The RIGHT Way To Ask Clients To Take Photos Of Them

Recently, I have been in all my classes and a lot on the podcast, screaming at everybody about how important it is that we take pictures of our clients, and I'm gonna share with you exactly why that is. But the biggest question that I get from stylists whenever I bring this topic up is, "How do I get my clients to be cool with me taking the picture? How do I ask the person? How do I go about it?"

And I really wanna make sure that I have a podcast episode that I can just send them the link to every time they ask me- ... because I believe it is a very important thing for us to understand, to be able to accomplish this very important part of our business. And I truly believe that we need to start treating this as an essential, as far as, uh, taking pictures of our work and our clients to make them feel special, to help you grow with referrals, to have that content to post on social when you don't know what to post or have anything to post, et cetera, et cetera. So, I'll break that down in a little bit more detail, and then I'll share with you exactly how we can make it so our clients are very comfortable with taking those pictures, that you're confident approaching it, and I have a really fun bonus tip to make it so you don't even have to be the one taking the pictures.

So, if you're ready to get into it, let's go. What's up, Jodi Browne? I am so excited to get into this. Hunter does not wanna hear, "My clients don't wanna be photographed in 2026."

You heard it here first. Period. Because a lot of the time, the people who will say something like that, actually, like, aren't even asking their clients, they're just assuming it, right? Totally.

And I- I fear that's a very common thing that we do is, as business owners, is we s- make so many assumptions about our clients, and that ends up creating these presumptions that really hold you back from actually growing. For example, people are like, "Oh, my clients don't wanna get emails from me." I'm like, "Well, have you ever even sent emails to them," right? "Like, have you ever actually asked them?

Or was that just one person who told you that when the majority weren't complaining?" Right. If emails didn't work, then huge companies would not be sending them. Trust belief, right?

100%. So, an example that I've been thinking about a lot recently. But same with the photos, right? I mean, we're in a day and age in which clients are seeing all of this beautiful crazy work being documented on social media, you know?

And I think reference to this topic, a lot of the time people will say like, "Oh, well, my clients are older," or, "It's not, like, the long, beautiful, wavy extension hair." Well, guess what? People are feeling ostracized and they feel like shit because they don't have that hair that is always documented. So, how about you stand up for those clients and you start documenting that work and making them feel special, right?

Yes. I mean, I had a client in my chair who's definitely probably not my target market, somebody who I would not be normally posting. Mm-mm. And she would very...

She would never ask me directly, but it was very obvious that she definitely did want me to post her, and so I absolutely made an effort to at least take a picture, send it to her, act very excited about it, and post it on my stories and tag her, right? Because I wanted her to feel included. And so, if you're somebody who cares about your clients feeling special and included, we're in a day and age which people are seeing those things, thinking those things, whether they are not the normal-looking people that- that- that are all over the hair social medias, right? Or they are.

And because those people also are like, "Well, what's wrong with me? My hair looks like just like everybody else's on the social, so why didn't you post mine," right? "What's wrong with the work that you did on me? Why..."

And especially if you're getting these referrals from Instagram or from a s- a social media platform where you're posting other work, that people are automatically thinking, "What's wrong with me," right? And when we ran surveys this past year and we asked people, "What do you wish hairstylists would do that they don't often do," is, "Make me feel like they're proud of the work," you know? Mm. So, if we really want to step up to the expectations and, like, what's going on in today's day and age- Mm-hmm.

taking pictures and videos of your client and the work that you're doing is very, very powerful and important. So, I'm looking forward to sharing with you how we can do that confidently and make our clients excited about the process and the result. I love this. Okay.

I'm so excited to get into this, because I think you're right. Like, a lot of the time people are seeing the photos that led them to book with you, and so they know that it's a part of the process. Like, it has been demystified, right? So- I- yep.

Okay. So, let's get into the how. So, if, you know, someone's listening and they do feel like their clients are uncomfortable or, like, they feel awkward about getting the photo, like, what's the first thing you would tell someone to make sure their clients do feel comfortable with that part of the process? Okay.

So, the very first thing, and this is a sentiment for anything that may feel uncomfortable, or, like, when you're approaching a weird topic, or, uh, whatever it may be, is that your client is going to mirror your behavior very often. Human beings are very inclined to mirror other human beings' behavior. That's, like, our herd mentality, or mob mentality rather. Mm-hmm.

And so therefore, if you approach this from like, "Oh, I'm sorry, like, I have to take this picture. I might be a little bit weird. Like, I know it sucks," like, blah, blah, blah. Yeah.

If you approach it from that place, then your client, who wasn't even thinking those things, is gonna start to think that this is a big deal and it's gonna be awkward and it's weird, right? You're literally influencing this person to start thinking that. Mm-hmm. But when you approach it from, "Oh, my gosh, Suzy, I am really proud of the work that we did today.

