Hairstyles Photography Rules and Tips – Ultimate Guide

Hairstyles photography is a creative genre of photography, which aims at promoting makeup goods, perfume, clothes, and other products. More than 50% of the marketing costs of large brands (Batista, Wella) are spent on hiring professional photographers who understand how to make the makeup and hair in images look stylish and glamourous.

If you are just looking for ideas for hairstyle photography or haven’t yet chosen hairstyles for a future photoshoot, this article is worth checking out.

Depending on the type of hair photoshoot, the requirements for a hairstyle may vary. In the case when a photographer has to take multiple images, the hairstyle should be uncomplicated and strongly fixed, as the hair will be stacked several times, which means that the complicated weaving, the great amounts of decoration with all sorts of sparkles will cause many inconveniences.

When it comes to a photoshoot with a certain theme, everything is much simpler here. You need to select the hairstyle beforehand. It must highlight your advantages and be in line with a general style.

Therefore, complex volumetric hairstyles will be inappropriate if the photo session takes place outdoors, and even carefully laid ragged strands will be discordant with a palace-style setting. I highly recommend learning how to add hair in Photoshop, as sometimes it is impossible to do it at the shooting stage.

To make the hairstyles for a photo shoot look well, you need to ascertain your hair is healthy. If, for example, a photo shoot is planned outdoors, then split ends or dull strands photographed in natural light will only emphasize the unhealthy state of your hair.

Therefore, in the evening before a photo session, you should make different moisturizing hair masks and prune damaged ends so that your hair looks fantastic in shots.

You need to be very mindful about the hairstyle, as some options create a sloppy look in images, so you need to steer clear of them. So, if you opt for curls, make sure they are clean. Strangely enough, making a smooth hairstyle with recently washed hair is very difficult.

As in any professional field, it is better to use the services of a professional stylist and hairdresser before a hair photoshoot. Otherwise, you will have to deal with unpredictable situations right in the process yourself.

Your photographer must be a professional, who should discuss all the details with you, including recommendations on how to do your hair for a photoshoot better. In any case, the choice is yours, but your hairstyle should not look contrived and too carefully done. Easy hairstyles for photoshoots are a win-win variant, so if you don’t feel like learning complicated techniques, choose such a hairstyle.

Another caveat to consider is dyed hair. If you dye it, be sure to refresh the color a few days before the event, so it will look more natural.

Overgrown roots and faded color, as well as the unhealthy appearance of hair clearly show up in pictures. Anyway, you can always address retouching services to fix this problem.

The camera, even in the hands of the most skilled master, conveys features of appearance in its own specific way. For example, long side strands in the pictures emphasize the length of the nose and the depth of nasolabial folds; short bangs to the middle of the forehead can make any face visually wider, and loose, even the most beautiful curls, as well as a bright unnatural shade of hair, make a person older in photos. Remember that doing your hair for a photoshoot is paramount.

No matter what length of hair and face type you have, it is worth choosing the style that visually makes the face longer, giving it the ideal shape of the desirable oval, emphasizes the elegant outlines of the cheekbones and neck and, as photographers claim, open the face. That will make your hairstyle photography result perfect and worth praising.

If you are pressed for time and you doubt what hairdo is suitable for the upcoming photo session, make a hair bow. It is a foolproof variant that emphasizes dignity, slightly highlights mischievous nature and originality. The optimal length of hair for this laying is up to the shoulders.

Taking six simple steps from the video, you can create a fantastic hairdo and become a real star. However, such a hairstyle is best suited for romantic women, who are not afraid to reveal their feelings.

If you are choosing photoshoot hairstyles for active shooting in the open air, French braids are definitely the best variant. Your hair is kept together even if a photo session lasts several hours in a row. Besides, such a hairstyle can withstand windy weather without losing its appeal.

To create such a hairstyle, you may need somebody’s help, if you do not know how to weave French braids. The optimal length of hair is up to the shoulders, but it can be a little longer. This laying will add a feeling of tenderness and romanticism to your image.

Many ladies like to have their hair wavy because such a hairstyle is suitable for a variety of scenarios. For instance, you can attend a B-day party, have a good time in the club, or simply partake in a family photo session and look pretty in all situations.

This hairstyle usually has noticeable volume and textures. You can choose it if your hair is long but it is also a nice option for girls with shorter hair. To make your hair curly, you just need to use a curling iron and devote some time to the process.

