ALLURE INTERVIEWS MYLES LOFTIN ON HOW HE PHOTOGRAPHS DIFFERENT SKIN TONES

Allure: What are the differences in your approach to photographing people with more melanin as opposed to other skin tones?

ML: When I'm shooting, my primary goal is to make everyone look as vibrant and good-looking as possible. I especially like to focus on the highlights of Black skin. I love when it's soft natural light and you get those really nice highlights on the face. [Also] making sure the skin looks really even-toned. When some people shoot dark skin, it tends to fall off into one shade of darkness, and I like to make sure that the way people show up in my photographs shows the range of hues and not just one example.

Allure: What are your mechanics or techniques behind making melanin look great on camera, especially when working with two different mediums like digital and film?

ML: I'm more conscious of [the other colors on set] when it comes to working with different skin tones, rather than the exact lighting techniques. Some people have blue undertones, some people have yellow and red. I use a lot of different backdrops, and [picking one that complements my subject’s undertones is] really an important decision because it can make or break the way that a photo turns out.

Read more from the interview here.