Do SPF cause white cast?

Oct 1, 2014

Eilla S.

I was at Dior counter back in Singapore looking for foundation to wear for my wedding. This dude showed me a couple of the Dior foundation that contains SPF so I asked him if the SPF in it will show a white cast in flash photography and he looked at me as if I'm stupid and told me SPF don't cause white cast. Turned me off so much that I walked away.

Oct 1, 2014

Ena S.

Please elaborate :-)

Oct 1, 2014

Emily P.

I've always been told that a foundation with a high SPF will cause a flashback, but if you use a foundation with a 10 SPF or anything less that it usually won't.

Oct 1, 2014

Shelley W.

Great post Jackie as always. @Emily...my daughter used a foundation on me that has an SPF of 30 and she practices the same steps as Jackie posted above...no issues. And I was photographed at an event...saw the pics and I came out flawless. No flashback. Also have to consider the camera as well. I think its called a front flash (I could be wrong) and that will illuminate anyone regardless of spf or not and I can't speak for all photographers but many don't resort to that type of photography put the one's I know don't use that method for that very reason unless they are going for an artistic shot and they go in to edit the pic afterwards.

Oct 1, 2014

Traci L.

Jacqueline knows her stuff and ever since I took her advice I have no issues and I wear Spf of 30

Oct 1, 2014

Mylene L.

Jackie is right. It has nothing to do with spf. Photographers use reflectors for the right lighting of the subject's face. Especially in wedding/portrait photography, where the subject's face should be well lit. Photographers avoid harsh shadows. Harsh shadows creates dead patches on areas where lighting is poor such as under chin, nose and etc. This is why it is placed under the subject's face so no dead patches in the image that can cause unflattering facial features. The amount of light, natural or artificial, bounces back up to the subject's face for a nice even light with no shadows. The wrong usage of makeup is a big nightmare to photographers. Even using reflectors, the right lens, flash or w/o would not make the image right. That is why in weddings or any portrait photography, makeup artists and photographers work hand in hand to achieve the look that the client wants. Failure to this means taking a lot of time for post processing. The longer it takes, the higher the price. In post processing, photographers use applications such as adobe photoshop or lightroom 5 and etc. I like lightroom 5. Works best for me. Although pics are post processed, the quality of the image is still there since we take raw pics and not jpeg. This is very important since raw pics can be post processed w/o losing the quality of the image. Jpeg is used to save time from editing but that would mean worthless in photographer's world. When it comes to lens, it is highly recommended to invest in these. Why? Cos no matter how expensive the camera body but the lens is a piece of crap, pictures will look as worse as the white cast from makeup. This is why the fee to hire a photographer is expensive. Lol

The reason why I tell you these things cos I want you to understand how it works from makeup artists to photographers. So you see, they have to work hand in hand for the best. Hire a good mua it doesn't have to be expensive but someone knows how to use the right makeup for your wedding. And of course the right photographers.

DIY for reflectors: in case if during the event where your photographers forget to bring reflectors, grab the tin foil from your car and use it as reflectors. But this would mean less pay for them. Lol. Enjoy your big day. Just don't forget the best and most important thing on your wedding is your smile. Happy bride is happy life. Lol.