Martin Higgs
Martin Higgs is a Hair, Beauty, Fashion and Portrait photographer based in Essex, UK, creating imagery for both national and international hair competitions such as The L’Oréal Colour Trophy, The British Hairdressing Awards, Wella Trend Vision and other high profile hair styling competitions. Martin has worked on large commercial beauty and jewellery campaigns and had his work widely published across multiple international fashion publications.
How did you get into photography?
I’ve enjoyed photography from a young age, but my passion for portrait photography started about 18 years ago. A friend of mine that’s a hairdresser knew I’d recently bought a DSLR. He asked me if I could help him with images for a hairdressing competition. This was my first model shoot. I shot these and surprisingly for a first attempt, we managed to get through to the finals of the competition. The finals were to be held in Paris. I was asked to attend the event and had an amazing time shooting runway looks and behind the scenes imagery. From there on I was hooked and I’ve not looked back since. I’m sure portrait photography will be a lifelong passion of mine. I really enjoy working with other creatives.
How does Rotolight fit into your shooting style?
I’m a huge fan of new technology. Until recently I’d mainly used strobes. I’ve been very happy to bring constant light LED’s into my toolset. Being able to see instantly the result of light on your subject is a great benefit. The versatility and creativity the temperature and colours give is another level and so much easier and practical than using gels. Being able to control Rotolights from an app is also very useful. Particularly if they are out of reach. The softness of light using the new dome diffusers is also a good alternative to softboxes, so when shooting on the move less kit is required and lights can be deployed quickly and easily. The flash feature on Rotolights has also been useful in many ways, the zero recycle time, sheer amount of shots that can be taken on a single charge is unlike any other portable strobe I’ve used.
How would you describe your style?
I think I have 2 styles, studio based hair and beauty photography featuring retouching for flawless looks and location based
What is your favourite Rotolight product?
My current favourite Rotolight product is an AEOS 2 on a yoke.
What advice do you have for those getting into photography?
Gain as much knowledge as you can from others. either in person or via the vast array of free tutorials / courses on YouTube and other online platforms. My advice would be to shoot as often as you can. There is no substitute for regularly practicing what you’ve learnt. Get to know your camera well so functions and settings are second nature. Learn to look for and shape light. Light is the most important aspect of photography. Embrace light and shadow to sculpt your subjects. Study and practice editing techniques. Study other photographers work for inspiration. Don’t necessarily be a carbon copy, to stand out you need to have your own take. Over time and with consistency you may develop a recognisable style. But time may also see your preferences and style change numerous times.
“One of my proudest achievements was to produce imagery that assisted my client in winning the British Hairdressing Awards. One of the images was later used on a Billboard in Times Square NY.””I would describe my style as sharp, glossy and modern. Controlling light is the key to great imagery and I’ve learned to embrace shadows to sculpt my subjects’ features. I enjoy creating images in both colour and black and white and I’m most at home when I’m working with talented creative teams and enjoy the creative process of producing impactful, timeless imagery.
“I’ve recently become a Content Creator with Creativity Hub Events who produce immersive, high production fashion photography events where I help and support keen enthusiast photographers of all ages and help them create images to be proud of. I’ve been fortunate that my photography career has enabled me to shoot in many locations internationally. From the USA to Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal). I’ve met many highly talented creatives and made life long friends along the way.
