I’ve taught myself everything from photography to making clothes, but one thing I still haven’t mastered is the art of hair styling. No matter how many hair tutorials I watch or how many beauty bloggers I follow my hair just kind of hangs out in its alternate universe of non-compliance.
This brings me to the blogger photography point I mentioned in the title. Not knowing how to do hair when you’re taking fashion photographs for your blog SUCKS. Having an exceptional hairstyle can make or break a photograph. So learn up, my dears.
I visited FOURTEENJAY here in NYC for a few hair styling demos in time for summer and included the braiding video below. One of my biggest takeaways: I have to use more Aveda Shampure Dry Shampoo in my ultra-fine hair.
While it’s not always realistic to get your hair done at a salon for a street-style shoot, this photo session taught me the importance of at least making an effort in doing my hair for at least some of my photos. I’m extremely happy with the results, and the braided hair adds SO much to the feel of the photographs. So, consider the small details when planning your shot and try to think what kind of feeling your hair will impart in a shoot.
Photography:
Canon 24-105mm lens with Sony A7RII and Metabones adapter.
24mm-47mm primary focal length
Close-ups shot at 1/60 shutter speed and F4, far-away at 1/1600 shutter speed and F4, ISO100
Location:
Staple Street in NYC near FOURTEENJAY
Modeling:
Don’t be afraid to look silly when shooting alone. Ultimately, you need to stay true to a vision you’d like to create, which means that you might look strange at certain points of your shoot. I promise once you start shooting, you’ll start being a little bit less self-conscious about it. The shoot will become all about getting a great shot!
There were some amazing shadows created by the Staple Street Skybridge, so I took advantage of the peak afternoon high sun to play in the shadows. When photographing in highly underexposed and overexposed areas all in one shot, you can use a lens filter to buff up the overexposed areas or simply shoot for the light areas. I actually went ahead and underexposed the light areas because I wanted more moodiness.
Wearing:
Donna Karan Canvas Linen Dress S/S15 Collection (same dress in black, similar, similar)
Nina Ricci Sunglasses (link)
My braid is a variation, but you can recreate the following yourself by following the hair tutorials at the Aveda Institutes blog:
