Hair Matters - You Suspected As Much?

any camera
Hair matters. Obsession with hair is pretty much worldwide. And a good reason for choosing a woman subject over a man: women are much more easy with changing hair styles and trying on wigs.

This is another sequence where Nicole managed to get back into the same position and expression even after going to the bathroom to totally change her hair style. The only thing I did in computer was to align the shots so her eyes are roughly in the same spot.

Bottom line: If you are photographing a woman, pay attention to her hair.

82mm, f13, large studio softbox to left, wall used as fill light on right
tight hair
normal hair
wild hair
hair up
giant hair
red hair
blonde
Cleopatra
tight hair
normal hair
wild hair
hair up
giant hair
red hair
blonde
Cleopatra
tight hair
normal hair
wild hair
hair up
giant hair
red hair
blonde
Cleopatra
Left
Right

Tight hair. Strange that hair that is minimized can still be so expressive.

Normal Nicole. It's interesting to compare to the teased hair version to the right. Normal Nicole becomes sex-kitten with no other change than the hair.

As a guy, it amazes me how much mileage Nicole gets just out of teasing her hair up. Nothing else changes — just the hair — and yet she turns into sex-kitten Nicole.

Hair up. In high school I overheard two girls discussing whether they would be wearing their hair "up" for the prom. It was like hearing a transmission from another planet.

Ever since then I think prom when I see hair up, but it sure can be elegant, though I don't know why.

Wacky wig. This pushes the shot into clown territory. If Nicole ever grows her hair out and does it that way I will replace this shot with her with real hair. Don't hold your breath.

Redhead. Not real read hair, for sure. And the color clashes with the purple color scheme.

Not a blonde. Some women can throw on a blond wig and you get instant Marilyn — not Nicole. She says the blonde thing just doesn't work for her.

The Cleopatra is not hair, but it takes the place of hair. I think if you are going this route, you need to do the whole thing — you can just toss on the Cleopatra.

Tight hair. Strange that hair that is minimized can still be so expressive.

Normal Nicole. It's interesting to compare to the teased hair version to the right. Normal Nicole becomes sex-kitten with no other change than the hair.

As a guy, it amazes me how much mileage Nicole gets just out of teasing her hair up. Nothing else changes — just the hair — and yet she turns into sex-kitten Nicole.

Hair up. In high school I overheard two girls discussing whether they would be wearing their hair "up" for the prom. It was like hearing a transmission from another planet.

Ever since then I think prom when I see hair up, but it sure can be elegant, though I don't know why.

Wacky wig. This pushes the shot into clown territory. If Nicole ever grows her hair out and does it that way I will replace this shot with her with real hair. Don't hold your breath.

Redhead. Not real read hair, for sure. And the color clashes with the purple color scheme.

Not a blonde. Some women can throw on a blond wig and you get instant Marilyn — not Nicole. She says the blonde thing just doesn't work for her.

The Cleopatra is not hair, but it takes the place of hair. I think if you are going this route, you need to do the whole thing — you can just toss on the Cleopatra.