Making Your Submission

Getting Started

Read the Rules and Regulations and make sure you understand the criteria. Are you entering the right category?

Participation is not a question of money
Go through the hardship and reap the rewards
Do it the right way and do it well
Document your work throughout the year
It's a lifelong process

Your Team

Find some people who share your dream.

Essentials: Models, photographer, makeup artist and stylist

What is your budget? Is it realistic? How much do you really have to play with? Don’t be afraid to say "I would love to use you but I can’t afford that price, would you consider this price? Or what can you do for this amount of money?"

Not everything needs to be perfect, but do invest in models and lighting

Don’t get hooked on location. All is possible with the right lighting

If you cant afford to use professional models, try using part time models or models that are just starting out and need to build there portfolio.

When choosing models, consider models that you can create more than one look with.

Is it possible to use a photographer’s assistant? It may be cheaper.

Fashion and design houses - your photo shoot could be a great environment for an up and coming designer to showcase there fashions

The shooting date should be 3 months before the cut off date.

Your Photo Shoot

Before the Day of the Shoot

The photo shoot is a crucial day in the preparation of your submission so you should prepare as much as possible beforehand.

The first thing to do is to re-read the Rules & Regulations and the Judging Process & Criteria to make sure you understand what is required.

After that, you should prepare for the photo shoot:

start with an idea and vision for your work
meet with your photographer to discuss your vision
make a list of all equipment, clothes and props you will need - if you forget something on the day it could ruin your shoot
make a 'running sheet' for the day that lists the times and what order things should happen in - when should the models arrive? the photographer and other contractors? the clothes and props? how long will you need to prepare them? who are you shooting first? what if something goes wrong?
meet and brief your team (preferrably all at once) on what you need them to do and why - everyone needs to work together

And finally ... practice, practice, practice. You should be able to visualise the process of the shoot with your eyes closed by the time the day of the shoot arrives.

The Day of the Shoot

Be early.
Document your process. Capture the day on film.
Take charge.
Have complete trust and confidence in yourself. When it’s all prepared let it bloom.

After the Shoot

You made it through the Day of the Shoot and have a fantastic set of photos, so what's next? You must choose which photos to use.

It’s about the hair. Your photographer’s favourites may not be the best shot of the hair - remember you're the expert, not them.
Do not rely on touch ups or photoshop to correct mistakes or enhance the photos.
You’re choosing photos to form a collection - you should be looking for the 6 strongest images with at least 4 different models.

Your Questionnaire

Your questionnaire is like an interview and is a crucial deciding factor when the judges make their selection.

So that you make the best possible submission, we strongly recommend that you:

set aside enough time so that you're not in a rush
re-read the Rules & Regulations to make sure you don't miss anything
answer questions that are relevant to the Awards period only
ask us if you don't understand a question
look at the number of points per question as this will help you decide how much detail to provide in each answer
keep your answers informative and concise
don't stress about writing style, what's important is the quality of what's inside
before you print & bind your questionnaire, read it from cover-to-cover and double-check for typos - better yet, have a friend or family member proof read it as well

Hear What the Judges Had to Say

Get insight from the judges themselves -
watch the judges feedback video now.

Further Information

If you are interested in entering the Schwarzkopf Professional Hair Expo Awards please contact:

Libby Brooks-Molloy
libby.brooks-molloy@reedexhibitions.com.au
+61 2 9422 8983