Braveheart

Thinking of entering The Mane Event? Check out Holly Sharpe's top tips below!

It’s so important to picture the total image and not just the hair. Think about the hair, makeup, styling and theme, location or backdrop and what kind of model you'd like. Start with a Pinterest board and begin collating your inspiration!

For this collection, I wanted to achieve a look with braids that touched the floor. The theme really reflected me (lots of red!), which is another essential piece of advice I can give you - never be scared to be yourself. With every shoot I have done, I have always stayed true to my style and edge. After all - this is my creative outlet, hence the name ‘Braveheart’ for this photoshoot.

Braveheart was my entry for the Hot Shot team with the AHIA awards. I’m so proud of this collection and was so happy to be selected as a finalist with it.

Photoshoots don’t have to be expensive. My first ever shoot was completely TFP (trade for photos) - I found a photographer, makeup artist and models through community Facebook groups and just put the word out. There are so many up-and-coming creatives looking to collaborate to build their experience and portfolios. Think about getting in touch with university and college students. My models wore black tube tops and their own bottoms, so styling was low-budget to begin with.

Over the years, I then started to take on bigger projects, wanting to achieve new highs! I started making a budget so that I could work with more experienced people, as I really wanted to give the competitions my absolute best.

Most importantly: there’s no right or wrong with creativity. Just stay true to yourself and do your thing! The more you do, the easier it gets and the stronger your creative team becomes. It’s the best feeling to create something and see it all come to fruition after all the hard work. Make it happen!

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