#CreateShootFilm: Photography Workshop With Melvin Lau | Clozette

As a community of fashion/beauty enthusiasts whose main medium of expression is through Instagram and photographs on blogs and editorials--photographs that are all shared to the Clozette Community--we were thrilled to have a special Advance Photography Workshop with renowned photographer Melvin Lau (@multifolds) from Multifolds Photography.


As the photographer of Style Blogger and Instagram Star @melissackoh, Melvin had loads to share with our Clozette Ambassadors over the weekend at our #CreateShootFilm Workshop--taking them through the basics of framing and composition of a shot, introducing the concept of the Golden Ratio, and a few nifty photo editing tips on Adobe Lightroom and VSCO.


Watch this video for a peek into what went on at the workshop!




Want to up your photography-game? Click next for the tips & tricks that Melvin shared with our Clozette Ambassadors!

Equipment

If you truly want to improve your photos, then it's time to invest in a quality camera and lens. A basic DSLR will do for beginners with a prime lens upgrade to a 50mm. With a quality camera in hand, you can then decide if you'd also want to invest in lighting equipment or rely on natural lighting for your photographs. If you intend to quickly share your photograph on Instagram and Clozette, select a camera with a built-in Wifi system for easy photo sharing.


Location

Before shooting, take the time to plan your location as it will determine the styling of your shoot--from the clothes you wear to the lighting and angles. Find your favourite place to shoot so you will always have a go-to place where you are familiar with the lighting, background, and shooting scenarios. What's Melvin's favourite place to shoot? Tuas South Avenue 14 in Singapore!




Lighting

Natural light is always the best for OOTD photography. For the best natural light, opt to shoot from 4pm - 7pm for soft lighting. If you're after starker photos with more dimension and contrast, opt for the 12pm shoot time. If you lack a good source of natural light in your space, your next option would be LED lighting or a Box Light--but be aware of the position of the lighting source. Light from the top for a sharper chin and to avoid any harsh shadows on your face.


Framing & Colour Composition 

Once you have your basics, it's time to plan your framing and the colour composition in your shot. Melvin introduced our Clozette Ambassadors to the concept of The Golden Ratio, which is better described in the video below:




No matter which framing rule you stick to (Golden Ration vs The Rule of Thirds), another concept that should be at the top of your photo styling is colour composition--and here, you can take guidance from the colour wheel. Best way to do this: look at your background and plan the colours of your outfit accordingly. At a purple lavender field? Try experimenting with a complementary colour scheme, pairing colours at opposite sides of the colour wheel and wear a yellow dress just like Gary Pepper did in this photo!



One of our favourite Instagram star @garypeppergirl 



Shooting Process
The best way to keep yourself looking relaxed and natural in shoots is to have music playing in the background. The choice of music is equally important to set the mood--so create a playlist suited to the background, ambience, and outfits styled for the day. 

Editing
Editing your photos isn't about completely changing the way the you look but rather enhancing the photo to match the style you're trying to portray. The suggested apps to use? Adobe Lightroom for desktop editing for advanced users; and VSCO for phone editing. For newbies who aren't as familiar with the intricacies of Adobe Lightroom, the VSCO app on your phone is powerful enough for great and quick editing. Both apps allow you to adjust the brightness, contrast, and add filters to your photo. It's in this step when you can also customize the crop for your photo, allowing your put the Golden Ratio into practice!



Instagram Tips
Now that you're starting to shoot better photographs, the next step is to up your Instagram-game. It's all about adjusting your feed to match your personal style and sticking to it. As much as possible, stick to the same filter and editing style throughout your feed. This way, your feed become more recognizable to your followers. And if you're trying to gain more followers, try to keep your first 9 photos as flawless as possible. This plays a role in a potential followers's first impression of your feed. And first impression really is everything.



It really was quite a learning experience as Melvin shared his industry knowledge with our Ambassadors. Thank you again for dropping by, Melvin!

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Working full-time, being a part-time model, and a part-time blogger seems like a mouthful, but our Clozette Ambassador from Malaysia GraceMyu does it flawlessly. Imagine going to events, collaborating with brands, going to shoots, and reporting to your office daily. To add to that, she is a fashion and beauty girl with a double degree in Mass Communication and Psychology.That's what makes us admire her--she knows what she wants and makes it happen. 

Get to know her even more, right from what inspires her, to how she juggles all three passions in her life. Let GraceMyu provide you your daily dose of inspiration!

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How did you get started in the Beauty​ & Fashion Industry? Were you always interested in ​makeup,​skincare, and ​dressing up? 


I grew up reading Cleo & Female magazines and I have always penned "journalist" in my ambition column. I buy magazines almost every month (because the Internet we had was limited on content on fashion and beauty back then). I went to college majoring in Mass Communication and graduated with both Mass Communication and Psychology degress. Even in college I have contributed for various media such as Tongue in Chic, The Star, The Sun, MYC! magazine, Campus Plus, etc. So I guess blogging came naturally for me as I enjoy sharing new found info with my girlfriends! I spend most of my allowance (like 80%!) on makeup and clothes. (you can consider me a hoarder). But ever since I started going to the gym about 2 years ago, I have tried to balance out by spending on fitness stuff.


