Richard Miles Photography

What Richard Miles Photography does

Richard Miles Photography is a London-based photography studio founded in 2004 that specialises in hair and beauty imagery for the UK hairdressing industry and adjacent beauty-brand market. The studio is operated by principal photographer Richard Miles, supported by a small team (1–10 employees), and delivers commissioned photography for British Hairdressing Awards (BHA) entries, commercial campaigns for hair and beauty brands, editorial features for industry publications, and beauty/skincare work. Core services span hair collection photography, beauty and skincare campaigns, commercial brand advertising, editorial shoots, and full-service art direction covering concept development, team curation (hair stylists, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists), location planning, on-set direction, and post-production retouching. The studio has accumulated 81 winning titles at the British Hairdressing Awards, described in the input as an unmatched record in the field.

The business generates revenue through three streams: (1) commercial photography commissions on a project basis, with standard terms requiring a 50% non-refundable deposit to secure the date and the remaining 50% payable before post-production or retouching begins; (2) licensing of images, with copyright retained by the photographer and use granted strictly within an agreed scope of purpose, media, territory, and duration; and (3) the 'Trend Image Mastery' workshop priced at £1,295 plus VAT, an in-person educational product at JET Studios in London limited to 8 seats per session. A standard shoot day is defined as 9:00am–6:00pm with overtime billed at agreed hourly rates.

Clients include marquee hairdressers and salon groups (Robert Eaton, Mark Leeson, Rick Roberts, Errol Douglas MBE, HOB Salons, Andrew Smith Salons, KJM Salons, MODE Hair, James Earnshaw) and major hair product manufacturers (Revlon Professional, Goldwell, Great Lengths, Lee Stafford, Milkshake, Supercuts, ASP Hair, Regis). The studio's go-to-market is relationship-driven: industry reputation, BHA recognition, editorial press features in publications such as Hairdressers Journal International, Pro Hair Magazine, Salon Magazine, HAIR Magazine, and Your Hair Magazine, and word-of-mouth referrals generated when award winners credit Richard in acceptance speeches. Marketing channels include Instagram (@richmilesphoto), the company website (richardmilesphotography.co.uk), and earned media through industry publications. The legal entity is Richard Miles Photography Ltd, incorporated in England & Wales, with no external funding, parent company, or institutional investment disclosed.

Name

Richard Miles Photography

Legal name

Richard Miles Photography Ltd

Website

https://richardmilesphotography.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Richard Miles Photography is a London-based photography studio, founded in 2004 and operated by principal photographer Richard Miles, specialising in hair and beauty imagery for British hairdressers, hair product brands, and industry publications, with an unmatched 81 winning titles at the British Hairdressing Awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Photography Services

NAICS

Commercial Photography (541922), Photographic Services (54192)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Makeup for Photography/Headshots (HSALAHAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup Services (MPADAFAH)

Keywords

• Hair photography
• Beauty photography
• Commercial photography
• Editorial photography
• Art direction

Headquarters

HQ city

Stourbridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Photography Commission (Commercial): Richard Miles Photography generates revenue through commissioned photography projects for hair and beauty brands, hairdressing salons, and industry publications. Standard booking terms include 50% non-refundable deposit to secure the commission date, with remaining 50% payable before post-production or retouching work begins. A standard shoot day is defined as 9:00am to 6:00pm, with overtime charged at agreed hourly rates.
2. Licensing of Images: Copyright in all photographs remains with the photographer. Clients are granted a license to use photographs only after full payment and strictly in accordance with agreed scope (purpose, media, territory, duration). Extended or additional use requires written permission and may incur additional fees.
3. Workshops: The 'Trend Image Mastery' workshop at £1,295 (plus VAT) provides revenue from teaching hairdressers how to create award-winning imagery. Workshop includes photography session with Richard and his team, mentoring, professional makeup artist, styling, and one fully retouched image for BHA entry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Richard Miles Photography is a London-based studio that provides professional hair, beauty, and fashion photography services for the hairdressing and beauty industries. The studio delivers commissioned shoots for British Hairdressing Awards submissions, brand campaigns for hair product companies, editorial features for industry publications, and full art direction from concept development through retouched final images. An ancillary offering is the 'Trend Image Mastery' workshop that trains hairdressers to produce BHA entry imagery.

Product overview

Richard Miles Photography is a London-based photography studio specializing in hair and beauty imagery. The company offers a unified service portfolio centered on professional photography for the hairdressing industry, including hair photography for British Hairdressing Awards submissions, beauty/skincare campaigns, commercial brand work, and editorial shoots. Supporting services include full art direction (concept development, team curation, on-set direction, post-production), and a Trend Image Mastery workshop for BHA entrants. The studio works with major hair brands (Revlon, Goldwell, Great Lengths, Lee Stafford) and has photographed over 81 winning BHA collections. The offering is a single-service studio model with add-on creative direction and education services rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trend Image Mastery: A workshop program for hairdressers preparing entries for the British Hairdressing Awards Trend Image category.

