A Passion for Imagery – Michael Young

By Louise May

Michael Young has always been driven by creativity, constantly searching for new ways to express himself. From as far back as he can remember he always had a passion for beautiful imagery.

As a young hairdresser Michael would buy British and Italian VOGUE - studying the pages. In retrospect he was looking at so much more than the hair, it was composition, light and shade, and the emotion of a picture.

After many years of working on shoots as a hairdresser it was inevitable that his passion for photography would take him down a new creative path, that of capturing his own imagery.

Editor Louise May chats with Michael about his tremendous success in the industry, and the spreading of his wings outside of the UK.

Congratulations on taking out BHA Artistic Team of the Year! How do you achieve your balance between the creative and the commercial needs of your business?

I feel like everything I do is all part of one big melting pot, whether its creative or commercial - ultimately, it’s about hair, and how we can best use our skills to generate and grow new business. Photographic imagery has always been integral to the identity of the Hooker & Young salon brand, in allowing my team to explore different creative avenues whilst promoting the salons through multiple award wins - they really go hand in hand.

Tell us a little about how your love of hair started, and how you got to where you are today in the industry.

From a very young age, I’ve always been drawn to creativity but never really knew where that would lead me. I jumped straight into hairdressing right out of school and never looked back, it had everything I was looking for - creativity and a platform to express myself, all wrapped up in an industry full of likeminded people.

As much as loved the salon work, I was massively drawn to the competitive and creative side of the industry and set my mind on the British Hairdressing Awards which has remained a passion throughout my career picking up many awards along the way.

You have had tremendous success with your photography and the collections you have shot for, what do you attribute this to?

I love exploring different creative genres - pushing myself creatively into new and exciting territory. I like photography to tell a story, where the picture transports you somewhere - makes you think about the story behind the image.

When you flick through the pages of a fashion magazine, there’s often a theme that connects the images, not necessarily through words describing what’s happening, but more the subtle detail that grabs your attention, making you focus on the narrative of the story. A cohesive concept / story will always compel people to look at every single image within a collection.

A photograph is a memory, a snapshot of someone’s life – you’re capturing a moment in time. A great image can be a combination of many different things or sometimes it’s the simplicity that creates the beauty. When we look at an image, we naturally follow lines and curves so it’s important to remember this when creating a picture. If your surroundings or background have these features, you can use them to direct attention to the model – alternatively graphic clothing or clever use of light and shade can work to similar effect.

Can you talk us through the process of what a hair stylist needs to prepare in order to create a beautiful collection in terms of prep?

I guess it all starts with that light bulb moment - your concept / story. From there on in, you need give yourself a realistic budget and pull your team together which will consist of : hair assistants, clothes stylist - makeup artist and photographer. I always say “surround yourself with great people and great things will happen” Good models are imperative to the success of your shoot - it can elevate the images to a whole new level. It’s so important to choose a hair direction that is within your comfort zone and not put yourself under too much pressure. I always like to story board with the whole team to ensure everyone is on the same page.

What role do you play in shooting for others in terms of your mentorship, influence, and recommendations both before and on the day?

Collaborating with other hair artists is a real thrill for me, sharing someone else’s vision to help visually communicate their ideas is something I love. I like to fully immerse myself in each and every shoot - it’s all part of the creative process for me. Quite often I’ll suggest a concept that I feel fits the individual or salons identity or will brainstorm and develop ideas with the hairstylist or team until we get it right. There can be many phone / zoom calls that take place prior to the shoot, so when we all arrive on the day the whole team knows exactly where we’re heading and what we need to achieve. Every shoot is a stand-alone project with different requirements and needs from my part - I’ll help / advise as much as I need to for each individual shoot. I’m always 100% invested to ensure the results are incredible.

Would you say that having a background in hair has helped you with your photography and if so, how?

I 100% precent feel that my background in hair has given me a better eye for what I see through the lens - it’s the same perspective of what the hairdresser is looking for. On any shoot, communication is key and that is what I bring as well as my eye for detail, shape, and balance. It’s that understanding of knowing what the hairstylist wants and together how we can achieve it.

How much would you say you steer the direction of a shoot and how do you assist the stylist?

Every shoot is unique with a different set of needs and requirements - team work is key and as such I love to bring a creative high energy to the shoot ensuring not only amazing results, but that the shoot day itself is an incredible experience for everyone involved. My background in hair definitely allows to give hair direction when needed to help elevate the looks - I work closely with my partner Gary Hooker who offers for hair direction on shoots that require it. This can be invaluable on a busy shoot where there are a lot of models, allowing the hair stylist to work more efficiently knowing that there is an experienced director on set to keep an eye on the detail seen on screen.

What is it that makes you see a winning shot?

The million-dollar question! A winning shot can be attributed too many things - it’s that special something that sets your pictures apart from the rest. Instant connection - feeling - emotion - and great hair are all contributing factors. I honestly believe that a great energy on the day really helps create the magic.

We have heard you may be planning to come to Australia to shoot a few collections. What is it about Australian Hairdressers that excites you about this?

Yes! We love Australia and have huge respect for Australian hairdressing. Although Australia is the furthest place from us here in the UK, it’s also the closet to us in terms of aesthetic and taste levels - we have huge admiration for the work we see coming out of Australia.

Over the years we’ve visited on several occasions and always had the best time. We plan to visit in the early part of 2023 to collaborate and work with some amazing hairdressers in creating beautiful imagery for the AHIA’s. The hair industry is full of passionate creative people who love coming together to create wonderful imagery - to be able to do this in Australia is super exciting!

If you would like to reach out to Michael to shoot for your AHIA CREATIVE collection please contact him at youngmichael1@me.com www.myhairphotography.com