Feature - How to Organise a Hairdressing Photo Shoot

Many hairdressers at some point in their career will want to have a photoshoot for hair competitions, salon publicity, fashion and hair magazines and so on. Even for experienced hairstylists this can be both stressful and overwhelming. The key to reduce this is careful planning and choosing the right support team.   

Budget

The first thing you need to be aware of is budget – do you have one? If not how are you going to fund a shoot? If you do, does it cover everything? Just to give you an idea, you will have to cover costs for the following:

Photographer / Makeup artist / Clothes stylist / Models / Any assistants/helpers / Food/drink / Equipment / Clothes / Colour products / Hair styling products

• 
  If you are working on a tight budget you may be able to trade with friends, local suppliers and so forth with copies of the final pictures for their own use.    

Pre-Pre-Shoot

You need to put together a mood board - a set of pictures, fabrics, colours etc. that convey the mood and ideas behind the final hairstyles and images, and decide exactly what theme and look you are trying to achieve with the shoot. You will need to put together ideas for:

• 
  Haircuts/styles/colouring / Clothes/Shoes (if necessary) / Props / Make-up / Location – photostudio or location? / Style of photography – Black and White or colour? Edtorial or commercial?

Find examples from websites and magazines - you are looking for inspiration and direction, not copying! This will also help you to find a photographer with a style that reflects this vision. 

You will need to source clothes or a stylist if you don’t think you can put something together, a makeup artist and of course, the photographer. You will need to meet with them all and give them an idea of what you are trying to achieve with the shoot - take along your mood board, and your ideas, they may help you formalize these ideas, or give you pointers. You need to see the photographers previous work to ensure the you get on with them, like their work and believe that they will get you what you want from the finished article. You must ensure that the photographer is aware that they will need to supply all photographic equipment and make sure that any special equipment hire can be covered in the budget.  

You will need to source hair models - this is probably the hardest thing to do, not everyone is up for having their hair changed, or if they are, they may not be photogenic! Once you have your photographer, makeup artist, stylist and models, you need to find a location. If the location is the photographers studio, you need to check space and size is big enough for you. Do you have a preparation area? Will all the models be pre-cut/coloured? Is there a changing room or waiting area?  

If you are looking at doing a shoot outside, then you need to check with the local authority to see whether you are able to do that, if you need insurance etc. - the photographer maybe able to help with this. You need to ensure that you have plenty of food and drink for everyone involved in the shoot, are there any vegetarians, allergies and so on.  
Put together a running order for the actual day, what haircuts/colours you are doing and in what order.      

Pre-Shoot

You have done everything as above, so now you need to do a run through of what you want to do; check the hairstyles on the models, do they look like they are supposed to? Ensure you are happy with what you are trying to achieve; if you’re not then don’t book anything until you are - a photo shoot can be a big expense! Once you are happy then book the day and time with everyone involved.  

It is highly recommended that haircuts and hair colouring are done before the shoot, so on the day all you need to do is dress the hair. Trying to cut and colour four models on the shoot day will not only fill all your time, it will annoy everyone else waiting for you!  

Shoot Day

Have you told everyone the location and correct date and time? Ensure that they are aware - time is money! If you have told them that it's a 9am start, ensure that they are there for that time - the photographer/make up artists/stylists are being paid, therefore when they get there you will want them to be working. Maybe you could stagger the start time, e.g. models arrive with the makeup artist, whilst the clothing stylist and photographer starts a little later - you decide on what you want for the day - the best thing is to COMMUNICATE!  

Ensure you have all the equipment you need for the day: hairbrushes, combs, hair products, scissors for last minute tidying, electrical tools, accessories, etc. You will need to run through the hairstyles with the photographer and the running order you have planned for the day - try and stick to it. The models should sign a model release form, as well as anyone else in front of the camera (even if you stand with the model at the end - you will need to complete a release form), as this allows you to use the images without any comeback. Examples can be found on the internet, or the photographer will be able to provide one.  

Once the day has started, it’s really just a matter of ensuring that everything runs smoothly and that everyone is aware of their roles, jobs and when they are needed. During the day the photographer should be able take you though the photos that have been taken at each stage, this is to ensure that you are happy with what they are doing, rather than at the end of the day when, if you’re not happy, it’s too late! Most photographers use digital cameras now so this is easier than the old days of film and Polaroids. Many can shoot directly to the computer, so you can see each image as it is taken on a large monitor and easily adjust the hair, light, pose and so on immediately. The photographer is being paid by you - you need to be happy, if not, tell them.  

Remember to drink and eat during the day. Don’t have a set time to eat e.g. at 12 we have lunch - as the day may be running really well/smoothly and you don’t want to break the flow - maybe eat at a natural break e.g. changing models/cuts etc.  

At the end of the day - ensure that you have achieved everything that you wanted and are happy with the shoot. Thank everyone. Clean up and ensure you’ve packed everything away. Liaise with the photographer and go through the shots that you like and arrange a date/time to go through your final choices and arrange any retouching. If you have promised copies of the pictures on CD or print to anyone involved in the shoot, e.g. models, make-up artist, stylist - then make sure you give them to them. Keep the team happy and they will be happy to work with you again.  

Good luck with your first photoshoot from MyHairDressers.com! For tips and tricks in dressing hair for photographic shoots, watch the session catwalk hairdressing training videos from Callam Warrington, James Rowe, Patrick Cameron and John Vial all of whom have years of experience in editorial, fashion and magazine shoots.