Everything Is Content: Behind the Scenes of a Makeup Class Collaboration

One thing I’ve learned as a business owner is that everything is content. The service you’re providing, the products you’re selling, your storefront, the people walking through your doors, and even the behind-the-scenes moments that happen while you’re working can all tell a story about your business. This makeup class with Jovita and Tita’s Glam was the perfect example of that.

Three Businesses, One Collaboration

This event brought three different businesses together. I originally knew Tita through Mary Kay, and when the opportunity came up to photograph a makeup class at Tita’s Glam, I got to come in as the photographer and document everything happening behind the scenes. Tita’s Glam provided the location, Jovita was the makeup artist and instructor, and my job was pretty simple: show up and document it.

Jovita and Tita handled the planning and marketing of the class, so I didn’t have to host, teach, sell products, or worry about running the event. I got to concentrate on what was happening around me and capture all of those moments while they focused on their roles.

Learning Makeup Step by Step

The class brought together six women of different ages who wanted to learn more about doing their own makeup, from creating something natural to learning techniques for a smoky eye. Everyone brought some of their own makeup, mirrors, and supplies, while additional products were available during the class. There were even gift bags waiting for the attendees.

Jovita didn’t just stand in front of everyone and explain what to do. She showed up with a fresh face and did her own makeup right along with the class. Everyone started with skincare and worked their way through the makeup application step by step. Jovita demonstrated the techniques on herself and then walked around the room helping everyone along the way. And apparently, even the way you hold your makeup brush affects how the makeup is applied to your eyes. I learned something too! 😂

It’s the In-Between Moments for Me

My favorite photographs weren’t necessarily the posed ones. They were all the little moments happening in between: someone looking closely into her mirror, a makeup brush in someone’s hand, products scattered across the table, Jovita walking around checking everyone’s progress, and the ladies laughing together while trying something new. Those are the photographs that show what it actually felt like to be there.

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There was even one attendee vlogging her experience throughout the class, which I loved seeing because it went right back to the same idea. We’re documenting, we’re creating, and we’re creating content while we’re doing it. There were so many things happening throughout the class that could later be used to show someone else what that experience was actually like.

Before & After

At the beginning of the class, I photographed each attendee while she was sitting down and getting ready to start. Once everyone finished their makeup, we created their after portraits in front of the Tita’s Glam sign. And yes, putting that sign in the background was intentional because—again—marketing! 😂 It wasn’t just a pretty background; those photographs also showed where the experience happened.

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We finished everything with photographs of Jovita with the attendees, Tita, and, of course, a group photo to document everyone who participated. Between the before photographs, the process, the little details, and the finished looks, we were able to document the entire experience from beginning to end.

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Everything You Do Is Content

Here’s the bigger reason I wanted to share this event. As business owners, we’re constantly doing things that can become content. Maybe you’re teaching a class, launching a product, hosting a workshop, having a grand opening, or simply doing the work you do every day. If you have a physical location, even your space can become part of the story you’re sharing with potential customers.

You don’t necessarily need to hire a professional photographer every time you do something. We all have phones, and there are plenty of ways to create content ourselves. But there is a benefit to having someone else document an important event. When you’re the one hosting the class, teaching, talking with customers, demonstrating a product, or providing the service, that’s where your attention should be.

Instead of stopping throughout the event and wondering whether you got a picture of something, you can talk with your photographer beforehand about what you’re doing, what matters to you, and how you might want to use the photographs afterward. Then, when the event actually happens, you get to focus on your business while the photographer focuses on the details, reactions, people, products, environment, and especially all those little in-between moments you might not even realize are happening.

The Event Ends, but the Content Doesn’t

That’s probably my favorite thing about documenting something like this. The makeup class happened once, but the photographs didn’t disappear when everyone went home. Jovita was able to use the images on TikTok and Instagram to share a recap of the experience, and those same photographs can continue to have a life afterward.

They can become social media posts, website images, future marketing materials, content for another event announcement, or simply a way to show someone what it’s actually like to attend one of your events. One experience can give you content to tell your story long after the actual event is over.

So, if you’re a small-business owner planning a class, workshop, pop-up, launch, or another experience, remember that what you’re doing is already the content. Sometimes you just need someone there to capture it.