One of the best options for hairstyle photography, romantic or thematic included, is called simply "princess". It is definitely the most popular variant for weddings. Despite its name, this hairdo is easy to make even without a professional hairdresser. If there are some imperfections, they are easy to correct during hair retouching.

With minimum effort on your part, the hairstyle will look gorgeous. You can further embellish your hair with fresh flowers, veils, tiaras, flower crown, and other ornaments. Moreover, such a hairstyle is easy to dissolve, allowing you to change the image rather quickly.

This option is perfect for indoor hairstyle photography, especially if you are laser-focused on experimenting with natural hair photoshoot ideas. Such hair arrangement creates a definite feeling of coziness and home warmness. If you and your photographer are in the same mood to implement home-like portrait photo ideas, this variant ticks all boxes.

You can quickly create such a hairstyle and even have fun along the way. In case you want to show off your easy-going nature, making your knot a little bit messy will be quite brilliant.

In recent years, the motive of naturalness in fashion has acquired a new meaning, transforming into a real philosophy of accepting oneself and one's own characteristics. The part of this trend is the natural look of Afro hair, which is the best for black hair photoshoot.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a well-known photographer specializing in this genre, talks about his work, which concentrates on showing how beautiful the love of self can be. Unfortunately, for many years, women with curly Afro hair denied themselves the pleasure of natural easy hairstyles for photoshoots.

Even if you don’t normally apply makeup, you still should use makeup for shooting. In any of the women's magazines, you will find many tips on the rules of applying various kinds of makeup, so we will focus only on the most used secrets for making your face natural looking and appealing at the same time.

To get a good portrait photo, cosmetics should be limited. Thus, in photos, you look as if you don’t have makeup at all. This is called a natural look. The main thing here is to use the make-up of soft pastel tones that won’t contradict your natural face tones.

Even if you have a perfect face complexion, apply a foundation, otherwise, your skin will look covered with reddish spots in images. Apply a layer of powder over the tone to avoid gloss. These are the main secrets concerning face tones.

The latest trend in fashion for cosmetics is the basis with a "shine", making the skin a bit shiny. However, this trend is suitable only for professional hairstyle photography. For daily wear, it will be quite inappropriate and too artificial.

Use shades of brownish or gray tones without pearl and sparkling ingredients. These are the most frequently used tons that are always in trend. Moreover, refrain from bright blue, purple, or pink. They have come out of fashion many years ago.

Pay attention to the way you highlight your eyes. Remember that fat black lines around the eyes are aging and look vulgar. The only exception is a theme-based photo session, but that is not our case.

Mascara for eyelashes can and should be used a lot, as it will give your look a considerable expressiveness and alluring depth. Do not use colored mascara, for instance, blue or green. The best idea is simple black or dark brown.

All makeup artists say that eyebrows are the basis of our face. A pencil is considered to be the most convenient tool for shaping them. With it, you can easily draw the missing hairs and make the eyebrows visually thicker.

Eyebrows should be well defined in photos, as they are the basement of the look. They should be neither too thick nor thin, so you’d better go to a beauty salon.

A bit of the blush of apricot or brownish tint applied to the cheekbones will help highlight the lines on the face in a beautiful manner. Moreover, blush allows you to make your face more fresh and cheerful in no time, even if you slept only a couple of hours the day before.

Be sure to use a lip liner. Full lips don’t require reduction, as they look sexier. Too thin lips can be corrected with a pencil and lipstick, but don’t go overboard. Use red, brownish, or dark pink lipstick.

You have to spend 1-2 hours to apply high-quality makeup. Alternatively, you can use the services of a make-up artist if you can afford it.

Experiment with makeup before applying one for a hair photoshoot. Of course, you know what suits you and what not, but thorough preparation is never needless. So, try different makeup options offered in a fashion magazine, and see what you like more.

The main thing - makeup shouldn’t make you look old and vulgar. You can take several photos, evaluate them, and apply changes to the makeup if necessary.

Iulia David is a professional photographer who hails from London and excels at editorial, commercial, and beauty portrait photos. Raised by a couple of artists, Iulia has been deeply involved in the art world from her earliest years, as she grew up being constantly aware of all shifting trends and tastes. David’s style can be defined as simplistic, clean, and edgy. She heavily relies on collaborative synergy and utilizes the talents of her entire team to produce eye-catching and emotion-provoking photos.

