Taking your headshot seriously is one of the most important marketing tools you can have as an actor. There are so many people that do it wrong just for the sake of cutting a few corners. Actors, it’s time to take your headshot seriously. In order for a casting director to say, “Yes, bring that person in!” rather than “Yikes, that guy kinda scares me,” when it pops up on their computer, you need to get their attention.
There are tons of casting directors and agents out there who see hundreds of these on their desks and on their computers every day, so the ability to take a professional headshot is crucial if you want to stand out. Your headshot will be sent out and emailed to them. If it isn’t good, it will make you look bad. A high-quality image can capture your personality and showcase your best features, making a lasting impression. The professional headshot benefits extend beyond just appearing more attractive; they also convey professionalism and seriousness about your craft. Investing in a great headshot can open doors, leading to more auditions and opportunities in the competitive entertainment industry.
It is extremely important that you present yourself in front of people in a professional, attractive manner. If you want people to take you seriously, you must have a good, high-quality, killer headshot to show them who you are.
Not an iPhone pic, not a Facebook photo of you outside with the wind blowing gently through your hair, and not a JCPenney glamour shot with palm trees in the background that you reproduced at Kinko’s. Save those for when you take a picture for your grandma.
It’s important for actors to know how to take a good headshot, so here are some tips that can help them.
1. Paying for a professional photoshoot
Don’t be afraid to spend money, it’s well worth it. You should take your headshots to a professional who is trained, understands lighting, and takes them for a living, rather than to some friend who may have a decent camera and might be able to take good pictures. If you want good headshots, save those pictures for Instagram and leave the rest to the professional photographers. The cost of a good headshot usually ranges from $400 to $1,200. It will often take $100 to have a professional duplicate your image.
If the headshots look cheap, they are probably just glorified passport photos. If the headshots look cheap, they are probably just glorified passport photos.
2. Ensure that the headshot shows your personality
It is important you make sure that your headshot looks like you and don’t overdo the airbrushing. Casting directors expect you to look exactly like your headshot, and they will not be happy if you turn up looking 10 years older or totally different. You shouldn’t try to look pretty, you should represent your type, wrinkles included. You should look like yourself on your best day, and you should be yourself now at the same time. It should reflect who you are now, and show your age.
I believe that it is not about what kind of person you want to be, it is about what kind of person you are.
3. Self portrait with the eye
It is just as important to focus on your eyes as it is on camera acting. You need to make sure that you keep your eyes perfectly in focus, alive, and energized, as opposed to being dead and glazed over, just as you would with on-camera acting. The inner thoughts should be strong, suggesting a backstory and a life behind the eyes.
There is no doubt that a slight squint and strong piercing eyes will bring a photograph to life and help it stand out in a pile of hundreds. A good headshot photographer knows what to do in order to achieve this.
4. Taking care of framing and lighting
You should always take your headshot chest up with good lighting on your face and no strong dramatic shadows—unless you plan on portraying the Phantom of the Opera. Three quarter shots are good for print, and extreme close-ups are not ideal for anything except print. Focus on your eyes directly in front of the camera, not your left ear, or your shirt collar, and make sure that your eye is in the center of the lens.
It’s a shot that should have the background blurred, which is a sign that it’s taken with a good, high-quality camera with a high depth of field, which makes you stand out. No peace signs, weird facial hair, or the famous “hand on face” pose. Be sure the background is blurred, which makes you stand out.
It isn’t about where you are standing on the beach in Santa Monica or if you are on a tour boat in front of the Statue of Liberty – it’s about what you do and not where you are standing.
5. Figuring out whether you should have studio light or natural light
In the event that you are a sitcom actor, perhaps a studio headshot would be a better option for you, as it offers a different look and feel than a natural shot. Natural light tends to give headshots that film look that I prefer. Studio lighting tends to have a softer, more polished look, with a more neutral backdrop. Both can work wonderfully. It may be that you are better served by a well-lit studio headshot if you are more of a sitcom actor.
It is always a good idea to go for the outdoor look if you want to look like you are on “True Detective.”.
6. What to wear for your headshot: go easy on clothing and props
One of the headshots I saw showed a guy who had a bird on his head. That was because he wanted to make an impression. Let’s not go crazy here. Keep your clothing simple and classy, and follow the standard format. It is professionalism that gets you noticed, not desperation. It would be ideal to wear a simple, solid shirt that fits you well and matches your eyes well, with a little texture.
There is no need to wear the outfit in the headshot. It’s a bit much and it’s very limiting. (You know that, right?) If you think you are going to play cop roles, you don’t need to wear the outfit in the headshot. It’s a bit much and it’s very limiting.
7. Avoid wearing too much makeup for your headshot
Yes, retouching can do lots for you. You do not need to put on a lot of makeup. You should look just like you on your best day and not look like you are trying to be a perfectionist. Be yourself. Make sure your hair is done the same way you would every time you attend an audition. If you wish to take down the shine, bring some blotting papers along with you.
In some cases, people spend way too much money on makeup, only to end up having to retake their headshots because they look fake in every picture that they take.
If you’re thinking about using a headshot for several years and sending it to everyone you know, you need to look for a photographer who gets you. You need to feel comfortable with the photographer, and they need to make you feel very comfortable. Look at the portfolios of photographers. Ask for a consultation. Get to know them by looking at their portfolios and asking them questions. Determine how they photograph your type, your ethnicity, your gender, etc.
It is also important not to cut corners when it comes to your business.