​You're an employee, blogger, and model. What are the challenges of balancing 3 all at the same time?


Some people still think I am still studying but truth is I have graduated about 5 years now. I have a full-time job in the digital industry, and I am so blessed because my employer encourages me to continue pursuing blogging and modelling! Of course, work comes first so next it's about finding time to fit in the other two :)

Who are your​ style and beauty inspirations?​ 


For style I enjoy Eugenie Grey from America and Suki from Hong Kong. For beauty I really like Vivian Vo-Farmer from US and My Women Stuff from Malaysia!




​How do you describe your style and do you have a signature look?


I used to wear lots of dresses at one point of my life, but now I wear more pants because I feel they elongate my short legs. I'm currently channelling more monochrome outfits with gold and pink accessories and gadgets. I am still experimenting with a lot of styles so you can say I'm a chameleon when it comes to fashion.



​We saw that Benefit threw a party for you, how was that experience?


Super stoked 'til today! Benefit Cosmetics Malaysia were soooooooo nice, they threw me the whole party -- food, drinks, emcee, makeup workshop, music, balloons, cake ,and goodie bags for my guests! Also, WOWSOME (formerly known as WOWBOOTH) were so accommodating. They provided the photo printing service for the event too! I managed to get all my guests to dress up in pink and white, everything was perfect.




W​hat do you love most about being a blogger and a model?


Getting to work with brands you love! Seriously, the satisfaction levels are off the hook! I am so blessed to work with my all-time favourite makeup and fashion brands and it always, always make my day!



Any tips for our community who ​want to be a blogger and model like you?


Be passionate in what you do and strive to produce good content. That's what I am trying to do everyday too! Also, be nice to other fellow bloggers and models instead of treating them as a threat because you will eventually need to work with them as we are all in the same industry!



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Do you have any fashion and beauty tips to share for the season?


This isn't new, but I'm still very much into the Korean trend for dual tone lips & ombre lips!


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Want to know more about Grace? Follow her here!


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As someone who lives in a tropical country, I’m in a constant battle with the heat and humidity. Not only does the weather affect my skin, it takes a toll on my hair as well. I wash my hair only to have it dry in a big frizzy mess. And by day 2.5, the greasiness has already started to show. So I was a bit sceptical when it came to reviewing the new Japan’s No.1- L’Oréal Extraordinary Oil Hair Care range. An oil shampoo to tackle my oily roots? And wouldn't the conditioner weigh down my hair? But in the name of beauty (or hair in this case), I was willing to give it a try.


 

I was pleasantly surprised the first time I used it. The clear liquid didn’t feel heavy or oily as I massaged it into my roots; moreover, it rinsed out easily too. And the scent was just divine. Standing in the shower shampooing my hair, I realised it’s a concept similar to my oil makeup removers – where oil is used to sop up excess sebum, dirt and makeup without stripping the skin of its natural oils. A blend of 6 flower oils – lotus to soften, tiare to smoothen, rose to strengthen, flax to add shine, chamomile to tame frizz and sunflower to give it bounce – the shampoo gently, but effectively cleanses the scalp without stripping away your natural sebum leaving the scalp balanced and not sensitised as it can sometimes get when a shampoo is too harsh. With all the grease and buildup out of the way, my scalp felt clean, fresh and cool. The same blend of oils also helps nourish and strengthen the hair by entering and sealing the hair cuticle.




Now because my hair is quite thick and coarse, I skipped the conditioner and went straight to using the mask. The mask, like the conditioner, is a beautiful golden cream. It’s so golden it almost shimmers. If you have fine hair or your hair is quite limp, I’d say use the conditioner. But if like me your hair is a coarse, badly behaved mess, the mask is probably a better idea. I combed and massaged in the mask with my fingers making sure to distribute it evenly through the lengths of my hair. When it comes to conditioners and masks, you’ve got to make sure you don’t use it on the scalp and roots because this will just flatten your hair – and no one wants that. I rinsed it out after about 3-4 minutes and found that like the shampoo, it was really easy to rinse out as well. I also found that there was less hair on the bathroom floor as compared to other brands. After towel drying my hair, I worked in a few drops of the Extraordinary Oil treatment and let my hair air-dry.




Once dry, my hair felt much softer to the touch and smoother. It definitely had a beautiful sheen to it. And contrary to what I thought, it didn’t feel weighed down; in fact it was quite bouncy, and “airy”. There was no residue or any sign that I had used an oil shampoo and mask, so I’d say this range lived up to its promises and will definitely be on our must-use list!


Click here to learn more about the Extraordinary Oil range

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