Hairdressing heavy weights Sharon Blain, David Glover, Andrew O'Toole, Gary Latham, Bennie Tognini and Jayne Wild shared their award winning tips on creating awards submissions at the Award Winning Creativity Seminar at Hair Expo last Sunday. Here are 21 tips that they shared on the day:

1. Start Now. Start preparing your next submission the day after you submit the last one. Start planning photos and plan your activity so you tick all of the boxes. This probably means “start NOW” if you haven’t already. Don’t leave photo shoots to the last minute.

2. Keep a diary – so that all the important milestones and achievements won’t be forgotten when it comes to preparing you written submission. I am sure you do a mountain of work that could be included!

3. Plan your written submission months beforehand. If you've applied previously, you'll have at least a rough idea of the written submission questions. Remember the written submission is as important as the photos. It's worth 50% of your marks. Use your diary to make a list of all of your achievements over the year. (Otherwise you could forget to include something important.)

4. Answer all the questions on the submission form. Don't be shy. If a question asks why you think you deserve to win an award, say so. You are expected to 'blow your own trumpet'! (Some people don't answer this question and consequently lose marks!)

5. Practice makes perfect. The more practice at photo shoots, the better you’ll get. If you are doing only one shoot, do it early – not at the last minute. Use a manikin head for practice long before the model comes onto the scene.

6. Don't let the cost of a shoot hold you back. There are cheaper ways of getting a great result. Photo shoots don’t always have to cost the Earth. If the budget is small, find students or early career photographers, stylists and make up artists who need to develop their portfolios.

7. Prepare a total look - Hair should not dominate a photo. Clothes and hair should work together with the hair being created to suit the fashion look. David Glover said that it takes practice to learn that less is more. Let the hair complement the fashion so one holistic look is formed.

8. Know exactly what you are going to do before the shoot. Know the model, know the clothing and create the final hair outcome prior to the shoot. Be prepared for the shoot down to the finest detail. This saves time and money on the day. Sharon Blain has a plastic bag per model/photo with each one containing accessories, shoes, pins, clips, product etc. Don't wing the photo shoot. Have Plans A, B and C ready to roll out in case things don't go to plan.

9. If you don't know where to start, start somewhere! Rehearse. When planning for a shoot (in advance), just start experimenting.You may have to change track and you may not get it right first go. Bennie Tognini said his team are asked to work with art and other materials first, for inspiration. Then they take from these creations the aspects that can be applied to hair.

10. Always be on the look out for inspiration and ideas from everything around you. Jayne Wild says she is constantly observing to get new ideas. Trees, plants, fabrics, textures... Sharon Blain looks to history, history of fashion, and films... Take inspiration from the things in life that interest you.

11. Forming the photo shoot team ... If you have the budget for a fully fledged professional team, look for stylists and photographers you like in magazines. Give them a call. Tell them what you can afford and see if they'll accept the job. You've got nothing to lose.

12. Write a brief for the team ... If you have a definite look or definite story you are determined to achieve, your team needs to be on the same page as you. Writing a brief in advance and discussing it with them is a good start. Make sure the team, especially the photographer, understands your objective and the purpose of the shots. Otherwise, the photographer might create a great shot but it might not meet your hair objective.

13. Keep the team as small as possible. The smaller the team, the easier the shoot goes. A cast of thousands can complicate things.

14. Keep the team fed - Sure it might cost, but good food for the team on the day of the shoot will keep them happy. A happy team usually equals a successful shoot!

15. Don't accept rejection by agents. Network, get to know who is who in the modelling, styling, make up and photography worlds. If starting out, don't be put off by agents or rejection that they won't accept your job. Learn the agents that are happy to put forward hair models. Models starting out need to build their portfolio, so this is a good place to start.

16. Prepare your model's colour or retouch in advance of the shoot. It makes life easier on the day of the shoot.

17. Ask yourself - How can we make this shot better? Don't aim for good, aim for SUPERB!

18. Final shot selection ... sit with the photographer for the final shot selection. The photographer might do an early cull of shots that didn't work, but make sure you keep creative control over which shots will serve your objective best.

19. Do the shots for you ... don't try to follow fashion or other hairdressers. Be your own creative person. That's leadership!

20. A friendly warning - Don't publish anything before you know whether your are a finalist or not. All photos and images submitted must be 'never seen before' shots - no publication in magazines or online. Disqualification occurs if your shots have already been published. A great idea suggested at the seminar was to video your shoot and put the footage on YouTube. It is great free promotion BUT make sure you do this only after the results are announced and you know whether you are a finalist or not. Also if you are a finalist, don't publish anything until you check with Hair Expo.

21. Get value out of your awards shots by intending them for other uses - marketing and pr, display in salon, use on web site etc. after the awards season has taken its course, of course! (See Tip #20).

Click here for details of how we can help you write your Hair Expo Awards submission or for direct contact call Leanne on 03 9583 2001.