Fashion

One of best parts about the holidays are the parties. Getting dressed up and looking your best is fun. But it can also be a lot of work. When clients turn to you for some holiday hair inspiration, they’re hoping you will give some ideas that will make them look and feel special. Here are some holiday hairstyles that can make your clients excited to show off their hair. Some are more complicated than others, but there’s something for everyone. Here are 10 holiday hair inspiration styles that will surely turn heads! 1) @nastya_kopach This low braided ponytail hair design is sleek and sophisticated. Of course, it will take some know how but other types of braids could be substituted for this one if it’s too complicated. This hairstyle would go well with a simple outfit so there’s not too much competition between the hair and outfit.   2) @alishajaredhairartistry Whether the client has short or long hair, a pomp is always classy and sexy. With a lot of teasing and hairspray, you can achieve great volume. And the bigger the pomp, the bolder the statement. Use cute hair clips to accessorize the style. A pomp hairstyle looks good with a sophisticated, sleek outfit with simple lines.   3) @hairandmakeupbysteph The 50’s look is glamorous and beautiful. Pair it with some red lip stick to complete the look. 50’s hair is characterized by big barrel curls which can look great on long or short hair. The old Hollywood glam is always a winner for holiday parties. Just remember to use a lot of hairspray to keep the shape! 4) @rosegoldbeauty A simple low bun is always an option. If wearing the hair down or up is not ideal, a low bun could do the trick. With a lot of bobby pins and some hairspray, this could be the simplest of the looks yet. But it’s still beautiful and timeless and sometimes people don’t want to stand out too much. 5) @hairsofly_shop How about a blowout? Big hair is always a great party pleaser. Give some body and volume with just a blowdryer and brush. Add then add a touch of product if needed. Give it some curl and bounce and she’s ready to go! 6) @lovemeknot_ Want to add some sparkle? Nothing says holiday more than a bit of tinsel or glitter. Use any color tinsel, perhaps a color that matches the outfit. Adding tinsel to the hair is an easy and fun way to play up the holidays but keeping the style simple. 7) @michelle_walker_hair For something more professionally done, this one is gorgeous. Pull the hair back into a stylized ponytail and accessorize it with a hair clip. It’s a sophisticated look that will turn heads and earn compliments. 8) @crimsonandclovehair A full updo could be in order. Resembling a wedding hairstyle, this one is adapted to a holiday theme. Pinning up curls and adding some holiday inspired trinkets to the hair can bring that extra flair that makes it more than a traditional updo. 9) @lizzyrage13 If the client is into color, perhaps adding touches of red and green to the hair is enough to inspire some fun. Adding some temporary color (or permanent) can give extra pop to the hair. Then, curl the hair or even put it up. The rest of the styling is up to you! 10) @thehourglass_studio Keeping things simple, this beautiful wavy long hair is super shiny and healthy. With perfect waves that cascade down, it’s romantic soft. Use a little bit of hair gloss to give a beautiful overall shine, keeping the hair tame and smooth. This hairstyle looks good with a feminine outfit and soft makeup. The holidays are among us and with it comes parties! Having gorgeous hair to complete the look can make the client feel confident and happy. And with these hair inspiration pictures, we hope they will give you some fun and innovative ideas for how you do your clients’ hair this season. Happy holidays! Fashion, Photography

Instagram. It seems to be the social media platform made for hair professionals. It’s a great place to showcase your work of before and afters, give quick haircutting demos and show the world what you’re made of. If you’re running your Instagram profile to increase business, gain clients and get noticed by brands or your peers, you’ll want to have attractive imagery. After all, if your haircuts look amazing, people will want you to recreate those looks on themselves or it will make other stylists want to know your secrets for recreating those looks for their own clients. In any case, it all starts with a good photo. So how do you make your photos Insta-worthy? Here are some suggestions that could make the same haircut go from drab to fab!   Lighting Probably the number one problem that people have is lighting. Either the image is too light, too dark or contains too many shadows. When you have the right lighting, everything looks pleasant to the eye. If possible, use natural light. This is the most flattering light choice. But if you don’t have that option, opt for a ring light. It seems many salons have ring lights already, but if you don’t have one, it may be time to invest in one. Using the ceiling lights within a salon is generally too dark for a good photo and the lighting is coming from the top which is not the best angle. A ring light brightens up the hair from the direction of the camera since it’s coming from the front. But there are tips to using ring light. First off, don’t put the ring light too close to the subject. This will create harsh shadows and overexposure. It’s easier to lighten a picture in post than it is to darken an overexposed image. Secondly, if you have a choice for the type of lighting the ring gives off, opt for the most natural setting that’s soft and diffused. This will emulate outdoor natural lighting the best.   