Products and services

• Hair Photography Professional photography services specializing in hair collections, campaigns, and award submissions for hairdressers and salons. Services include model casting, art direction, and retouching tailored for British Hairdressing Awards submissions.
• Beauty Photography Professional beauty and skincare photography services including natural skincare campaigns, makeup artistry documentation, and cosmetic brand imagery.
• Commercial Photography Brand and advertising photography services for hair and beauty brands including Revlon, Goldwell, Great Lengths, Lee Stafford, ASP Hair, and other professional hair care companies.
• Editorial Photography High-end editorial and fashion-forward hair and beauty photography for magazines, campaigns, and creative publications. Work featured in Hairdressers Journal International, Pro Hair Magazine, and Salon Magazine.
• Art Direction Services Full-service art direction from concept development through final retouched images, including team curation (hair stylists, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists), location planning, on-set direction, and post-production management.
• Trend Image Mastery Workshop In-person workshop for hairdressers preparing entries for the British Hairdressing Awards Trend Image category. Includes expert photography and guidance from Richard Miles, mentoring from Tracey Ann Smith, professional makeup artist, dedicated clothes stylist, and one fully retouched image for BHA entry. Limited to 8 spaces per session.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81 winning titles at British Hairdressing Awards - more than any other photographer in the field
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• JET StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2027JET Studios at 18-19 Lettuce Street, London SW6 4EH is the venue for Richard Miles Photography's 'Trend Image Mastery' workshops. This partnership enables the workshop program by providing professional studio space for attendees to create their BHA award-winning imagery.
• Tracey Ann SmithcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobally acclaimed, multi-award-winning hairstylist Tracey Ann Smith serves as mentor for Richard Miles' 'Trend Image Mastery' workshop. She brings expertise as a BHA winner and provides mentorship alongside Richard's photography guidance.
• Robert EatonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRichard Miles has photographed Robert Eaton's winning British Hairdressing Awards collections multiple times, including British Hairdresser of the Year wins in 2019 and 2021. This long-standing creative partnership has produced some of the most celebrated imagery in British hairdressing.
• Mark LeesonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRichard Miles has photographed Mark Leeson's collections for decades, including the 40th Anniversary ICON collection for Goldwell and multiple BHA wins including Artistic Team of the Year. Mark is described as a legendary hairdresser and the collaboration represents Richard's longest-standing high-profile client relationship.
• Rick RobertsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple BHA winner including Afro Hairdresser of the Year (2019, 2020, 2021, 2025). Richard has photographed Rick Roberts' collections across multiple years and categories, producing Trend Image of the Year winner in 2025 and numerous other winning collections.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Rankin: Established UK portrait and commercial photographer whose portfolio spans beauty campaigns, celebrity portraiture, and brand work. Broader than Richard Miles but competes for the same high-end beauty/brand advertising budgets and editorial commissions.
• David Bailey: Legendary UK portrait and fashion photographer with a strong celebrity and brand portfolio. UK-based like Richard Miles and competes for the same high-end UK commercial and editorial commissions, though at significantly higher price points.
• Platon: Internationally renowned portrait and commercial photographer with strong brand and editorial portfolio. Competes at the top of the commercial photography market for premium brand campaign budgets similar to those served by Richard Miles.
• Nigel Barker: Internationally published portrait and beauty photographer with extensive editorial and brand work. Competes with Richard Miles for high-end beauty and lifestyle editorial commissions across international publications and brands.
• Tim Walker: Internationally acclaimed editorial photographer known for fashion and beauty imagery with strong production-design sensibility. Overlaps with Richard Miles on editorial work for beauty-adjacent publications and brand campaigns.
• Patrick Demarchelier: Internationally recognized fashion and beauty photographer whose commercial work spans major beauty brands. Competes in the same premium commercial photography tier as Richard Miles for brand campaign and editorial commissions.
• Mario Testino: Globally renowned fashion and beauty photographer with deep commercial brand relationships. While focused on luxury fashion rather than hair-specific work, competes for the same tier of brand campaign budgets and prestige editorial commissions.
• Annie Leibovitz: Iconic portrait and commercial photographer working at the highest end of brand and editorial commissions. Operates at a different scale and price point than Richard Miles but competes for prestige brand campaign budgets at the top of the commercial photography market.
• Miles Aldridge: UK-based photographer known for highly stylized fashion, beauty, and advertising imagery. Operates in the same UK commercial photography market as Richard Miles with a comparable client roster of fashion and beauty brands.

Direct peers

• Andrew O'Toole Photography: UK-based hair and beauty photographer specializing in British Hairdressing Awards collections. Directly competes with Richard Miles for BHA shoot commissions from the same pool of high-end salons and stylists, offering the same full-service art direction and retouching model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/richmilesphoto
• Xx.com/richmilesphoto
• Facebookfacebook.com/RichardMilesPhotography
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richard-miles-photography

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Richard Miles Photography