Posing your client from the back with her hands lifting her hair offers the best view of...

Posing your client from the back with her hands lifting her hair offers the best view of beautiful balayage. Hair by Sadie Gray @sadiejcr8tes

A pose like this captures the “money piece.” Hair by Shannon Demont @daymakershair

A pose like this captures the “money piece.” Hair by Shannon Demont @daymakershair

Keep backgrounds clean and neutral when shooting any hair color. Hair by Sadé Huckabee...

Keep backgrounds clean and neutral when shooting any hair color. Hair by Sadé Huckabee @sadeofcourse

A precision blowout is essential when photographing your hair color. The Dyson Supersonic™...

A precision blowout is essential when photographing your hair color. The Dyson Supersonic™ Professional Edition Hair Dryer directs airflow where it’s needed, without causing the surrounding hair to fly around. This prevents unnecessary frizz.

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Posing your client from the back with her hands lifting her hair offers the best view of...
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Posing your client from the back with her hands lifting her hair offers the best view of beautiful balayage. Hair by Sadie Gray @sadiejcr8tes

A pose like this captures the “money piece.” Hair by Shannon Demont @daymakershair
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A pose like this captures the “money piece.” Hair by Shannon Demont @daymakershair

Keep backgrounds clean and neutral when shooting any hair color. Hair by Sadé Huckabee...
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Keep backgrounds clean and neutral when shooting any hair color. Hair by Sadé Huckabee @sadeofcourse

A precision blowout is essential when photographing your hair color. The Dyson Supersonic™...
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A precision blowout is essential when photographing your hair color. The Dyson Supersonic™ Professional Edition Hair Dryer directs airflow where it’s needed, without causing the surrounding hair to fly around. This prevents unnecessary frizz.

For several years “balayage” has been one of the most searched hair color terms on social media, so posting and tagging photos of your beautiful balayage creations makes good sense. Because when potential clients are looking for balayage ideas and artists, they’ll find you! A number of talented artists have built thriving careers thanks to Instagram feeds displaying their balayage. Experts agree three factors influence the success of your images—the hairstyling, the lighting and the pose. Check out some top tips for styling and photographing your work to look its best.

THE FINISH
It starts with the blowout, says Sadie Gray @sadiejcr8ates of Sadie Jean & Co, Santa Rosa, CA. “I always start on wet hair,” she says. “I don’t like to blast dry the hair; in my opinion that can promote frizz and make it harder to smooth out the hair. I use a directional nozzle and point the airflow down along the hair shaft. I also place the nozzle at the top edge of the brush which promotes smoothness.  If they want more volume, I will start from the top and flip the hair over as I work my way down to the hairline.  This allows the hair to cool in an upward position, so when I flip it back down there is volume at the roots.”

A smooth, photo-worthy finish is why Dyson National Education Manager Todd Tinnel recommends the The Dyson Supersonic™ Professional Edition Hair Dryer. “The nozzle produces a very concentrated and precise finish,” he explains. “It doesn’t blow the hair all around and it allows the stylist to really control what’s happening with that air flow.”

Balayage loves curls so Shannon Demont @daymakershair of New Outlooks Salon & Spa, Lunenburg, MA often curls her clients’ hair before a photo. “I’ll start at the nape, and curl 1-inch sections away from the face working all the way up,” says Demont, who also conducts photography classes for stylists through shannondemont.com.  “I pull each finished curl downward to unravel it a little and create more volume. I use hair spray to get rid of frizzies, and right before the photo I’ll brush through the curls with my fingers or a paddle brush and apply shine spray or wax if necessary.” 

To curl hair, Tinnel likes to use a round brush and the Dyson Supersonic. He sets the curls with clips, allows them to cool and then brushes through.

BACKGROUND AND LIGHTING
When it’s time to take the picture, find a backdrop that’s simple and clean. “I always use a white backdrop and a white cape, or a black backdrop and a black cape,” says Sadé Huckabee @sadeofcourse of the Iron Rose Salon in Oklahoma City. “Sometimes I’ll use both combinations and get photos that look like two different heads of hair!”

“Try to find a light gray or neutral blank wall,” Gray suggests. “It’s usually the most flattering. Standing the model in front of a window also looks nice.”

Most agree natural lighting is the best option when photographing hair color. “In natural lighting place your guest in the shade or under a porch top,” Demont says. “If you are photographing indoors, keep the background clutter free and stand by a big window or door with natural light pouring in. If you are looking for more brightness, use a reflector to bounce light onto your subject.” Adds Gray, “Make sure the light source is always behind you and your client is in front of you. Lighting should always be bright yet indirect.”

If outdoor lighting isn’t an option, Gray’s ring light set up does the trick. “I use a ring light and two vertical stand lights,” she explains. “I shine the vertical stand lights at the wall and place my client in front of the lights with the wall behind her lit up. Then I shine the ring light onto my client. This seems to capture the color more accurately than just using the ring light.”

POSES
Huckabee relies on three go-to poses when positioning her clients. “Number one, I have them face the backdrop and look up slightly,” she says. “Bam! Extra length and fullness! Number two, while facing the backdrop, I have them turn their head to the left and tilt the top of their head toward the light. Number three—same as two, except they turn to the right!”

Gray also likes clients to face the back. “I have them put their hands together underneath the hair at the nape and slightly lift their hair while tilting their head back slightly,” she notes. “I’ll snap the picture, then ask them to turn their head to the right, and then to the left.” 

“Another option is to have your client face you, turn her head to one side and drop her chin,” Gray says. “ Let the hair fall down over the face, make sure the money piece is popping forward and pull the hair on the opposite side over the shoulder. This creates a bit of a shadow over the face and makes the photo all about the hair. If the client has pretty lipstick or long lashes, I will have her smile and snag a shot of her profile. For different lighting effects, have her hold the above pose and then rotate her body to the left and right as you snap.”

A picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to your work, a great photo is worth even more!

Learn more about the Dyson Supersonic. 

Staff Writer

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