Twice each year, MODERN SALON hosts the Artist Session photoshoot workshop in New York City. Along with a team of experts on set, MODERN’s Beauty and Fashion Director Maggie Mulhern brings salon professionals the ins and outs of how to conduct an editorial photoshoot, maximize those photographs and get published.

To celebrate the talent within MODERN’s Artist Connective family of stylists, we invited 16 artists to join us for a twist on the traditional workshop at our Artist Session: Influencer Series.

Hosted at the stunning Eva Scrivo Salon in the Flatiron district of New York City, the salon was full of encouragement, support and collaboration.

Day one, guest speakers provided game-changing insight into photoshoot work, collaborating as a team, working with product to achieve their goals and on-set hacks to get the desired look.

Great Lengths extension educators Danielle Keasling, executive artistic director, and Nanci Lee, senior design director, taught artists how to embrace extensions both on set and in the salon, and how extensions can take looks to the next level. Keasling and Lee gave priceless anecdotal experience and “it happened to me” troubleshooting techniques.

Alfaparf Milanoeducator Teri Guardino stocked up the group with products to be used on set, as well as a full demo of the brand’s Pigments line—an intermixable offering of concentrated pigments with adjustable intensity.

Artist Connective member Sydney Ann Lopez shared her success story with the group about how she connected with MODERN SALON early in her Instagram efforts and has since grown to more than 100,000 followers, and how they can do it, too.

Then, the group transferred to theRedken Exchange for an evening of education with session artist, celebrity stylist and educator Noah Hatton. He took the guests on a start-to-finish journey detailing his precise product selection based on the climate of an on-location shoot. Attendees were provided Hatton’s product “recipes” specific to damp, dry, humid, windy and hot environments.

On day two, MODERN’s photoshoot team of experts, including award-winning photographer Roberto Ligresti and NAHA Makeup Artist of the Year David Maderich, united to bring each team’s vision to life to show how their work can transcend Instagram to the pages of MODERN SALON.

Fiercely Muted
Hair: Frances Canola and Shelby Weatherholtz

Frances Canola @frances_hairartist  lightened hair using an open air balayage through the back and sides, and light foiling around the hairline for a pop. She colored the whole head with two shades of violet, also coloring GL Tapes extensions with the same formulas. Shelby Weatherholtz @shelbyweatherholtzhair set hair with a ½-inch iron, then loosened and expanded the curls, using Alfaparf Style Stories products to achieve beautiful shape and volume. She added a three-strand braid with smaller detail braids intertwined to show off dimension of purples in hair.

InfraRED
Hair: Constance Robbins and Emily Buffi

This team wanted their model to look like a fierce lioness with big, impactful hair. The model’s natural hair was colored burgundy closer to the base and a red-orange toward the ends. Constance Robbins @constancerobbins colored pale blonde GL Tapes four other shades of red ranging from burgundy to coral to pink. She cut the extensions to have “v-shaped” ends so the hair would like more natural and piecey. For the style, Emily Buffi @buffithehairslayer believed in the mantra: “the bigger the hair, the closer to space.” She used Alfaparf Style Stories Texturizing Dry Shampoo at the base and Original Hairspray all over.

Eternal Truth
Hair: Amy Baugh and Krystle Waivio

This team wanted to stay true to their personal brands of beautiful, feminine hair. Amy Baugh @hairbyamybee blended traditional highlights, added face-framing lightness, and melted it down. She custom-colored GL Tapes light pink, which were applied by the teammates throughout the head. Krystle Waivio @krystlewaiviohair created a pulled apart, knotted rope braid for an accent piece. She used texturizing products from Alfaparf Style Stories: Vintage Powder and Texturizing Dry Shampoo.

Fresh Outlook
Hair: Caroline Guiney and Caralee Pridemore

Inspired by L.A. winter, this team wanted to showcase bright bursts of color against a neutral, beachy blonde backdrop. They created a hair piece that became the focal point of the look. Caroline Guiney @caroline.anythingbutbasic custom-colored GL Tapes in warm, vibrant hues. Caralee Pridemore @caraleestyles used Alfaparf Style Stories Firming Mousse on the extensions to help hold them in place and keep them firm and wrapped them around molding material. On the rest of the hair, she used Style Stories Vintage Powder for hold and grit on the braids and Extreme Hairspray to set the look.

Desert Sunset
Hair: Jessica Wright and Caidy Brasure

Jessica Wright @jessicawrighthair is known for blondes in the salon but wanted to get out of her comfort zone with this color. She balayaged most of the hair at the bottom and foiled throughout the crown. She and Caidy Brasure @caidy_caidymariebeauty then colored the hair different shades of pink. They colored GL Tapes extensions with Alfaparf Pigments to create a bigger silhouette of hair. After adding the extensions, Brasure prepped hair with Alfaparf Style Stories Thermal Protectant and then they both crimped all of the hair. Brasure added Alfaparf Style Stories Vintage Powder to bulk up hair strands further, topping off the look with a rose floret headband created with additional extensions.

In Bloom
Hair: Ellie Toia and Melanie Sorrow

Stylist Melanie Sorrow @melaniesorrowhair loves to garden, so the team wanted to incorporate this passion into their look. Ellie Toia @xoxo_balayage began with a full set of teasylights, starting near the face. She colored GL Tapes in a chocolate mauve hue for a subtle pop of color. Sorrow colored more extensions using Alfaparf Pigments in Rose Copper mixed with mousse to create the base for hair rosettes, which she adorned onto a big pull-out braid. Alfaparf Style Story products helped smooth and mold hair—Sorrow loved the fine mist on the Original Hairspray.

Looking Glass
Hair: Britny Bassett and Shakhnoza Azimova

Britny Bassett @hairbybritny colored GL Tapes a bright orchid pink and used Alfaparf Pigments in Violet mixed into a hair mask for the natural hair. Shakhnoza Azimova @shakhnozabeauty applied Alfaparf Style Stories Flexible Mousse to the base and teased gently as she blow dried, directing back. She then used Alfaparf Style Stories Texturizing Dry Shampoo and Vintage Powder before curling and styling hair. “I see inspiration everywhere—in nature, in magazines, everywhere,” Azimova says.

Strawberry Velvet
Hair: Elizabeth Faye and Dawn Atkinson

Turn up the glam! This team’s model came in with strawberry blonde color. Elizabeth Faye @heyelizabethfaye wanted to enhance this by lifting the base and adding a copper color at the base and a vibrant orange-copper on the ends. She colored GL Tapes with the same two formulas. Dawn Atkinson @hairartistrybydawn was inspired by 1980s Chanel—so inspired she custom made a headband for the focal point of this look complete with pearls, chains and black velvet ribbon. Big, bouncy voluminous curls enhanced the look of the accessory.

Photographer: Roberto Ligresti
Makeup: David Maderich, Christine Kennedy, Thea Marie
Nail artists: Armani Je’ton and Joanne Sorbello