Dealing With Difficult Salon Lighting
And then there's the rest of us. We deal with rainy days, evening clients and ambient lighting. Let's face it. Trying to take a pretty photo under those circumstances can feel impossible.
Until now.
If you find yourself dealing with difficult lighting on a regular basis, try these photo tricks. They will breathe new life into your pictures and give you plenty of content to share on Instagram.
1. Have your client stand in the middle of the salon when you take the photo. Make sure the prettiest part of the salon is in the background. For instance, it's good to see chairs, flowers and product displays in the background. What we don't want to see are messy hair stations (eww) or blank walls (boring) in the distance.
2. Ask your client to step outside for a photo. Natural, indirect light (open shade) is always best. You will want to stand under a covering of some kind like an awning or patio in order to achieve this. Practice this ahead of time and find "your spot". That way you know exactly where to go every time. If you are in a rush, take the photo of the back of their hair...that way you don't have to worry about getting a good facial expression in the shot.
3. Take a boomerang of the clients hair and post it to your stories. The reason this works is because stories are a little more forgiving than actual posts. By nature they are fun and playful. This gives you a chance to show off some style, without the pressure of a photo living on your feed forever. It's perfect for those evening clients! For an added bonus, create a highlight on your IG of the best hair boomerangs. Make it fun, and no one will question it. ;)
Remember, when you have less than perfect lighting conditions it can be difficult to take a photo that truly represents your work. That's one of the BIG reasons I created a set of presets for hair artists. I wanted to give everyone a tool that could help them show off their work with confidence. My presets correct the photo...not the hair color.
To your success!
Jana
