Good Camera Work is about More than Instagram
Photo courtesy of Zorah Ollivia
These days most stylists immediately equate “better pictures” with a better Instagram following. Generally speaking that’s true. If your pictures look better you’ll get more engagement and reposts and ultimately more followers who convert into customers. But the benefits don’t stop with more people double tapping your latest ombre. Our world is driven by imagery more than ever before, so learning more about how color, lighting, and focus are affecting people’s perception of your work and your salon is almost essential to building a stable career in the beauty industry.
Good Pictures are Your Ticket to Winning Contests
If you haven’t seen the recent 2017 Behind the Chair One Shot winners yet, then you’re in for a pleasant scrolling jaunt later today. This year is full of colors and cuts that will either inspire you to create something new or make you feel inadequate as a stylist. That’s pretty much par for the course. The One Short awards attract a lot of insanely good stylists and colorists. Something that really stood out this year, though, and has become progressively more clear over the last few years, is that hair artists are getting really good at taking pictures. Some of that is due to better camera phones, and some to a growing interest in the hair community to actually learn how to take better pictures. Either way, if you’re trying to get your name out there, you’re going to need a little know-how with a camera.
You’ll See the True Importance of Salon Lighting
Lighting has a huge affect on your work and your clients both online and in person, so much so that there’s a growing industry dedicated to accurate color lighting for salons. There’s an odd rule of thumb going around that’s it’s better to use “natural light” for pictures, which has resulted in a lot of ill advised Instagram photos taken in direct afternoon sunlight. It doesn’t take much experience with a camera to discover the horrible things that much light can do to hair colors, but if you study a little more about lighting you’ll not only be able to discern what natural light is actually complimentary to your work, but adjust your salon lighting to be more agreeable for both your clients and your pictures.
It Makes You Invaluable for Photoshoots
Not everyone goes the route of a photoshoot stylist, but for those who do, it will make everything smoother when you and the photographer can speak on a more specialized level. Usually photographers (or the company they’re shooting for) are looking for a specific feel or look that will affect how they light everything and especially how they edit everything later, which ultimately affects how your makeup and styling will look in the end result. Also, anyone who’s ever been on a professional photoshoot will tell you that time management is one of the most stressful aspects, and you can make a photographers day by knowing how to accentuate the look and color they’re going for without too much explanation, and make them a lot more likely to call you up for the next gig.