It’s no secret that many actors, especially new aspiring actors who are new to the industry, aren’t too sure on what constitutes a good headshot. Many actors across the social media network are always asking important and valuable questions when it comes to the actors’ headshot.
A handy guide on where to find information on what makes a good headshot, how to find and choose a headshot photographer, or what clothes to wear, is something that many of us actors are always on the hunt for. The ultimate aim is to get you seen in a casting room, in front of the best casting directors out there. Here are my top 5 tips that you can hopefully tick off your planning list.
ACTOR HEADSHOTS ARE TALKED ABOUT THE MOST!
What’s my casting type? What’s my playing age? Are these headshots worthy of Spotlight, or for my marketing brand? These are just a few genuinely legitimate questions that constantly pop up multiple times a day.
But aside from this, you’re seeing an endless pit of information online, especially all those social media groups you’ve joined, about how an actor’s headshot should look, how to get the best out of your session, what to wear, and how to keep yourself level-headed (whether you love your photo taken or not). But there’s not much by way of how important a headshot is. Yes, there are many experienced professionals in the acting/entertainment industry that are giving some unbelievably great career-changing advice when it’s asked for, but how many of these social media groups are you a member of?
How often do you find yourself searching through countless posts to get an answer you saw three weeks ago, which you now need the answer to? Or, you can’t even remember which of the forty-seven acting groups you saw that one question and answer in? This post is a genuine attempt at consolidating some of this information down for you. Click here to see what you can expect on one of my headshot sessions.
#1. CHOOSING YOUR HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER.
Who to choose!
We’ve all been there. We’ve all searched Google for countless hours, hoping that the ‘perfect’ photographer is going to smack us right in the face and fix everything for us. But, somewhere in the middle of all that haystack, is the needle you have long been searching for. Do you want outdoor shots? do you want studio shots? A mix of both? What sort of lighting and editing style takes your fancy? Do they have a good portfolio and reviews? These are all questions you want to ask yourself, to help narrow down your selection.
What to look for!
My first bit of advice when looking for a headshot photographer, is to look for the consistency in the photographer’s work and portfolio, specifically for actor headshots (don’t include their portrait work, weddings, newborn photography, etc in this visual, as this is all on an artistic level for the photographer to express themselves). A good sign that a photographer is experience and a professional at what they do is in the consistency of their work.
What to expect.
You want your final edits to be on par with what you have seen on their website and/or social media presence – otherwise, what’s the point in handing your hard-earned money over? You don’t to be sold a well-constructed, well lit headshot, if you’re going to receive something that looks like it has been taken with a potato, or is of a different (but still professional) editing style to what has been advertised.
#2. CLOTHING, MAKEUP and JEWELLERY.
CLOTHING & ATTIRE
Clothing plays a massive part in a final edit of a headshot, often making the difference between a nice shot, and a ‘wow’ shot. You have your favourite ‘comfort’ colours that you tend to wear, right? Then use these. You feel comfortable in them for a reason. These will help you relax (see tip #3), giving you the foundation to take direction easier and essentially enjoy your photoshoot. Here are some recommendations that I hope will help:
STYLES: Jumpers. Tshirts. Hoodies. Jackets.
APPLY: Plain tops. Neutral colours.
AVOID: Floral. Stripes. Decals/Large Prints. Fur Hoods. Thick Chains.
Remember, you have to feel comfortable, and feel like ‘YOU’. If you want to be brave and really add some contrast, don’t be afraid to try some bright colours, such as yellows, pinks, light blues, etc. These will bring out some more light-hearted-to-comedy elements to your look – if, of course, that’s what you’re going for.
MAKEUP
You want to look like you, yes? Then minimal to no makeup is advised, for the most part – and when I say ‘the most part’, this essentially leans towards ‘whatever your everyday look is’ and ‘specific character types’ where applicable.
