At a recent casting at the Redken and Pureology offices, I was quite impressed with how Dhaniel Doud THOROUGHLY examined a potential model for a Modern Salon photo session. After looking through her portfolio, Dhaniel really dug in to her hair, asking questions about previous salon experiences and color applications. In addition to looking for extensions and hair quality, "We have to know what's gone on in the past," says Dhaniel. "Many times a model will say she does not have color....because she put a single process color over the highlights she got a few months ago. While she thinks she doesn't have color....WE KNOW SHE DOES!"

Dhaniel lifts the hair to look at the hairline and to see if the ears can handle an updo. "If you are getting ready to do a photo shoot, you just want to know your limitations up front," he says.

I was also thrilled with how honest Dhaniel was with each model, telling her quite frankly what he was thinking of doing for cut and color. "I'm not the kind of guy who gets the model in studio and then changes the plan. Ultimately, I want us BOTH happy with the results."

In this video, Dhaniel demonstrates how he looks at a model. It only takes a couple of minutes, but it's worth it.