Photographing my bride's beautiful gray hair

[William McEwen]

My bride has decided to let her hair grow out in it's natural gray color this summer. This is a rather traumatic experience for her to say the least, but I think she'll look terriffic and I'd like to take a B&W portrait with her gray hair (she said it will take all summer to look natural.)
Any suggestions for filters/lighting from you portrait guys? What techniques will make my bride's gray hair "pop" on panchro?

First of all, my compliments to your bride. I hope the experience won't be traumatic and you'll get some pictures that she'll like.

Covering gray is a billion dollar industry, and I'm glad she's bucking the tired old trend and going natural.

I wouldn't concern myself too much about film/filters/lighting to get the gray to pop. Any reliable black and white film will serve you just fine.

[Eric James]

...and I'm glad she's bucking the tired old trend and going natural...

I've always thought that the money women spend on their hair and hideous hairstyles run collinear. Here's to hoping it settles out at 18%; you can place it on her zone of choice John.

[Struan Gray]

I'm not a great fan of Susan Sontag or Annie Leibovitz, but this combination has a lot to recommend it:

http://fotografia-e-identidade.blogs...-or-is-it.html


Women writers seem more ready to show grey hair in public than, say, actresses, or politicians or others who are regularly photographed and want to project a particular image. It might be useful to trawl the websites of photographers specialising in author headshots, such as Chris Felver.

I also have a great affection for the portraits of Lloyd Erlick. He makes people look good while retaining their individual character - the portraits are obviously posed, but you don't get the feel that the sitters are trying to look like an archetype.

[Rob Klurfield]

My wife did the same thing two years ago. It took a long time, but she has never looked back. I think it looks great. If you want to stay off that sofa, tell her much you like the way she looks even during that awkward period when she looks halfway between dyed and natural (skunk-like). Hair dye always struck me as being rather like putting pyro developer all over one's head.

I have no clue about how to take advantage of the silver when shooting her, but light prefers real hair to dyed hair for sure as it always makes dyed hair look like it was dipped in shoe polish.

[J_Tardiff]

John,

My hair went gray in my early 30's and at 48 I am now nearly white -- I say "gray" as well, because white, well it really fits better when one is elderly (at least that is what I tell myself ) . I never bothered dying it because I didn't have the patience nor the time. Tell her to have fun with it -- being a relatively young woman with silver hair is like joining a bit of a club, especially since the vast majority of women who "turn" early do dye their hair. It's amusing, people comment on my hair all of the time given the obvious discordance between my age and hair color. Oh, and +2 on the shimmering lights stuff -- easy to find on amazon.

I agree wholeheartedly re: the natural light approach, Rob's shot shows that well. The other concern will be her skin tone, I am very fair and look best when photographed wearing darker shades, deep browns, occasionally black.

And kudos to you for being supportive, numerous times women have said to me "I wish I could let mine go, but my husband would hate it". I always find it bizarre.