I know that we normally don't do this, but I would love to take a picture of it, because it just looks so good and it deserves to be documented, and I would love to post it if you would let me." Mm-hmm. "If you're not- if you're not comfortable with that, I totally get it, but I think it would be a disservice to the- to the beautiful work that you are living in, and for people who it can be inspired by, for us to not do that today. So, are you down to do it?"

And she'd be like, "Fuck yeah, let's do it." Right? Absolutely. Who's gonna say no to that?

Right. And the tea is, is that you need to allow the person to say no, right? Mm-hmm.... give the person the opportunity to say no.

That's what- a lot of the time, we don't even give the person the opportunity, right? It's like the situation where it's like, if you never ask, you'll never know. But if you do ask and they say no, life moves on and everything's okay, but at least you presented yourself and that person that opportunity. Yep.

And you're doing yourself and them a big disservice by not at least allowing them to say no. Same goes for retail. Mm-hmm. You are scared to offer this shampoo because you're scared they're gonna say no, but you're not even giving them the opportunity to say no or yes when they may- really would love for you to have that- give that recommendation, but you aren't offering those opportunities.

Totally, and then meanwhile they're going to Sephora after their hair appointment to ask whoever's working there what they should be using on their hair. So, you're so right. I think that's, like, the perfect parallel. Period.

So, we need to approach it from a place in which we are excited to document our work because we're proud of it, and we think they're gonna look beautiful in it, and we think that they deserve to have that f- that main character moment, right? Yeah. So, don't approach it from this place that you feel awkward and they feel awkward. Even if you do feel awkward, uh, this is one of the rare times that I'm gonna say, we gotta fake it 'til we make it, y'all.

I mean, this is like- that's, like, the first lesson that you learn in, uh, in- in beauty school nowadays, right? Mm-hmm. So, we gotta fake it 'til we make it, even if you do feel a little bit weird about it. And the more and more and more you do it, it's literally, like, it becomes like...

I don't know, Jodi. Did you take pictures of your clients' hair? All the time. All the time, yes.

Yeah. I was, like, the first kind of person in my city actually to, like, really go all in on the Instagram f- for clients thing, like one of the early adopters, and that was, like, one of the biggest things, like even when you were talking earlier about people who, you know, maybe are, like, older or maybe have, like, a different hair style than the ones that are all over social. I remember distinctly, it was probably, like, seven years ago, I did my aunt's hair. She was visiting me.

And I was like, "Oh my God, it looks so good." Like, we did, like, the most beautiful blowout, highlights, like the whole thing, and I, like, blow-dried her hair. We were taking photos 'cause she's my aunt, and she was like, "You know, I never ever see photos of people, like, my age," and she's like, "I never see any inspiration." And, like, it was still very much, like, my style of work, like, my niche, what I was trying to attract, and she was just, like, telling me how it was so amazing.

When I posted it, she, like, called me and was like, "It was so cool to see, like, you know, someone who isn't, like, 25, like, with their hair done on social." So, I fully agree and I think there's so many people who probably feel that way that aren't saying it, so take photos of your clients. It's huge. Yeah, 100%.

Thank you so much for that. Uh, and you know, that's from Jodi where it's like, you were doing it when a lot of people weren't doing it. Yeah. And we're in this day and age where it's overly norm- normalized, you know?

Yeah. Like, it's almost expected, right? Mm-hmm. So, like, you have time on your side, my friend listening to this.

Like, the fact that, like, you're starting now, it's actually so much easier to start now than if you were starting, like, 10 years ago, right? Totally. Um, even if you're doing the same clients that you've done for so long and you've never done this, like, I'm telling you, if you want that client to stay with you and not go to the cheaper stylist down the street that's actually been, like, asking that person if they wanna come see them instead- Mm-hmm. like, this is yet another thing that you could be doing, but you're not doing out of fear to keep your appointments feeling like an exciting thing instead of a chore for that person, right?

Like, that's our goal here. So true, and I think, um, we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about, like, the other thing that a lot of stylists think when it comes to taking photos of their clients, and that's the time. The time it takes. Yeah.

This is huge. So, when we talk about something that is, like, essential in today's day and age, like, something as essential as pictures, and something as beneficial, too. You know, this is not just bare minimum. This is also- Mm-hmm.

like, a massive opportunity because this leads to referrals, you know? Like, this leads to this person, like, feeling really proud of this picture and, like, wanting to share it to their stories and wanting to show their friends and family and, like, show off their hair. But they normally don't have a picture to be able to do that, right? Mm-hmm.

So, take a fucking picture so that way they can do that, so that way you don't have to post it yourself- ... so much to get clients into your chair, you know? Like, you want more organic referrals, take pictures. Yeah.

