Named the NZ Geographic Young Photographer of the Year 2020, Becki Moss is a gifted visual storyteller committed to creating meaningful connections with the people she captures and providing visibility to often overlooked communities.
Recently, she photographed the incredible Courtney Sina Meredith, capturing the writer's infectious joy and spirited essence, and in 2020 her exhibition Queer Portraits of Auckland showcased the diverse faces of Tāmaki Makaurau's vibrant queer community.
Outside of taking photos, Becki advocates for sufferers of invisible chronic illnesses, listens to podcasts, takes naps and ventures forth into the great outdoors. Oh, and maintains her super cool buzzcut, tips for which she shares below!
Okay, straight to the point... how is your hair so great?
I guess what makes it great is it’s a bit unusual for a woman in her 20s to have a buzzcut?
What do you do to take care of it and keep it looking sharp?
At the moment I re-shave it every few weeks while I’m keeping it this length and then when I want to start growing it out, I’ll see my barber Ryan to get it cut into a style.
Otherwise I don’t use any product on it except the occasional bit of coconut oil (my normal body moisturiser), and of-course sunscreen or a hat so I don’t get a burnt scalp!
Did you do it yourself? What are your top tips for a clean finish?
My Mum did the first shave for me when I decided to go back to a buzzcut after having short bleached hair for almost two years - so that it would be nice and even. Since then I’ve been doing it by myself in my bathroom mirror and just hoping for the best. Having a decent razor and keeping it oiled and clean helps!
How do you change up your look when you feel like something different?
I used to never change my hair growing up and always had it long and undyed in a super simple cut. It wasn’t until I shaved it off for charity in early 2020, and it started regrowing, that I started to play around with bleaching, colours and different short styles of pixie cuts.
After that original shave, I realised how quickly hair grows back and how it’s fun to play around with your appearance a bit - as someone who doesn’t wear makeup, it feels like my hair (or lack-thereof) and tattoos are my statements.
How would you describe your natural hair?
Long, dark brown (golden after sun exposure), pretty fine/wispy and a bit wavy.
How would you describe your relationship with your hair - today, and in the past?
I used to hide behind having long hair and was super nervous about people seeing my face so exposed, and now with short hair I feel a lot more confident about my appearance.
Who else do you think has great hair?
Some friends of mine that come to mind: Antalya Atkinson, Shaneel Lal, Pj Hunter, Scout Hayes, Jeremy Warne and so many more!
Any current hair trends you’d be keen to try?
I keep seeing super cute bleached/dyed buzzcuts with the dye painted on to create patterns.
Any other good hair tips?
Have fun; if it goes wrong, it can always grow back!
