Julia Kelly and Alfredo Flores Make Magic in the Afternoon Sun

Ever notice how, despite natural lighting’s great reputation, it can be tough to take a good pic when the mid-afternoon sun’s blaring in your face?

Well, thanks to model Julia Kelly and photographer/videographer to the stars Alfredo Flores, we’ve got a list of tips not only to look good in natural lighting, but to take a good photo when the sun’s your lightbulb.

Check out these exclusive photos by Alfredo and Kyle Cordova, starring Julia in Glitter Death clothing styled by Rio Warner, and scroll down for their pointers.

Alfredo’s tips for a perfect photo in the bright sun:

1. HAVING A BOUNCE BOARD IS KEY!! Any type of bounce board that can pivot the light. Even something as simple as the high school project cutout boards you can get at your local supply store. Always think about bouncing. Gold gives that glow that is key in beauty. It completely can change a mood.

2. A great tip for a beautiful silhouette ring is to bounce the light off the subject’s side — just to give the model that rim of light or off the back.

3. Obviously in a natural setting, always make sure the ISO and settings on the camera match the environment. For this shoot, I stayed at a 800ISO.

4. Dark is cool too! I love shots that aren’t the ideal “lighting” situations but have a vibe. It’s all about a vibe so if you find something and it may not be to standard — but has that vibe, run with it.

Here’s how Julia Kelly keeps her makeup 100 in bright, natural lighting:

1. Make sure your skin is prepped with a great skincare routine. Be sure to moisturize the night before.

2. For light natural coverage, I use “It” Cosmetics CC Cream in Medium evenly over my face.

3. For under eye concealer I use “Nars” Radiant Creamy Concealer in Medium 1 Custard.

4. For contouring my nose, cheekbones and forehead, I use Anastasia Beverly Hills Contouring Cream Kit in medium, taking time to blend well.

5. Set everything with Laura Mercier’s Universal Invisible Loose Setting Powder in translucent.

6. For eyebrows, I always use Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in dark brown. Fill in lightly and make sure to brush.

7. I conceal around my brows with my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Medium 1 Custard.

8. For my eyes, I stick to using all natural light smoky eyes, priming first with Urban Decay Primer Potion, keeping the brown tones in the crease of the eyelid.

9. Blend eyeshadows well into the crease. My normal choice is Cargo Palette light taupe and creamy brown tones.

10. Finishing up with a black mascara, no favorites. I usually switch with different brands. Fun fact: I never use mascara on my top lashes because I always get my lash extensions done by  Michelle, the owner of Mavlash Extensions in Los Angeles, she is the best in LA.

11. For highlights, I use Becca’s Champagne Pop or if I want a bronzed look, any quality bronzer on cheekbones and the forehead.

12. For my lips, I will use my favorite, Baby Lips by Maybelline, to moisturize. My new favorite lipstick now is Make Up For Ever’s Artist Rouge Creme in C107.


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