Interpreting stunning hair photos

A great hairstyle photo can be used for multiple purposes; from being an awards entry to appearing in trade and consumer press to being used for salon artwork.

But for an image to be the most versatile it will need to tick all the right boxes for a variety of people - from the hairdresser to journalists who will publish the work.

In a new series, we asked Lisa Shepherd, photographer Andrew O'Toole, a PR and a journalist to share their verdicts on this classic photo.

What the hairdresser sees

Lisa Shepherd

"You can play with hair and poses all day but now and again one will just work. I aim to create timeless images and although I would prefer for her eyes to be open wider, in general I wouldn't change a detail. It appeared on six front covers and was part of the collection that won me HJ's 2005 Midlands Hairdresser of the Year and 2005 Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year, and it is still current." 

What the photohrapher sees

Andrew O'Toole

"At the time, we all knew this shot was a winner. Its appeal was its smouldering sexiness. The exotic skin tone, the strength in the expression, and those amazing brown tones through the colour were exquisite. It was also unique because of the lack of product used to achieve the style. We knew if we kept the crop as tight as possible that others would be equally seduced by the models gaze."

What the PR sees

Louise Woods, LWPR

"From a PR perspective this was a dream shot, and the style of the photography was ground-breaking. It is one of the most requested shots that we have handled in 25 years. We evaluated the PR worth of this shot at around £236,000, based on the estimated advertising value on an equivalent advertisement page rating."

What the journalist sees

Michelle Tiernan, editor, Your Hair, Hair Ideas, Blonde Hair

"From a consumer magazine point of view, this image is fantastic. I love the textured styling and the colour of the hair. The model's pose is also important; she is turned to the side, but looking towards the camera with one shoulder higher, which is a perfect composition for a cover image. Her smoky eyes and pale pink lips were very on-trend, and it's a commercial picture that many of our readers would aspire to."