Everything Glitters: A Retrospective.

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Everything Glitters: A Retrospective.

You might know by now that I was playing with glitter and confetti these last two months. I can tell you, my apartment will never be the same…and I am glad.

Shooting the Glitter Me set was a blast.

I love working with materials, and when I explore something, I go full out. I started with the idea that I would do simple looks as well as intense, all over body glitter, but with the encouragement of every model, every shoot ended with piles and PILES of the stuff.

I always love when my models get really into the theme. Seeing and helping someone create is energizing, and the resulting shots definitely show the difference.

Model: Lori Glimmer

I learned a lot about glitter and confetti while shooting it and while I don’t believe I will completely stop using it, I am done with piles of it on my floor 🙂

Here are some tricks and tips I have about shooting with glitter:

  • You will need something to fix the glitter to in order to have it stick to your skin. There are a ton of glitter primers out there, but I found that Coca Body Gel works very well. However, just like anything with coconut oil, use like….a third of the product you think you need. I put WAY too much when making a gel for my hair and it took three washes to get out!
  • Be methodical about your glitter colors and the sizes. Silver glitter tends to just look like dirt unless you use a TON of it or use the type that has larger squares. It was also super fun figuring out what colors and what types of glitter would look best together against the model’s skin tone.
  • Of course, put something down to prevent the glitter from getting everywhere. However, I tended to not do this because I wanted the color of the wood (in my shots with L.) but be prepared for a lengthy clean up.
  • If you can’t sweep the confetti up, the only way to get it up is… to pick up one by one. I didn’t realize the confetti I got was mylar (I’m sorry earth!) and when it gets wet (from the oil to stick to my model’s body) it sticks to the floor also. Get paper confetti, not only is it less of a headache to clean up, but also better for the earth.
  • Although I love the images I got and had fun shooting this series, I will not be buying any more regular glitter or plastic confetti. It is terrible for the environment and the more I shot with it and saw how it stayed around no matter what, the more I realized that it doesn’t break down and felt guilty for throwing it around. There are plenty of companies that make bio-degradable glitter so you can shine and still feel good about it! I’ll be replacing my stash with this for sure.
  • Lastly, if you feel the same way about being more conscious about the glitter you have, don’t just throw away your current stash. You can either use what you have in crafts or donate to a local craft supply store or youth art organization! If you are in Baltimore check out Scrap!

Model: L. Rodgers

Have you every shot with glitter? Do you have any suggestions? Show me your images by @maurahousley on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Playing with different materials keeps me feeling creative and challenged. I do as much research before hand but I also understand the need to act. I have the need to move and to play. Thank you to all the lovely subjects that participated in this set! I can’t wait to show you all the next one.

Here are some more highlights from the series!

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