Kissed by Fire 🔥

From Brunette to Bold: Documenting the Redhead Transformation with Slunks

Recently, I had the pleasure of collaborating on a unique creative project with Cardiff-based alternative hair salon Slunks and my talented friend and creative director, Paul Stoyle. Together, we worked on a portrait series that followed three people as they underwent a bold transformation—from their natural hair colour to striking shades of red and ginger.

Paul Stoyle making sure everything is running smoothly in Slunks, Cardiff

The concept was simple but powerful: take classic, clean portraits of each person before any dye touched their hair, then document the transformation process as the artists at Slunks worked their magic. Over the course of a few hours, we captured not just the final result, but the in-between moments too. Dyes, snips and shaves, smiles in the mirror.

I love shooting documentary-style photography like this. It’s so fun capturing people mid-process. Where change is happening, where emotional responses happen in real time. These moments carry a kind of raw honesty and playfulness that you don’t always get with more polished shoots.

Colorissimo hair products were the weapon of choice by the Slunks team (https://www.colorissimo.co.uk/)

Slunks are known for their bold approach to colour, and they didn’t hold back here. Each person ended up with a totally different take on the redhead theme—one copper, one fiery orange, one rich auburn. It was fascinating to watch how each shade changed the mood and personality of the portraits. The hair wasn’t just an accessory; it shifted the whole vibe.

The Slunks team put the Colorissimo hair dye into Morgan Dowdall’s locks

Chelsea and Morgan check out the finished hairdo

This series is just the start. Over the next few weeks, the subjects will be documenting their journeys as newly minted redheads, sharing how they adapt to the colour, how it’s received, and how it makes them feel.

Whether you're looking for creative portrait photography, documentary-style photography, or something a little offbeat, I love projects like this that blend fashion, identity, and transformation. Big thanks to the Slunks team for their energy and expertise, and to Paul for dreaming this up and bringing me on board.

Project contributors:

Creative Director: Paul Stoyle (https://www.instagram.com/poylestoyle/)

Models: James Paine (@jamesinpaine), Morgan Dowdall  (@mdoodlee), William Delves ( @knit_happens_with_will)
Salon: Slunks (https://www.slunks.com/, @slunks)

Stylists: Tyrone Davies (@tyronedavies) , Oli Tracey (@oli.tracey), Chelsea Thompson ( @chelsea3991)
Video:  @eyesopenmediauk

Want to collaborate or like the work? Get in touch below or follow and message on Instagram.