Barbershop and Salon Photography: 10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Pictures
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If your barbershop or salon photography doesn’t look fantastic, you’re losing new clients—and money. People go online to find new stylists and barbers, and they’re not just looking for good reviews. They’re looking for pictures of happy clients with great-looking hair. If you want to make your business look fabulous (pro tip: you do), you need to invest in decent photography. Follow these 10 photography tips for salons and barbershops to give your business a cutting edge over the competition.
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Invest in lighting
Nothing will improve your salon photography more than good lighting. Two lights are ideal: one to light your client’s face, and one to backlight their hair (more on that in a minute). If you only buy one light, make it a ring light. By far the most common ring lights seen in salons are made by Neweer, and they retail for under $100. If you’re really on a budget, you can even get a tiny ring light just for your phone. (To learn more, check out Keiko Lynn’s excellent article on ring lighting for beauty photography.)
Backlight the hair
To highlight the color, shape and texture of hair (especially long hairstyles), backlight your client. This can be achieved by placing a hair light (available starting around $100) just above and behind the subject. If you don’t have a hair light, you can backlight a new client with any light source, such as the lights on a vanity mirror, or even natural light from your window. But remember—if you’re backlighting hair, you also need to light the subject from the front, otherwise you’ll create a shadow on their face and detract from their features.
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Natural light is your friend
The best natural light takes place in the last hour of the day (known to photographers as the “golden hour”). Shoot someone by your window or outside your shop in this light and they’ll look like a million bucks.
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Shoot the best angles
One of the most flattering angles for portraits is called the three-quarter (or ¾) view. To make a three-quarter view portrait, shoot from an angle that shows one side of the subject’s face more than the other, just until you can’t see their ear on the far side anymore. If you’re shooting from the back, you can use the same three quarter view, just in reverse.
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Only show your best work
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Pay attention to the background
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A little Photoshop is ok (but don’t go crazy)
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Hire a professional to shoot your permanent images
Look for photographers who have experience with salon photography (or at least fashion and beauty), and check out their images before hiring them. Thumbtack and Gigmasters are popular sites for booking photographers. If you’re on a tight budget, look into art schools for photography students. Hiring a pro is ideal, but hiring a student is still better than doing it yourself (and they might even be willing to work on a trade or barter basis).
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Buy a decent camera
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Practice makes perfect
When prospective clients see that you care about presenting your best work, they’ll know you care about making them look great. If you follow these 10 photography tips for salons and barbershops, you’ll be taking beautiful pictures in no time.