Not sure if your photography is up to scratch? Discover our top tips for improving your salon photography so you can showcase your best work.
Social media has transformed the way customers interact with salons. The journey of discovery is drastically different to what it looked like 20 or 30 years ago. While salons once relied on foot traffic and word of mouth, they can now reach a larger audience without having to pay for mass advertising.
In order to succeed on social media, you need to get your visuals right. Strong photography is the common factor among all successful salon brands. It helps to effectively communicate your message while also offering something aspirational.
Not sure if your photography is up to scratch? We’re sharing our top tips for improving your salon photography so you can showcase your best work and get more attention from your ideal target customer.
The short answer is no. You can achieve incredible things with the phone on your camera, as long as you know what you’re doing and you’re willing to take the time to learn how to get the most out of it.
Phone photography has come a long way in the past 10 years, so you can be confident you can achieve incredible results without having to upgrade to a professional camera. Working with your phone will also allow you to upload directly to social media, which can reduce your workload.
It doesn’t matter how good your camera is; lighting is everything. You can achieve incredible results with some basic equipment if you can just get the lighting right. Natural light is better, but it should be soft and diffused rather than bright and direct.
Move around your salon and find the best spot for lighting. You’re aiming for a gentle light that fills the space. You don’t want any harsh shadows, as this can be incredibly unflattering. It can also change the way colours appear, which could be misleading if you are showcasing colour transformations.
If there is nowhere in your salon with suitable lighting, you can fake it with studio lights. A large ring light will enable you to set up your phone in the centre and take premium quality photographs with soft and even lighting.
For a more urban look, consider moving your client photography outside. This will naturally depend on the weather, so it could limit when you are able to capture your best work.
Take photos of your clients before you get started so you then have the option to share a before and after transformation. There’s nothing worse than completing a makeover and achieving incredible results only to realise that you have forgotten to take a before photo.
You might not use every before and after transformation in your portfolio or on social media, but at least you will have the option.
A huge part of being successful with your social media photography is establishing your style. You can follow best practice and trends to a certain point, but eventually you will need to establish your own style if you want to stand out.
Establishing your style is an extension of your brand and can help clients to recognise your work when they see it out in the world. When you’ve achieved this level of recognition, you can be confident that people are going to start copying you and making your work the best practice example. While this can be stressful, you should also see it as a sign that your work is getting noticed.
If you’ve ever wondered the difference between average hair photography and incredible hair photography, it’s all in the posing. The way to achieve great photos that showcase the colour, cut and movement of the hair is to pose your subject in a way that might not be natural to them.
First, gain their consent to be part of the photography process (you can get written consent during the booking stage). They’re going to need to trust you and the process.
The best pose for hair photography is as follows:
All of the hair is pulled forward so it rests equally on either side of the face. Ask them to tilt their head down and to one side. Very little of their face appears in the photo, so their hair takes centre stage. From a standing position, have them bend at the waist, keeping their hands at the hips or behind their back.
This might feel very unnatural and unflattering, but it’s a highly effective way to capture a new haircut and style.
For video, have them sit in the chair and move around them. You can move the hair with your fingers to create movement. Ask them to look down if they feel self conscious, as this will prevent them from looking directly into the camera lens.
Great photography can make all the difference when showcasing your salon’s work online. By capturing your best styles with the right lighting, angles, and editing, you’ll attract more clients and build your brand’s reputation. Ready to take your salon marketing to the next level? Try our salon software demo to streamline your bookings and manage your growing client base with ease.
