Outdoor photo shoot in Lausanne: which blow-dry to choose

An outdoor photo shoot is not prepared like an evening out. The lens flattens volume, the wind disturbs the strands and the lake air works on the hair throughout the shoot.

The right blow-dry is therefore the one that can take a knock: most often, volume.

What the lens sees

In front of a mirror, you judge your hair in three dimensions. In a photo, only two remain. A blow-dry that looks generous in the bathroom can look tame on camera, especially face on.

That is why photo shoot hair is often a little more pronounced than everyday hair. Three details matter more than you would think:

• The outline. Against the light, every frizzy hair draws a halo around the head. A surface well worked with a round brush limits this effect.
• The roots. If they are flat, the face looks wider. Lifted roots give height and balance the features.
• The ends. They are what tells the story of movement. Lively ends bring life to images taken while walking or turning around.

The wind, first guest

Around Lake Geneva, you do not choose your wind.

• The bise, cold and dry, blows from the north to the north-east and grows stronger on the western side of the lake. It is more frequent in April and May, and its longest spells arrive between November and March.
• The joran comes down from the Jura towards the lake, often in the evening, and in summer can take the form of a brief, brutal storm gust.

A volume blow-dry tolerates these gusts better than a strict sleek finish. On a perfectly straight surface, a displaced strand shows immediately. On hair in motion, it blends into the whole.

The right blow-dry is not the one that resists the wind, it is the one that stays beautiful when the wind joins in.

A few gestures help during the shoot:

• stand facing the wind, so the hair flows backwards rather than across your face;
• between sets, gently shake the roots with your fingertips, without brushing;
• keep the tightest shots for the moments when the air calms.

For winter and its bise days, we have gathered some advice in the article on the blow-dry against the Lausanne bise.

Ouchy, Lavaux, old town: three backdrops

Each Lausanne backdrop has its own character, and it influences your choice.

By the lake

In Ouchy, the light reflects on the water and lights the face from below, which flatters the shine of a blow-dry. The air there is also more humid.

Fine hair and naturally wavy hair react quickly: they are the ones that most need worked roots.

In autumn, from October to January, the Swiss Plateau also has its days of fog and stratus, with a soft, diffuse light that forgives a lot, but a humidity that settles in. Our article on the blow-dry against rain and humidity details the gestures that protect the shape.

In the Lavaux vineyards

The Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007, offers vineyard terraces and villages such as Lutry, Cully, Epesses and Saint-Saphorin. The slopes are open and the light is direct.

There, you often shoot wide: the silhouette counts as much as the detail, and full hair reads from a distance.

In the old town

The streets of the old town, around the cathedral, offer stone, doorways and shadows. The facades often block part of the wind, and the light is more contrasted. Well-defined hair stands out against these mineral backdrops.

Which finish for which image

Volume remains the safe bet outdoors, but it is not the only option.

• Volume: lifted roots, moving ends. It is the finish most tolerant of wind and the most readable on camera. It suits fine hair in particular, which flattens quickly. All the detail is on the volume blow-dry page.
• Soft: for a natural portrait, a couple's shoot or family photos, when you want to recognise yourself without a contrived effect.
• Iron curls: for more editorial images or an engagement shoot. Its curls are more defined and longer-lasting than with a brush, and they relax into waves if the wind joins in. See the iron curls blow-dry page.
• Sleek: very beautiful in the studio or in calm weather, more demanding outside, because the slightest shift shows.

On the day: a small kit

There is no need to bring a full case. Four objects are enough:

• A flat clip without teeth, to hold a strand between sets without marking it.
• A small round brush or a wide-tooth comb, to put an end back in place, never to brush the whole head of hair.
• A silk scarf, to tie loosely over the head while travelling.
• A fabric hair tie, in case a fine rain forces you to gather everything up.

Avoid adding oil or serum on site: on camera, these products weigh down the roots and make the skin of the forehead shine.

If the shoot also includes portraits for professional use, our article on the blow-dry for a profile photo complements this advice.

Book before the shutter

Ideally, have your blow-dry done the day before or on the morning of the shoot. The day before leaves a little margin, provided you protect the style overnight with a loose bun and a silk pillowcase.

1. I

   Your length.Three categories: short, mid-length and long, extra-long.

2. II

   Your finish.Volume, or the one that suits your images.

3. III

   A free slot.The address is Avenue d'Yverdon 4, 1004 Lausanne, and the email confirmation gives you the directions.

Come with clean hair, without oil, serum or styling product, or add the shampoo + care option on site; otherwise, the whole appointment goes into the blow-dry.

Is your date set? Book your volume blow-dry before the shoot, and arrive in front of the lens with hair that knows how to move.