Background Having a clean background is ideal for taking hair photos. Why? Objects like bottles of hair product, cords from hairdryers or brushes and combs on the counter can distract the viewers eye from what should be the focus…the hair. Keeping the background clear of distractions makes for the best hair photo. This means choosing a plain background that contrasts with the hair color. The simplest background color to use is white but you can use other colors as well. Use a plain white wall or set up a small backdrop where you can ensure a solid color background. Whatever background you have, just make sure it’s not taken while the client is in the chair. Have then stand against a desirable background and direct their positioning.   Position the Client Having the client pose in a desirable position flatters the hair even more. You might ask…’how do I know how to position my client? I’m not a professional photographer!’Don’t worry. It’s easier than you think. For starters, you can take a look at photos on Instagram that you like. Analyze the way the photos look and how the clients are positioned. If you like them, try to replicate them. To direct the client on where to look, put your hand out to the direction you want them to look so they know what to do. Leaving the client to figure out how to post is stressful and uncomfortable for many. Also, remember to take a lot of pictures at various angles. By doing this you can choose the best image(s) to use for posting. It’s always great to have options. You can have them smile in some and not in others. Over time, you will learn what poses work great and which ones do not. When taking the pictures, make sure the subject is in the middle of the screen. You don’t want the client to be cut off in any way so make sure the frame captures the whole client’s head and hair. Lastly, be sure the client has good posture in the picture. Having a straight back shows confidence and that they like their haircut. They should also pull their shoulders back so they are not hunched over. Again, this shows confidence and everyone wants to feel confident after a haircut.   Camera Camera quality makes a difference. Luckily, if you have one of the latest iPhone, Android or other current phone models you’ll likely have a good enough camera to take quality pictures. Cell phone cameras these days are very powerful. But you can also use a DSLR or handheld camera where you can change the settings to customize your shots. DSLR cameras have many functions and options so if you’re going to use one of these, become familiar with how to navigate the manual settings so that you can optimize your shots. DSLR cameras produce some of the best high-quality photos but they are quite pricey so weigh your options. If you’re struggling to make great Instagram photos of your haircuts, focus on these four areas. Any improvements in these areas can dramatically affect the quality of your pictures. Taking aesthetically pleasing pictures can do wonders for your portfolio, not only for Instagram but for your website and anywhere else you place your work. Your clients, potential clients and your hair pro peers will recognize your amazing work even more. By having great hair photos you are marketing yourself in a way that will attract more people to you. So get out there and show everyone what you’ve got! Fashion, Photography, Social Media, Brand Building

Finally, it’s the ‘day of’ your fashion shoot. You’ve done all that great pre-planning (see Part 1: “Tips on Planning Your Photo Shoot”) – and now your wonderful ‘cast of characters’ have all shown up on time at the location. They are now waiting for you to set things into meticulous motion. Everyone knows when and what to expect because you have shared your day’s flow chart with them in advance; this was your advance checklist of who and what to bring to the shoot followed to the letter (you hope).  Congratulations are in order just to get to this point! From the photographer’s perspective, please review the following points – some worthy of repeating and others I have added to ensure a photo shoot ‘perfect day’: Remember that the photographer can be helpful in planning out your mood and picture board of desired hairstyles (go through lots of magazines). He/she can also help in the final selection of models who fit into your board ideas and local resources. Less is more re: clothing to keep things simple and keep the lines of the cut visible (away from the hairline in order to see bob bluntness, etc.). Note: Models should be chosen primarily for their face – not their hair. You can always deal with the hair, but that face must be of camera ready quality.  Ultimately, this means less retouching of your photos (an added expense) – and is more likely to be published. P.S. Common mistake: wasting time focusing on styling the back of the head; when on the set, the camera picks up on the front and sides so prioritize your time accordingly. Make sure you stay focused on the goal of the shoot. This may include photos for publishing, for salon advertising, using for in-salon posters – or for brochures, mailers or website display. Be sure to bring ALL the tools that may be needed for the shoot. You never know when you might need tweezers to pluck brows, razors for nape areas, a set of press-on nails for nails if nails were not pre-done, etc. Start prepping your models early so that your photographer isn’t waiting around on the set. When shooting in a small space (like a salon, etc.), allow enough space for your photographer