly, and that only works when the model can stay composed and connected in a tight frame. Jenna did that without effort.
Working Together
Jenni said something after the shoot that I think is worth repeating. She described what she enjoys most about shoots as being the collaboration, the fact that it is never just about the makeup. Everyone brings their own skills and ideas, and the final images are always the result of that teamwork. I agree with that completely, and it describes what happened on this day accurately.
Jenni came with clear outfits, a plan for the makeup progression, and a practical sense of how she wanted her brand to look. Jenna understood the brief immediately and adapted to each look without needing to be steered. My job in a session like that is to create the right conditions and respond to what is happening in front of the camera. When everyone involved is working to the same end, the session moves quickly and the results show it.
I am already looking forward to the next shoot with Jenni. There is a different quality to a second session with someone you have already worked with. You skip the settling-in period and can push into more interesting territory earlier in the day.
Behind the Scenes
I only ever film behind-the-scenes footage when everyone involved has agreed to it. It is not something I do by default, and I will not do it without a clear yes from the client and the model beforehand. Jenni and Jenna both agreed, and I am grateful for that. A well-made behind-the-scenes video is useful content for everyone. It shows the process, it supports the SEO of both businesses, and it gives potential clients a realistic sense of what a professional shoot actually looks like. That is worth having.
What Commercial Photography Does for a Makeup Business
If you work as a makeup artist and your current images do not reflect the quality of what you actually do, that is worth addressing. The difference between a strong commercial set and a phone shot grabbed between clients is significant, and it is visible to anyone looking at your website or Instagram profile.
Professional images give you content you can use with confidence. A website that looks polished, social media posts that represent your skill accurately, a visual identity that matches the level of work you are doing. Jenni understood this, which is why she came to the studio. The images from this session now show what she is capable of, rather than leaving people to guess.
A Note on Working Safely as a Model
Jenna came to the studio having agreed to the brief with Jenni, which is a good foundation for any session. But I want to say something directly about how I work, because I think it matters and I do not think it gets said enough.
There is no physical contact between me and any model during a shoot. If I need a posing adjustment, I describe it verbally or show it from a distance. I do not touch.
I encourage every model to bring a chaperone to any session: a friend, a family member, or anyone they trust. I make this offer before every shoot, regardless of the model’s experience level. It stands every time. If a photographer ever refuses to allow a chaperone, or suggests that bringing one would be a problem, that is a serious red flag. There is no legitimate professional reason to say no.
Your safety should not be something you have to negotiate or feel uncertain about. The right photographer will be completely comfortable with all of this. If you are a model, aspiring or working, please factor this into how you assess a photographer before you agree to any session.
Based in Suffolk, Working Across East Anglia
My studio is at Base Business Park in Rendlesham, on the site of the former RAF Bentwaters airfield near Woodbridge in Suffolk. It is accessible from Ipswich, Woodbridge, Saxmundham, and across East Anglia, and I work on location as well as in the studio.
If you are a makeup artist, hairstylist, or other creative professional in Suffolk or Norfolk and you are thinking about commercial photography to represent your work properly, feel free to get in touch through the website.
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