Salon Portfolio Photo Guide
Photography Setup for Salons
You don't need a photo studio. You need a consistent spot in your salon with good light and a clean background. Lighting: a ring light is the most popular choice for salon work because it provides even, flattering light on faces and hair with a pleasant catchlight in the eyes. Mount it at face height. Alternatively, position your photo spot near the largest window in the salon. Background: a solid-color wall works best. White, light gray, or your salon's brand color. If your salon interior is busy or cluttered, hang a fabric backdrop (gray or white muslin) on a portable stand. This creates an instant clean background. Position the client 3-4 feet from the background to prevent shadows from the ring light appearing behind them. This also creates a slight background blur on phone cameras. Consistency is what separates a professional portfolio from random snapshots. Same lighting, same background, same framing for every client. After a month of consistent photos, your Instagram grid looks intentional and polished. Gear: a modern smartphone is sufficient. Use the main camera (1x), not the ultrawide. Portrait mode adds attractive background blur. Clean the lens before every shoot.
Set up your photo spot
Ring light + clean background wall. Position client 3-4 feet from the wall.
Keep it consistent
Same spot, same lighting, same framing for every client. Builds a cohesive portfolio.
Use your phone
Main camera, portrait mode, clean lens. Modern phones produce excellent salon photos.
Photographing Hair Transformations
Hair is your primary portfolio piece. Capturing color, texture, and movement requires attention to a few key details. Lighting for hair: backlighting or side lighting creates beautiful shine and dimension in hair. Position the ring light slightly above and to one side rather than flat-on. For dimensional color (balayage, highlights), backlighting shows the variation between light and dark strands. Capturing color accurately: hair color is the most challenging thing to photograph accurately. Warm salon lighting makes cool tones look muddy. Always correct white balance in editing. Consider taking a comparison shot with a white card in frame for accurate white balance reference. Angles for hair: straight-on front for fringe and face-framing layers. Three-quarter profile for dimensional color. Full back view for length, layers, and all-over color. Detail close-ups for texture, curls, and braided styles. Movement shots: have the client turn their head slightly or flip their hair gently for natural movement. These dynamic shots stand out on social media compared to static poses. For men's haircuts: close-up side profiles showing the fade transition, styled front view, and back view for taper details. Clean background is especially important for short cuts where the background is visible around the silhouette.
Use side or backlighting
Shows hair shine and dimensional color. Ring light slightly above and to one side.
Capture multiple angles
Front, three-quarter, full back, and detail close-ups. Each shows different aspects of the style.
Get movement
A gentle head turn or hair flip creates dynamic shots that perform better on social media.
Nail Art and Beauty Photography
Nail art photography is all about close-up detail. The image needs to show intricate designs, color accuracy, and finish quality. Lighting for nails: soft, even light that shows the nail surface without harsh reflections. A ring light works well. Avoid overhead light that creates shadows under the fingers. For gel nails, slightly angled light shows the glossy finish. Poses: the classic flat-hand pose with fingers slightly spread is the standard. Also try: hand curved around a coffee cup or product (adds lifestyle context), one hand over the other (shows both hands), and the curl where fingers curve inward toward the camera (flattering for ring finger features). Background for nails: solid colors that complement the nail color. White or marble is classic. Dark backgrounds make light nails pop. Some nail artists use coordinated props (flowers, fabrics) but keep it minimal so nails remain the focus. For makeup looks: shoot close-ups of the eyes for eye makeup, full face at three-quarter angle for contour work, and lips close-up for lip color. Ensure the skin is in focus, not just the eyes or lips. Hands should be clean and moisturized. Cuticle cream applied before the photo makes the surrounding skin look neat. If the client's hands show dryness, AI can smooth the skin slightly: 'smooth the skin on the hands while keeping the nail detail sharp.'
Close-up with soft light
Even lighting without harsh reflections. Ring light at the same level as the hands.
Multiple hand poses
Flat spread, curved around object, stacked hands, and the curl. Variety for your portfolio.
Complementary background
Clean surface that doesn't compete with the nail design. White, marble, or solid color.
