Various Editorials

Jul 2026

In the ongoing series Pigment Studies, photographer Jae Eun Seok elevates the cosmetic industry through a meticulous, high-concept lens. This collection of imagery serves as a masterclass in beauty photography, transcending traditional commercial promotion to function as a profound material analysis. By juxtaposing macro studio strobe photography with high-speed, freeze-frame captures of loose powders and bristles, the project treats cosmetic formulas as sculptural elements. The series leans into a stark editorial minimalism, where the tactile quality of a cream-based lipstick or the viscous nature of a mascara wand is given as much narrative weight as the human form. Model Emily Liptow anchors these compositions, her presence providing a clean, architectural canvas for the dramatic, geometric eyeshadow applications and saturated pigments that define the visual rhythm of the work. Throughout, Seok employs crisp, even lighting to emphasize skin texture and color depth, eschewing artifice for a raw, organic celebration of raw material. By alternating between extreme close-ups of product swatches and intense, focused portraiture, Pigment Studies successfully challenges the boundaries of conventional beauty aesthetics. The result is a sophisticated interplay of form, texture, and high-impact color, demonstrating how a refined technical approach can transform everyday cosmetic tools into subjects of compelling, singular beauty.

Vertical

Macro, Studio strobe

Cosmetics, Beauty