It's not just for social media. It's for your clients as well, too, as we've illustrated. Mm-hmm. Stop ranting at you.

I'll just tell you the how. So, what was I- what was the question? The time piece. Like, how- Time.

Peace. do they make sure they have time? So, you need to start thinking about taking the pictures as- as the same importance as, would you ever let your client leave without checking out? Would you ever let your client leave without handing you money?

You need to start to think about that type of thing the same exact way. You need to start thinking about the- how you're gonna plant seeds for retention, how you're going to sell and offer and recommend retail and add-ons. You need to start thinking about those things with the same- treat those things with the same level of importance. Mm-hmm.

Because it's no longer an option, right? So, that means making sure that you have scheduled in the time. Now, I get it. That's a big ask, right?

A big ask of, like, adding 15 minutes more to our appointments or something like that, and making it so, you know, you may not be able to fit in all the people that you'd like to fit in, or you'll make less money, whatever it may be. So, maybe it doesn't have to be every- and maybe it doesn't have to be adding a whole 15 minutes to your appointment. Maybe you need to learn how to- where you can streamline your timing to fit this in in a way in which you won't be rushing to get it done. Because I think rushing is a lot of the time where you will approach something from a nervous, anxious, awkward- Yeah.

place, which then, as we've learned, is going to make it so your client feels the exact same way. So, if you have nice time, right- Mm-hmm. and you have streamlined your service and you created the things that you need to create within your environment and within your skill set to be able to take those pictures within the appointment time that you've already given, fantastic. If not, fucking extend it 15 minutes, bitch.

Yeah. Okay? Extend it 15 minutes for a good three months. Start practicing doing the pictures and getting 'er done.

You will then find that it takes you, like, five minutes to take these pictures eventually because you're starting to get much more comfortable with it. You can get 'er done very easily, and then you'll be good to go. You can move your services back down as far as timing goes. But you absolutely need time for this, period.

Maybe this even means that, like, f-... in the beginning, 'cause I really do believe this should be, like, in every single client, every single time situation, don't get me wrong. But maybe as you're getting used to this, you start to block out, like, little gaps that you see next to clients- Mm-hmm. and so that way you have those time, that time, right?

And then you start making it like a normal situation as you, uh, move forward. And I would argue, like, if you're feeling that you don't have any time to take photos, you probably also don't have any time for any of the other, like, ticket raising, add-ons, retail, all of the other things that you recommend, Hunter. Like, I think that having that time is huge. Um, and so let's round this off with the super fun, like, bonus tip that you have, 'cause I think this is such a cool idea.

Yeah. So the very f- I gotta give credit where credit is due. The very first person that I saw do this was Kristin Code. So shout out to KC.

Um, she set up, in her salon suite, she set up, like, a little selfie corner. And so that way the client could go and just take the picture themselves. And the reason why this is so powerful is because now you don't have to have the skills behind the camera- Mm-hmm. to take a picture and pose this person here, there, and the third.

Now this person can go and take the selfies themselves. Now, caveat to that is that you definitely should be building up those skills yourself, you could be taking classes, taking inspiration, all the good stuff. We have a guest spe- for those of you who are in Modern Stylist Movement, we have, I believe, two guest speaker classes. One of them is Julie Loy.

And Julie Loy came in to, as a guest speaker into MSM and, uh, talked all about posing and lighting and all the things. So if you go into your MSM hub, you go to guest speakers, you find that class, it'll be very helpful for you as far as building those skills up. Mm-hmm. But the client, of course, will probably maybe sometimes not take great pictures of their hair, but they may take great selfies.

So therefore, you'll be able to get more pictures with people's faces in it, which is very preferable for today's social age. Mm-hmm. So maybe you have them take pictures, uh, themselves with their face in it, where they feel comfortable, right? And they'll probably take the best angles, because they know what their angles are- Mm-hmm.

and make, and just give them a little bit of direction of, like, what they should be doing with their hair. Maybe show them some examples of poses, right? And then they can just go over there, set up with the iPad or the tripod with their phone or your phone, uh, the lights, whatever. And then they go ahead and take five minutes to take the pictures.

You leave the room so they feel super non-awkward. I know that I would feel a little bit weird if the oth- if the person was there and I was- ... like, over in the corner taking selfies silently. So I would say leave the room, but just explain it, introduce it, it's fun, and then go over there.

And then you take pictures of the back of the hair. That's how I would go about it. But that way, it's no l- no longer this weird, confrontational situation. You get more pictures of people's faces.

You don't have to worry about the posing and making sure that somebody's comfortable with their face being in it, because the person has control over how they're perceived and wh- how they look in, in the pictures. I love that. I think that's such a fun tip. The last thing that we wanted to touch on is, like, when it comes to actually getting the great photos, right?

