Top tips for putting together a photo shoot from Fellowship’s Photo Hair Workshop

Whether it’s putting together a collection for the shop window or for a hair competition, the Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Online Photo Hair Workshop was bursting with tips and ideas.

Hosted by salon owner and photographer Kai Wan, he was joined by salon owner and session stylist Karoliina Saunders, who talked about the importance of collaborations, mood boards and coming up with a concept. They were also joined by stylist Bernard Connolly, who has worked with brands, fashion houses and celebrities.

“Photo shoots can be expensive and you don’t want to wastes your time or money. There are lots of things you can do to make the day work for you and we’re going to give you tips and hints and answer as many questions as we can,” explained Kai.

Top ten tips for successful photo shoots from Kai, Karoliina and Bernard

1 When you find your aesthetic, you can start putting your stamp on your hair work and that then becomes your brand.

2 You take 100s of shots on the day, but it’s often the end of the day that you loosen up and have a play with the hair and model when you create something magical, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get the look straight away.

3 When you look for inspiration don’t just go on Google; the more you explore the outside world the more inspired you become. Go on a walk, visit a gallery and look at nature, take pictures on your phone and create your own image gallery.

4 Don’t forget Pinterest - it has hundreds of boards of interesting photography, lighting, make-up and styling for inspiration. 

5 A mood board puts all your ideas from your head into a 2D board you can bring to a team of people so they all know what your vision is.

6 Use a mood board as a guide, but don’t be too regimented; you need to be flexible and adaptable on the day.

7 Keep hair realistic – don’t do something fantastical if you don’t know how to do it!

8 Prep, prep prep – make sure you have the skills and the tools before the day to create the look on the day.

9 Read any rules or criteria that is involved in the competition you are shooting for even if you’ve entered before as there can be additions or changes.

10 Work out your budget and have these conversations before you book your team. Does the fee include travel or are expenses extra? Make sure there are no hidden extras that you’re not expecting.