Using a Top of the Line Fan for a Hair Photoshoot

For those of you that love photographing hair, I’ve got a treat for you today as I review what you can get from using a top of the line hair fan!

You might be thinking to yourself…why on earth would I need or want a $2,000 hair fan!? Well, just like on movie sets, there are pieces of equipment that are designed to do a specific job, they are the ‘best of the best’ and created for a purpose, so I figured, why not try this one out!

Of course, just like with any piece of equipment there are alternatives. You can use a leaf blower, floor dryer, inexpensive house fan, and even cardboard/foam core while an assistant flaps away to create wind.

So after much hounding by my hair stylist, I finally gave in to try the Reel EFX RE Fan 2 Turbo Bladed Wind Machine for Special Effects (that’s a mouthful lol).

Starting right off the bat, I love how you can adjust the fan up and down. It allows me to really focus where the air flow will be. The next great feature is the variability for the power of the fan as well as the cool “burst mode” that can just be a brief second crazy wind. Lastly, in addition to the actual strength of the air flow, you can change the beam, or the concentration of the air which is really cool. You can go from 10 degrees to 45 degrees.

So what’s the verdict? For me, I LOVE this. Is it a bit on the expensive side? Absolutely. But it’s a tool like anything else and if it helps you do something more efficiently and with less stress than to ME it’s worth it, especially for commercial shoots where consistent results are important.

You can obviously achieve the same results without expensive equipment, but that isn't the point here, it's about what works for you and if you feel the need justifies the cost.

Now onto the shoot!

I opted for a Savage Seamless Pecan background which is a warm but somewhat desaturated brown. The idea here is that the model has this beautiful warm skin tone and with her beautiful hair, it would all matching tones, warm and fresh.

Since I wanted a fresh look, I opted for higher key clamshell lighting with a large umbrella and a 1x4’ strip softbox. The last light is a bare bulb on the background to give it a bit of pop and gradient of light.

As you can see from the shots everything is very consistent and that is what I love about this fan!

👇 I hope you enjoyed this breakdown and behind the scenes look of this specialized hair fan. Let me know what you think of the end results in the comments.

📸 Gear Used:

✅ Reel EFX RE Fan 2 Turbo Bladed Wind Machine for Special Effects: https://adorama.rfvk.net/b39oZb
✅ Canon EOS R5: https://adorama.rfvk.net/JxzdE
✅ Canon 70-200mm 2.8 RF L: https://adorama.rfvk.net/Jrr6q2
✅ Profoto D2: https://adorama.rfvk.net/qvB7y
✅ Profoto Large Umbrella: https://adorama.rfvk.net/bKGzg
✅ Profoto Large Umbrella Diffuser: https://adorama.rfvk.net/JAyMe
✅ Profoto 1x4' Strip softbox: https://adorama.rfvk.net/4AdQn
✅ Profoto Air Remote: https://adorama.rfvk.net/W3o5G
✅ Avenger D600 boom arm: https://adorama.rfvk.net/XRdAG
✅ Savage C-Stand: https://adorama.rfvk.net/J1ZW2
✅ Tethertools Tether Cable: https://adorama.rfvk.net/avr5q
✅ Savage Seamless Pecan Background: https://adorama.rfvk.net/5bP3jD

🔥 To learn more about lighting definitely check out my class Master Studio Lighting: https://lindsayadler.photo/msl

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