Using photoshoots to build an industry profile

Daniel Rymer, of Bespo’ke Male Grooming, in Bristol, is one of the up-and-coming stars of men’s hairdressing. He regularly undertakes photoshoots, creating numerous collections to perfect his skills and fire his imagination. Matthew Batham caught up with him. How many men’s hair shoots do you tend to do a year? So far this year I’ve done three mini collections. I’ve also worked with model agencies on some test shoots with newly signed models and quite a lot of editorial work for various companies. Why is it important to you to do shoots? Shoots are a great way to express myself and showcase my creativity. Before I started hairdressing, I did a degree in product design. I loved how I could express myself on paper through drawing. However, now as a hairdresser I can use photography to express my vision. I always learn so much from every shoot I work on which can help me on the next shoot. It’s also great to work with so many other talented people. What do you do with the imagery fromyour shoots? Mainly I use the imagery to promote the salon. I feel it’s great to regularly freshen up the salon with new imagery, clients love it and it’s a great talking point when they’re considering new styles. I also love to see my work published. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing my images alongside great men’s hairdressers and barbers who have been doing this for years. There’s also great community-based hairdressing websites where stylists can upload their imagery and discuss and share ideas – I love to get feedback on my work.  How much do you tend to spend on a shoot? As little as possible. I think stylists are afraid to organise their own shoots because they think it will cost thousands. I have never paid more than £200 for my own shoots. I have made some great contacts (Twitter is a great tool for this) and I make sure that every shoot I do, everyone benefits from it, from the models and stylists to the make-up artists. I save a lot of money on doing shoots in the salon by setting up a backdrop as most photographers have their own portable lighting equipment anyway. The shoot that is featured was shot entirely on location, so it was absolutely free. What is the biggest cost? The biggest cost would be my own time. Most evenings I would be researching and contacting other creative people, planning future collaborations. But as an up-and-coming men’s grooming specialist, I know that work doesn’t finish when you leave the salon. If you want to be recognised for your talents, then you need to work hard for it. Where do you source your models and what are you looking for from a men’s hair model? My models are usually aspiring new models who are happy to shoot for free to build their portfolio of images. I also take my business cards everywhere and if I see someone in the street or in a bar I explain to them what I do and just ask them to drop me an email if they’d like to work with me on a shoot. I know it’s a big risk using normal people rather than models because of their lack of experience but having a good photographer and making the day as fun and relaxing as possible helps. It can be really exciting to see what someone who hasn’t modelled before can achieve in front of the camera. Tell us about this collection. What was the theme and what inspired it? This shoot was to create imagery for Famous Etc, a new creative agency that I have been working with in recent months. It’s been set up to bring together other creative people like myself to produce images on a small budget. The intention in the future is to get these creative people paid work using the imagery they have worked on through these shoots. This was the first location shoot I have worked on. It was interesting to try something new and push my own personal boundaries. The theme was creating something high fashion on a shoestring budget, which I feel we have achieved. Pictire Credits HAIR: DANIEL RYMER, BESPO’KE MALE GROOMING, BRISTOL STYLIST: NICHOLAS PARNELL, USING NECK PIECES BY DELLA REED PHOTOGRAPHS: LEL BURNETT GROOMING: GRACE KINGSLEY, HANNAH BRAY AND GEORGIA WARREN