Capturing Before & After Transformations
Before and after photos are your most powerful portfolio tool. They demonstrate skill and sell transformations. The critical rule: before and after shots must have identical framing, lighting, and background. If the before photo is in fluorescent salon light and the after is in flattering ring light, the comparison isn't honest and clients will notice. Workflow: take the before photo at your designated photo spot before starting the service. Take the after photo in the exact same spot when done. Same camera angle, same distance, same lighting. For hair color transformations: photograph the same section of hair in both shots. A back view or side view showing the exact same area makes the transformation clear. Before photos should be honest but not unflattering. The goal isn't to make the before look as bad as possible; it's to show the starting point accurately. Good lighting in the before photo makes the after transformation more credible. Common mistakes: different zoom levels (closer in after makes hair look fuller), different lighting warmth (cooler before, warmer after makes color look more dramatic than it is), and using flash for one but not the other.
Same spot, same settings
Before and after must be identical setup. Same light, angle, distance, and background.
Photograph the same area
For color work, capture the same section of hair. For cuts, same head position.
Be honest
Good lighting in both. Don't manipulate the before to look worse. Honest transformations build trust.
Editing Salon Portfolio Photos
Editing should enhance what you captured, not fabricate a result you didn't achieve. White balance: this is the most important edit for salon photos. Correct it so hair color, nail color, and skin tones are accurate. Clients who book based on a photo expect that exact color. If your white balance makes a cool ash blonde look warm golden, clients will be disappointed. Skin retouching: light smoothing is acceptable, especially for portrait-style shots. But maintain skin texture. Over-smoothing creates a plastic, filtered look that erodes trust. AI handles this well: 'lightly smooth the skin while keeping natural texture.' Background cleanup: remove distracting elements behind the client. Other clients, salon equipment, product shelves, power cords. A clean background directs attention to your work: 'remove the background distractions and keep the focus on the hair.' Color enhancement: a slight vibrance boost can make hair color and nail art pop without looking unnatural. Don't push saturation so far that colors become unrealistic. Stray hairs: for polished looks, AI can clean up flyaways: 'remove the stray hairs while keeping the style intact.' For textured or curly styles, leave the natural texture alone. Consistency: edit all photos with the same approach. If you warm up one photo and cool down another, your portfolio looks inconsistent. Create a standard edit and apply it to everything.
Fix white balance first
Color accuracy is everything for salon work. Clients expect the color they see in photos.
Light skin smoothing
Preserve texture. Over-smoothing looks fake and erodes trust.
Clean the background
Remove salon clutter, other clients, equipment. Focus should be on your work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Edit your salon portfolio photos
Clean backgrounds, fix lighting, smooth skin naturally. Upload a salon photo, describe the edit. Free, no signup.
Edit Salon Photos
Building Your Social Media Portfolio
Instagram is the primary discovery platform for salon clients. Google Business is where they confirm their decision. You need both. Instagram strategy: post your best work consistently (3-5 times per week). Use carousel posts for before/after transformations. Reels showing the process get higher reach. Use relevant hashtags (city + service: #NYCbalayage, #LAhaircolorist). Tag clients who consent. Grid aesthetic: when someone visits your Instagram profile, they see the grid. Consistent lighting, backgrounds, and editing style create a professional impression. This is why the consistent photo spot matters so much. Google Business: upload at least 10-15 high-quality portfolio photos to your Google Business Profile. Many clients search 'hair salon near me' and check Google photos before booking. Update monthly with fresh work. Story/Reel ideas: time-lapse of a color transformation, side-by-side before/after reveals, product recommendations, styling tips. These build personality and trust beyond just portfolio images. Client consent: always ask before posting client photos. Some salons include a photo consent clause in their intake form. If a client says no, respect it completely.
Post consistently to Instagram
3-5 times per week. Carousels for before/after. Reels for process videos.
Update Google Business monthly
10+ portfolio photos. Fresh content shows an active, thriving salon.
Get client consent
Always ask before posting. Include a consent option in your intake form.