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Getting Maximum Results From A Photo Collection
Posted by
Kate
Dated: February 19, 2009 5:00 PM
Anyone thinking of entering any of the hair industry competitions this year will more than likely need to put together a collection for a photo shoot.
This can be a big financial investment, but it can be a great way to focus your creative energies and getting through to the later stages can boost your business.
Experts from British Hairdresser of the Year Akin Konizi to business expert Alan Austin-Smith tell you how to get the most out of your collection - from planning the shoot to marketing the images afterwards.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: John Rawson, The Rawson Partnership
"It's imperative to use a professional photographer for a shoot. HJ's British Hairdressing Awards has become increasingly more professional and the standard of work year-on-year continues to grow.
"The images will be used in newspapers and magazines so the demand for high quality images has never been greater.
"My advice to anyone wanting to put an entry together for a photographic competition is to prep, prep and prep! Meet and discuss your vision for the shoot with the team and work on storyboards so that everyone knows exactly what they are doing prior to the shoot.
"For me, preparation is everything. Too many people pick models at a casting and don't see them again until the shoot. It may cost you more in terms of time and money, but the results are always better.
"If you stand still, you die. Lots of your competitors will hide and wait for the economy to get better, but I believe this is a time of opportunity. Work harder and smarter and invest in PR, and you'll see the results."
THE BUSINESS GURU: Alan Austin-Smith, author of The Fantastic Hairdresser
"As with any business project - the budget is king and sticking to it is paramount. But perhaps the key question for planning a photo shoot is where has the budget come from?
"All budgets and targets should relate back to the annual profit budget, so start the year with a clear idea of how much profit you want to make, add that to all your other expenses and you can work out what your sales target is to pay all the bills and still achieve that projection.
"The costs for a photo shoot should be included under your marketing expenses, so decide on what you want to achieve for the year. Is it new client drive or increased industry awareness?
"You can then plan a marketing strategy, part of which might be creating your own photographic collection.
"If you're not sure if you should be investing in a photo shoot at the moment, ask yourself if the marketing activity is going to achieve the increase in sales needed to run it - if so, then it is definitely worth it."
THE PR: Alison Jameson, Alison Jameson Consultants
"Set a budget and stick to it. It is easy to get caught up in the moment when a persuasive model agent 'encourages' you to book a girl just flown in from Paris for three times your budget.
"I recommend planning and preparing extensively. The more work you put in before the shoot the easier it will be on the day.
"Communicate with the photographer, make-up artist and clothes stylist - make sure everyone has the same vision and prepare a mood board.
"It's important to get the photographer involved in your choice of model. They know the type of features that photograph well and will advise you of the best girls to look for.
"You may not have access to the professional model to practise your look, but someone in the salon will have similar hair which will allow you to hone techniques and give you an idea of the finished look.
"Select your final shots with care and remember it's a hairdressing photographic competition you are entering and not a creative photograpic manipulation competition.
It sounds obvious, but when you have received your prints handle them with care and wear white cotton gloves to ensure there are no fingerprints on your images.
Don't write on the back of prints as the writing can show on the other side. Instead, apply a pre-typed label and make sure your contact details and any other details required by the competition are included.
Whatever competition you are entering - read and re-read the rules. Make sure any prints or CD's you are sending are well packaged. Prints should be packed with paper in-between and in a hard backed envelope or small box."
THE HAIRDRESSER: Akin Konizi, HJ's 2008 British Hairdresser of the Year
"Always use a professional photographer. Just as it takes years of experience in perfecting hairdressing techniques, the same applies to photographers.
"If your budget can stretch I would strongly advise using a professional make-up artist and stylist. A professional stylist will have contacts to acquire designer labels and samples to borrow. However, there are alternatives to hiring a professional if you are on a budget. You could contact a respected fashion college and ask if there are students willing to create pieces or a collection of clothes.
"There is no doubt that a professional model can be the difference between a good shoot and a great one. However, if you want to do a really edgy cut or colour, you might be better finding a photogenic girl, as model agencies won't necessarily let you do the cut or colour you want, and definitely not without charging an additional fee.
"A great shoot is all about preparation; don't jeopardise it by a lack of organisation. But remember it's about the hair.
It doesn't matter if the styling and make-up are great if the hair doesn't fulfil the competition objectives.
Investing in shoots allows you to enter photographic competitions such as HJ's British Hairdressing Awards and should you be nominated or win an award, the PR value can most definitely exceed what you initially invested in the shoot."
Putting Together a Hair Photo Collection
- Finding the right photographer for your photo shoot
- Why Should you have a clothes stylist
- Working with a make-up artist on your shoot
- Top tips for putting together a shoot
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