5 Hair Photography Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
When you’ve created an amazing haircut, colour or style, it’s natural to want to keep a record of it… And what better way to document your success than in a photograph? It allows you to showcase your talents in your portfolio and on social media. Plus, you can use our My Library functionality to upload your images to the MHD website.
However, it’s vital to bear in mind that your photography is a visual representation of your brand. When you put a photograph of your latest creation into the public domain, not only are you showcasing your hairdressing or barbering skills. You’re making a statement about your brand or business – and you want it to be the right one! But what if the quality of your photographs aren’t doing justice to your hairdressing talents? Worse still, what if they’re creating the wrong impression of your brand?
Luckily, resident expert Sarah Oglesby is here to share her tips and tricks. Read on to discover 5 common pitfalls when it comes to hair photography – and how to ensure that you avoid them.
Pitfall 1 – Sharing inconsistent images
With the proliferation of high quality images across social media, you run the risk of standing out for the wrong reasons if the photographs you’re sharing are of poor quality or inconsistent in style.
When creating your photography brand, it’s worth spending some time analysing exactly how you want to be perceived. Is your style stark or minimal? Warm? Fun and quirky? Fashionista? Identify your vibe and think about how to portray it in your photography. For example, you could feature particular colours or objects or have a certain filter for your photos. I don’t mean the obvious ‘Instagram’ look – just something simple and subtle that adds a similar mood or tone to all your pictures.
Consistency in your choice of background is also vital – and will help to enhance the mood of your pictures. It’s an easy way to sneak in your brand or signature colour pallet. Plus, if your background has a cool vibe, your clients will embrace taking selfies.
Pitfall 2 – Believing that a depicting a ‘bustling’ salon will attract new clients
Your salon may be constantly rammed with clients – and that’s fantastic! But hair on the floor, equipment lying around, towels in basins and even other people having their hair cut creates clutter in a photograph – and that looks unprofessional.
Of course, it’s tempting to post pictures that depict the ‘hustle and bustle’ of salon life. But if you want to attract those new clients, a calm and tidy serene-looking salon goes a long way.
Pitfall 3 – Failing to light your subjects well
When it comes to the pictures themselves, lighting is perhaps the most important element – and one that hairdressers most often get wrong. Remember, when it comes to lighting, more is more. You always need more light than you think.
If you’re using daylight from a window, make sure you’re in between the window and your client. There’s nothing worse than a photograph where you can’t see the subject (and your awe inspiring hairstyle) properly due to the light emanating from behind the subject.
And if you’re looking for ways to add a professional touch to your photographs, a mini or full light ring is definitely worth the investment.
Pitfall 4 – Depicting clients who might deter your target audience
So much for the photographic elements. What about the subject of your pictures?
Their hair will, naturally, look outstanding. But before posting their picture – with their permission, naturally – you need to think about their overall image. Will their clothes and jewellery appeal to the type of customer you want to attract?
What’s more, before you start snapping, make sure that there’s nothing amiss that will ruin your photograph. Is your client’s necklace crooked? Is a collar tucked in? Anything discrepancy will stand out like a sore thumb when scrolling Instagram.
Ready to shoot? Then definitely encourage your client to smile. Happiness is contagious and will make potential new clients think ‘I want to feel the way that person does!’
Pitfall 5 – Failing to snap multiple views of your creations
When you’re taking photographs of your haircuts, colours or styles, you don’t want to scrimp on the number of shots.
I’d recommend taking 4 shots of your client from multiple views. At MHD, we always opt for a front view, as well as one from either side and one from the back. Make sure you use portrait mode too. It’s ideal for all social platforms and makes it easy to combine images during the editing process.
Mastered an MHD tutorial and taken the perfect photographs of the look you’ve created? We’d love you to share them with us. Just head to My Library and locate the tutorial you’ve taken. Follow the instructions to upload your photographs. Then visit the MHD homepage to check them out in our shared work page. One last tip. Don’t forget to fill out your profile in My Account to tell the lovely MHD community a bit more about you and your area of expertise.
Happy snapping!
Put simply, every photograph that you share should appeal to your target audience by portraying a consistent brand identity. In other words, you need to develop a signature style – a recognisable aesthetic that epitomises your brand or business. Get it right and you’ll have the power to use your photographs as part of your marketing strategy to boost your profile and attract new clients.
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