Capturing ‘wow factor’ pics of your hair, beauty or holistic work: Advice from a photographer

All the photos you share of your work be it on social media feeds or on a snazzy looking website, your portfolio is your personal collection of everything you are proud of. You want to show off your work in the best way possible and sometimes you just can’t quite make the camera reflect the real essence of your work.

A photographer always bears in mind the composition of the photo. The term “composition” applies to all kinds of art, not just the visual arts. It is used in music, dance and in literature.

Why is good composition important?

Half of the magic behind a good photograph is a well constructed placement of your subject and that’s exactly what composition means. Despite how interesting your subject may be, poorly judged composition isn’t something you can particularly fix in editing. Composition is a way of guiding the viewer’s eye towards the most important elements of your work.

7 Different Ways to Compose your Images:

Rule of Thirds
Using Leading Lines
Framing the Image
Using Symmetry
Simplify the Image
Thinking about the Background
Experiment!

Can you still take a good photo with an old camera?

Of course! You do not need the latest equipment. How did photographers manage in the 50’s? No smart phones… It doesn’t matter what kind of camera you are holding, you can achieve fantastic composition. You still need the other elements to tie in, like good lighting, because in combination to take a good photo you need light MOST of all.

So here are some ideas for different kinds of photography in your work.
If you’re a hairdresser, think about using portrait mode if you’re using a smart phone, get that depth of field (blurred background) so the focus is entirely on those luscious locks!

If you’re a yoga teacher, think about objects that relate to the practise and place them neatly around you while you show off you favourite pose.

If you’re a nail artist, start with showing your client some examples of ways to present their hands, or you position them yourself. Use a ring light and a plain or soft background – don’t take the attention away from the masterpiece!

If you’re a makeup artist, do you show the whole face or could you come up with an interesting angle to capture? Try looking at professional makeup photographers work to see what angles they use.

If you’re a beauty therapist and want to show off those brows, think about before and afters, but always present the after first. Again with the face, try looking at interesting ways to capture an area of the face. Photography involving a face can be quite difficult when it’s so close up!

If you’ve read this and you’re still not sure what to start with, drop a comment below and I’ll respond to you with an idea to get you started!

With smartphones so easy to access these days at fantastic quality anything from the iPhone 6 and above, we all can capture some fab photos. Don’t forget to play around with Lightroom – free on the app store if you want to take those photos to the next level!