Taking Photos of My Hair with Different Lighting
Hello.
I am curious about hair/scalp contrast, and camera flash vs natural lighting when taking looking at pictures of my hair.
I have a very inflamed scalp, which is also quite scabby. I’ve tried many shampoo’s and ointments, but nothing has been able to clear it up. When I take pictures of my hair, my scalp can be noticeable, since my hair is very fair and when am using flash on my camera it stands out even more. If flash is off, the only noticeable part of my scalp you can see is my crown.
So, what gives the best evidence of hair loss with pictures? Flash, or natural lighting? As I said, natural lighting my hair looks fine, with flash it looks a bit ‘iffy’. My family have said my hair looks like the natural lit pictures, in ‘real life’. My GP says I have no hair loss, but the pictures can make me question hair judgment.
Thanks
I would rather not discuss photography issues (I’m not a photography expert), but it’s pretty common for direct/harsh light to make your hair appear thinner than it is. Just as various light sources can make someone appear older, angry, or even make your hair look a different color, lighting can also make your hair appear thinner than it is. Why, I don’t exactly know. Photography isn’t my field of expertise, but I’m hopeful there a reader of this site has a logical explanation. Direct light isn’t going to be a crystal ball in determining your future hair loss, though.
Other people are telling you that you don’t have a problem with your scalp and/or hair, but if you still believe you are losing hair, then see an expert (photography or hair loss) and find out what is really happening. At the very least, see a dermatologist to treat your inflamed, scabby scalp.
I know what you mean. Whenever I take a picture of the top of my head, in bright light, and using a flash, my hair appears to be extremely thin. I mean, my hair is thinning, in the front and on the top, but it is not usually apparent, unless I am in bright light. If I am looking into a mirror with only the sunlight shinning through the window, my hair looks pretty thick, but as soon as I turn the lights on, I can see about three inches of scalp, into my hair. One time, after shaving my hair down to 1/4th of an inch, I took a picture of the top of my head, with a flash, and it looked like I had no hair. Don’t get me wrong, I know I am thinning, but it only looks super bad in the bright light.
If you have light skin the scalp is a big relatively flat surface which reflects a lot of light, even very dense, thick hair can struggle to reflect as much of that. It’s why even men with coarse dark hair can get scalp burn in strong sun. Hair is not a solid layer, so any time you turn a very bright light on the scalp and especially with straighter hair, you will see a lot more scalp. Photographers know this even with women with no thinning at all.
Photographs use reflected light and they are still poorer than the human eye in demarking regional light changes. If you want to see how your hair actually looks it’s most accurate in clear daylight, not artificial flash lighting or anything else that highlights the scalp artificially.
I guess that’s why bulk tests are going to be more accurate than pictures with a flash.
Also – A photographer friend of mine mentioned they often have to use masking talcs in female models hair as harsh lighting can make them look like they have alopecia. And these are young women with very healthy hair! So you should definitely rely on bulk tests and progression over time.
I think pictures can be helpful to track progress of hair loss or regrowth but some bad shots can just make you feel bad with no reason. I guess seeing a bad picture of ourselves in any context doesn’t feel great, especially if your self-conscious about your hairline.