You want to look as natural as possible. Yes, this does include those permanent scars, spots and blemishes that are on your face. These are a part of you, and not only should be embraced, but absolutely encouraged from a casting director’s point of view. The last thing you want is to look like you have completely flawless skin in your headshots (fair play if you do – I am genuinely jealous) but turn up to a casting looking like the natural you. It sells the casting director short, which will likely have a negative outcome in your chances of being cast for the role you have worked so hard on rehearsing for.
APPLY: Minimal makeup. Matte skin foundation powder (for oily skin)
AVOID: Too much makeup. Bright lipsticks.
JEWELLERY
Jewellery is a question I often get asked, both prior and during my headshot sessions. What can be worn? Well, the simple answer is generally ‘any face jewellery is fine to wear’ – if you can remove them, then it’s probably best to do so, however it’s often the case that these can and/or will be removed with a little help from Photoshop. Having two headshot options with/without jewellery can only be a bonus, right? Face jewellery would be, but not limited to: nose studs, eyebrow rings, lip rings, cheek rings and earrings.
Necklaces are generally not an issue, as they’ll likely be hidden most of the time. Again, if you can remove it, then it may benefit everyone all-round.
#3. RELAX YOURSELF.
This little topic of conversation is something that’s somewhat under-represented. And that’s because it’s a very niche conversation, with everyone having different personas and experience when it comes to sitting in front of a stranger’s camera and lens. What relaxes you will not necessarily relax someone else.
One way to tackle your nerves is to form a prior rapport with your chosen photographer before your shoot. Ask them questions – they really don’t mind. A small part of your career is in their hands, not to mention their own reputation. Having answers to everything that you need to know for the shoot will ultimately go a long way to making you relaxed.
Ask for your favourite style of music to be put on. Never be afraid to ask for refreshments, such as coffee, water, etc. Go through your selection of tops at the start of the shoot, while the photographer is setting up his/her equipment – this also leads to conversation and rapport, which is very helpful before starting the next hour or two sat in front of his lens, being used as a puppet to find the right angles.
Which bring me to poses and angles. A photographer LOVES someone who possesses even the smallest grasp of posing themselves – but knowing a few little tricks like this will increase your confidence. One industry standard tip that you can try at home is called the ‘chin down, neck out’ routine – it’s a posture that requires very minimal movement of your chin and neck. It’s all pretty self-explanatory:
– CHIN DOWN: Very subtle movement of your chin towards the ground – NOT towards your chest.
– NECK OUT: Think of how chickens move their neck out. This!!! But very subtle. It should be felt, but hardly noticeable. The camera will show the vast improvement in this sort of shot.
#4. USE YOUR USP (Unique Selling Point).
What is a USP? A USP is something that makes you stand out from everyone else. It’s what makes you physically/mentally/verbally different – so are to be used to your strengths, where possible. For actors’ headshots, of course we are only looking for physical attribute(s) to stand out.
What is your USP? Have a think for a minute or so!
– Do you have exceedingly long eyelashes for a man? This could be your USP.
– Freckles. Is your face covered in them? This could be your USP.
– Have you got one eye that’s blue, and one eye that’s green? This could also be your USP.
These are just three examples of what you can make a photographer aware of, to take advantage of, or even accentuate to some degree, when creating your photos. Use your USP. Casting directors want quirky, they want different. Let them have what you can offer.
Can you guess Kevin’s USP?
#5. KEEP RESTED AND HYDRATED.
This sounds like a no-brainer, right? But it’s a much needed instruction from many photographers before any photoshoot. It’s a common occurrence for clients (anyone, not just actors) to straight away request the photographer to ‘edit their eyebags out’. And, although some of us have eyebags as standard, we can reduce the visibility of these with just two simple steps; drink plenty of water, and get plenty of rest.
Drinking 8 pints of water a day is the recommended allowance to keep yourself hydrated and active. Getting 8 hours sleep, per night, also helps towards not only reducing the swelling in your eyebags, but it also goes a long way to keeping your mental health in a place where you want it to be – ref: tip #3.
I hope these tips help you in your journey to find the best headshot photographer for your needs.
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