I feel like this almost kind of veers into bonus tip territory, 'cause we're not, this isn't about comfortable, this is about making sure you get the great results. So we talked about this before, but, like, when it comes to actually getting those great photos of your clients, like, making it part of the fun if you have to, like, go outside or, like, setting the tone, like that kind of vibe. Yeah. So I've mentioned this before, but I would do anything for the shot, okay?

Like, I would bring people out in the middle of winter. It's literally snow on the ground, it is freezing and we are not wearing our jackets 'cause the jackets will ruin the picture. Like- ... I will bring people outside, okay?

And I will say that I've been able to do that because I've set the precedent that, like, pictures are a part of the process, right? And so, you know, going about it as if, like, "Sorry, sister, like, we're gonna freeze, but the outside lighting is the best and I want to document this the best way possible as it is, because you deserve that. This hair deserves that. So let's go.

I promise we'll make it as fast as possible and we'll be fun and cool." You know? So going back to the sentiment of just, like, just making it fun and exciting, even if you have to go through some discomfort with your client to make it happen. And I mean, even just, like, joking around, uh, feeling like, see- i- s- b- being relatable too, like, you can be honest, right?

Don't overthink, like, being all positive the entire time. Like, you can be honest and be like, "Uh, sorry, sister, friend, like, I know this is a little bit weird, but-" "... move your head to the left a little bit." Yeah.

Or also reassure your client, this is a huge one for this. Reassure your client that you will tell them exactly what they need to do and you will move their head- Yeah. exactly where they need to move their head. I think that that is one of the biggest objections that clients will have and they'll always say, they're like, "Well, I don't know what to do or, like, where to go."

You need to be very conscious of that person's experience all the time, right? And so in that circumstance, you wanna be conscious of the fact that they're probably gonna feel like they don't know what to do or where to move their body or where to look or... You need to reassure them that you're going to do that- Yeah. and then you do that.

You move their body where they need to. You tell them where to look. You tell them how to tilt their head down- Get it. what to do with their hands.

Like, move their hands for them, right? Like, take over for them so they don't have to overthink and feel a little bit weird or that they're not, like, living up to the expectations. I love that. One of my closest friends is a photographer and, like, everyone will always ask her for photos when they're hanging out with her under any circumstance.

And so I think the thing that we have to remember is people love when they have great photos of themselves. So if you can be the person who is doing that, they are going to be so excited and grateful for that. It's not gonna be this annoying thing. Oh, yeah.

I also just want to, uh, address this objection, 'cause I know it's out there. My clients, let's say you have a niche that's a little bit insecure. So, like, let's say it's, like, hair loss, right? Like, a lot of clients may not feel comfortable about that.

Or in our mastermind program, we even have, uh, uh, an acne clinic, right? So people feel a little bit nervous about, like, showing off their insecurities. So reassure that you are gonna blur out their face or blur out their eyes or, um, that their h- their face does not have to be a part of it if you don't want it to be, right? Right.

Um, so, like, this acne clinic, like, they post a shit ton of their work on there, like the befores and afters, but they just blur out people's eyes or, like, put, like, a square over it in Canva, right? Right. Um, so, you know, no excuse, dude. I- I really don't wanna hear that excuse.

Like, unless, like, unless the client's, literally, unless you offer- Yeah. and the client says no- Yeah. right? I don't wanna hear the excuse, because there's absolutely ways that you can make people feel comfortable with getting that photo taken by post-editing ano- uh, anon- anon- anonymity?

Yes. Is that the word? Nailed it. Oh...

my god. Is that actually the word? Yes. Did I get that right for real?

Yes. I hate that bitch. Okay. Period.

So, so do what you gotta do, okay? Take the pictures. It's 2026, okay? We basically live on our phones, all right?

We're not, we're not, we're not shy to a picture. And your des- your work deserves to be showcased. What the fuck? Your work deserves to be showcased as well, okay?

Like, show people what you got going on. And if you're insecure about your work, too bad. You gotta post your journey and you gotta show your shitty stuff to be able to get anywhere in life and in your career. So post your shitty stuff.

Make your client feel comfortable by just being cool about it and not making it this whole thing, and create options for them to feel comfortable doing it themselves so you don't always have to have the pressure of doing it. Cool? Love it. Are we great?

All right. Thank you so much for tuning into the Modern Hairstyles Podcast. Let's say that you're listening to this and you don't normally take pictures of your client. I genuinely challenge you to take a picture of every one of your clients that you have tomorrow, and I want you to DM me one of those pictures, and I want you to ask me for feedback, and I'll give you feedback for free.

Hm. Okay? Normally I charge people for that, so I'll give you feedback for free if you do this and you send me that picture. All right?

Peace out, girl scout. Bye-bye.

End of transcript. © 2026 Hunter Donia LLC.