The Perfect Selfie by Maria Dowling
MARIA DOWLING on how her clients are helping her showcase her talent
THIS MONTH WE INTRODUCED A FUN NEW FEATURE TO THE SALON.
The mariadowling ‘Selfie Corner’ is the perfect way to showcase our talent, via our clients, and give them the opportunity to tell everyone about us on social media!
Facebook and Instagram are awash with before and after pictures, hair how tos and “I love my new hair colour” selfies. How many times have we searched hashtags for #theperfectbalayage #newhairtrends or #longhairlooks? After all, it isn’t just about the celebrity hair – it’s about hair on real people, looking…well…real!
Real or not, there is still a huge emphasis on getting the image right. The quality of the image says a lot about your salon but you don’t need to be a professional photographer to know the basics.
Through trial and error, I’ve put together these tips on how to get Instagram success with the perfect shot!
1 Designate a snapper
Giving one of your team members the responsibility of shooting, filtering and lighting the shots is a great way of enhancing skills and increasing creativity in the salon.
2 Make sure the picture focuses on the hair
Clients may be reluctant at first to do a selfie or have their faces posted on your channels so make sure you focus on photographing the hair rather than the face. Back shots and side angles can disguise the face if the client wishes to remain anonymous.
3 Lighting is key
In our salon, the lighting is perfect for hair colour but not so good for photography which is why we created our own selfie corner with flattering lights that make up all look amazing!
Where possible take the picture in natural light (we take many photos outside) but if this isn’t possible, invest in a ring light which is a great light for taking hair (and facial) shots as it really makes the colour pop.
4 Don’t give up
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the perfect selfie. Any professional blogger will tell you that it takes them multiple times to get the perfect shot so whether it’s two, 20 or 200, be prepared to take more than one photo. Try various angles and poses, and learn what works in terms of distance, positioning and the amount of light you need.
Maria Dowling is creative director at mariadowling salon and has been a colourist for more than 20 years. For more information call: +971 4 345 4225
MARIA DOWLING on how her clients are helping her showcase her talent
THIS MONTH WE INTRODUCED A FUN NEW FEATURE TO THE SALON.
The mariadowling ‘Selfie Corner’ is the perfect way to showcase our talent, via our clients, and give them the opportunity to tell everyone about us on social media!
Facebook and Instagram are awash with before and after pictures, hair how tos and “I love my new hair colour” selfies. How many times have we searched hashtags for #theperfectbalayage #newhairtrends or #longhairlooks? After all, it isn’t just about the celebrity hair – it’s about hair on real people, looking…well…real!
Real or not, there is still a huge emphasis on getting the image right. The quality of the image says a lot about your salon but you don’t need to be a professional photographer to know the basics.
Through trial and error, I’ve put together these tips on how to get Instagram success with the perfect shot!
1 Designate a snapper
Giving one of your team members the responsibility of shooting, filtering and lighting the shots is a great way of enhancing skills and increasing creativity in the salon.
2 Make sure the picture focuses on the hair
Clients may be reluctant at first to do a selfie or have their faces posted on your channels so make sure you focus on photographing the hair rather than the face. Back shots and side angles can disguise the face if the client wishes to remain anonymous.
3 Lighting is key
In our salon, the lighting is perfect for hair colour but not so good for photography which is why we created our own selfie corner with flattering lights that make up all look amazing!
Where possible take the picture in natural light (we take many photos outside) but if this isn’t possible, invest in a ring light which is a great light for taking hair (and facial) shots as it really makes the colour pop.
4 Don’t give up
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the perfect selfie. Any professional blogger will tell you that it takes them multiple times to get the perfect shot so whether it’s two, 20 or 200, be prepared to take more than one photo. Try various angles and poses, and learn what works in terms of distance, positioning and the amount of light you need.
Maria Dowling is creative director at mariadowling salon and has been a colourist for more than 20 years. For more information call: +971 4 345 4225