to shoot but always remain nearby if needed to fix something or touch up on the set when needed. Avoid taking videos or iPhone pics on the set. A common mistake is when a stylist spends more time working on the back of the head (not captured on camera) than the front or sides which is what everyone will see in the final images. Every hair style tells a story … the cut, color, etc. Your photos should accurately tell that story so that other stylists can learn from it in some ways – and that clients will actually go to your website to see if they want something similar to that. A final tip on double-checking your shoot budget both before and on the day of the shoot. This will avoid any misunderstandings or discrepancies between you and your photographer. Remember that there are often a lot of little costs that you didn’t anticipate or plan on. For example, make sure you budget for photo retouching since this is usually an additional charge from a retouching professional. Get a clear contract with your photographer and reap the benefits of great communication and a successful photo shoot! Fashion, Photography

It is always exciting when a stylist, a student or salon team decides to do a hair fashion shoot. The reasons for doing a shoot range from launching a new seasonal collection to entering an important national photo competition such as NAHA … from wanting to display on your salon walls to wanting to build your professional portfolio with current, fresh images. Many salon owners and school owners do photos shoots as an effective tool to mobilize and motivate their ‘creatives’ … from hair to make-up to nails… to wardrobe styling. I will share that ‘of all the aspects of doing a hair shoot, the ultimate success of the shoot lies in the planning leading up to the shoot itself’. It is the planning that makes the critical difference between an ‘okay’ shoot and a ‘great’ one. How often we have heard stylists casually say ‘hey, let’s just grab some models and shoot a bunch of photos over the weekend and get some good stuff’ … we’ll work into the night and it’ll be great”!  Guess what … everyone was exhausted after …  only a few shots were actually usable … the hair may have worked but the make-up didn’t’… and above all, the models were not good enough because finding them was rushed, they were someone’s sister or client that were pretty in person but not on camera … and bottom line, the models were not professional.   Here are my ‘top ten’ quick insider tips on the proper planning for a photo shoot. Take it from me … the proof is in the planning when you consider the following ‘must do’s’ in the days, weeks and even months leading up to the actual day of the shoot: Have a purpose for doing a shoot – make a trend statement like “this season, it’s all about radiant redheads!”—OR – “beautiful razor-cut bobs and shags”. Pre-determine the imaging and looks in your trend collection. After the shoot is over, how do you plan to use the photos? Focus on getting the shots you’re actually going to use … don’t stray from your priority plan. Time out your shoot so that everyone stays fresh and creative – and not exhausted! Contrary to popular belief, the shoot does not have to be long to walk away with what you really want. Hire professionals to do your shoot – that means photographer and make-up artist. Even if you think that you are a good photographer, go pro and interview local photographers to get a feeling for their work and if their visual style also conveys your image. Learn their rates and how they like to work … and where … their studio, another location they suggest, etc. An experienced photographer is often your most important resource in the pre-planning of your shoot. Hire the right models with the right hair for the results you want. I know this sounds elementary, but so often it is not done and guess what…photos you can’t use! Approach local model agencies, review model portfolios, check out rates (half day/full day), and make your selections. Remember that your photographer may know models to recommend to you … and he/she might even attend you a model call at either your salon or the photog’s studio. Ask recommendations from the photographer or local model agencies or talent agencies for a free-lance make-up artist who knows how to make-up for camera-ready. Even if you have friends or staff who are make-up artists, not all of they have styled ‘for camera’. A tip: keep the make-up ‘editorial’ as opposed to too harsh or overdone; often, the hair might look beautiful, but make-up distracts from the whole looks and takes away from the hair. Even if your hair shots might be ‘tight’ or from shot from shoulders up, give thought to what your female or male model will be wearing that will show in the final shots. And don’t forget about those nails: if any hands are showing in the shot, make sure those nails are polished and professional. BOTTOM LINE, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE INVOLVED IN YOUR SHOOT HAS ‘CAMERA READY’ EXPERIENCE. Photo shoots are a whole different ball game than doing models on a runway or at the salon. PLAN YOUR SHOOT – AND SHOOT YOUR PLAN! Advance planning means developing a ‘day of’ time sheet and/or flow chart and following it! If everyone knows the flow of the day and ‘what they are doing and when’, the chances of having a productive and successful shoot literally double. If you are organized, so is everyone else!   Watch for next week’s Part 2 of this series on Photography: “A ‘Perfect Day Of’ Photo Shoot Factoids” by Hair Fashion Photographer, Gary Lyons. Fashion, Photography