4 Photography Tips Every Barber Should Know

Barbers: Tips On Lighting, Body Position & Angles

Whether you’re trying to elevate your IG feed, attract clients or just get more comfortable shooting hair—we have some photo tips every barber needs to know! World-renowned photographer and founder of American Crew® David Raccuglia (@david_raccuglia_photography) teamed up with Paul Wilson (@paulwilsoncrew), Anthony Johnson (@tonejohnson) and Helen Feeney (@helenfeeneyhair) to teach a photo class at The BTC Show ONLINE 2020. Here’s what we learned!

Keep scrollin’ for a few tips and tricks that will help you step up your photo skills, straight from the American Crew® studio!

Watch the entire class and get 24/7 lifetime access to 18+ hours of education, PLUS a digital workbook—CLICK HERE!

1. Try This Simple Photo Set-Up

Here’s a simple approach to achieving big-studio quality with less space. Plus, it only requires one light! This is how David uses a 4ft x 4ft area and a few tools that have all the same elements of a production studio:

• One light source, coming from behind the model or guest.
• Two white cards to reflect light back onto the face.
• A camera of your choice.

2. Lighting Breakdown:

• Light Source: This set-up only requires one light. David recommends trying a monolight or a strobe instead of a hot light. These are self-contained studio flash lighting sources that are cooler than hot lights. 

• Light Direction: Shoot the light from the back, so it’s coming from behind the model/guest. This means there is no front light.

• White Cards: Use two white cards to push the light back onto the model/guest’s face. This will create a more natural look.

• Why This Set-Up Works: “Having a back light when you’re shooting hair pushes and wraps the hair around,” shares David. “Every little edge of the hair shows. It gives an interesting perspective opposed to pushing the light at it.”

3. Body Positioning & Angles

When you’re shooting hair, especially men’s cuts and shorter crops, capturing angles that accentuate the silhouette and texture is KEY. You are going to have to mold and move your client to get that perfect shot, so get comfortable with this type of language. Here are some examples:

• Keep your body where it’s at, but cheat your chin towards me.
• Stare directly at me, now let your eyes drift away. Go to the left with your eyes, go to the right. 
• Bring your chin around.
• Turn your head to a profile, but lean your head towards me.

4. Here Are A Few Body Position Ideas

Fades: Ask the model/guest to go to a full profile and cross their arms, but cheat their chin back towards you until you find the right angle. Shoot low to work right up into the hair—this shows every detail.

Men’s Haircuts: “Getting a low angle and having a model lean into you is a great way to show a haircut,” shares David. “And the exact opposite. Like a high angle that works down to feature the top of the style. It’s a simple dance between low, high and straight on.”

Gesture: Just keep shooting. Instead of only taking a few shots, take 10 to 40. This allows the model/guest to work with different gestures and angles. “I like a picture to look hard and soft at the same time,” shares David. “It’s not just the hair—you need to get the right look.”