You can see Iulia’s pictures in all sorts of popular magazines including Tatler UK, Vogue Beauty Thailand, Elle Arabia, Marie Claire Arabia, Grazia Pakistan, Schon Magazine, L'Officiel India, and Arcadia. David is represented by LHA Represents.

It took Desiree a while to understand that her artistic eye was best suited for taking captivating photos but once she directed all her creativity toward portrait and hairstyles photography, Mattsson has never looked back. She’s constantly on the lookout for eye-catching models who ooze confidence and can help her implement the vision for her next photo shoot.

Mattsson has won an array of awards for her work. Her photos have been published in a broad list of premium magazines and ad campaigns as well as displayed at various prestigious exhibitions. You can even find Desiree’s work in several issues of Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Elle.

The world-famous photographer Fernando Milani was born in Brazil, but now works in the markets of America and Europe and is one of the most popular representatives of hairstyle photography. The basis of his inspiration lies in the attempt to combine natural forms with incredible solutions, which gives interesting results.

He received several prestigious awards and his works are published in well-known fashion magazines, for example, Marie Claire, Seventeen, Glamour. Besides, he is engaged in PR companies for such famous hair brands as Garnier and Bayer.

Having a degree in avionics engineering and the experience of musical production, many years ago Joseph turned to the idea of applying his knowledge in a totally opposite direction - he was engaged in taking unique fashion photos.

He is based in New York and is extremely demanded in the sphere of hairstyle photography. He collaborates with Victoria's Secret, Vella and other brands, and also Joseph teaches photography.

Natascha finished school in Gottingen and later earned a degree in marketing during her sociology studies in Innsbruck. Lindemann has been working as a photographer since 2014 and has focused on beauty and hair styling photography since 2016.

Currently residing in Berlin, Natascha accepts orders from all around the world while cooperating with brands like Kylie Skin, Sephora, Mac Cosmetics, and Artdeco. Thanks to her unmatched expertise in the fields of makeup and skincare as well as marketing-based education, Lindemann excels at taking photos that instantly help brands achieve commercial success. Natascha’s specialization and background are one of the main reasons why customers always leave satisfied and are open to cooperating with her again.

Wendy is among those young photographers who are looking for fun in their daily work. All her projects end up surprising with their bright and unusual atmosphere. 

Wendy likes to shoot advertising companies for famous brands, but most of all she enjoys shootings with high-profile personalities. Now she has contracts with companies such as Essence and New You Magazine.

Being a photographer with an immense wealth of experience, Richard is capable of providing sound advice during all stages of a portrait or hair photoshoot. He offers an endless stream of conceptual ideas, excels at casting models, and uses his trained eye to perform image post-production and retouching while meeting the highest quality standards possible.

Miles’ photos have been published in various high-profile magazines all around the globe. He has also won several awards, was featured on BBC TV, and was lucky enough to collaborate with such renowned personalities as Errol Douglas, Mark Leeson, Phil Smith, Jamie Stevens, and Royston Blythe. Richard is particularly well-known for his hair and beauty photos.

Gavin was born in New Zealand, but now he is based in New York for more than 10 years, where he participates in the active promotion of fashion photos. In addition to co-operation with famous brands, Gavin is also engaged in underwear and nude photography.

He has collaborated with brands such as Vogue, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Gillette, Olay, Garnier, Avon, RMS Beauty, Vodafone, Philips, Rolls Royce, L'Oreal, LUX, Oriflame, Boticario, Ponds, etc.

Jenny has been working in hairstyle photography for more than 12 years. During this time, she has become a recognizable personality and has successfully signed more than fifty contracts with major world brands.

She worked with companies such as Nivea and Batista and is in permanent collaboration with renowned hairdressers.

Even if you use top-notch shooting equipment, adjust light properly, and meticulously prepare for a hair photoshoot in advance, you may still get photos that require slight processing. That’s a common practice for photographers to correct images in special programs. We have prepared a collection of Ps brushes that will make your life so much easier. They are available in .ABR formats and can be used for editing RAW and JPEG files. All brushes are compatible with Adobe Photoshop 4-6.

The bundle includes brushes that have different volumes, textures, and hair types. So, finding a filter for your image will be a breeze. You can use these brushes to improve portrait shots, as well as photos for promotional campaigns, fashion, and glossy magazines.