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Some things every model & actor should know

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Headshots Advice:
Some things every model & actor should know about headshots
Written by Los Angeles photographer, Zero Dean.
Reprinting or duplication without permission is prohibited. © Zero Dean

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to give special thanks and credit to Hollywood casting direction, Bonnie Gillespie, for inspiring this article as well as her generous sharing of information. For more headshots related goodness, please be sure to see her headshots columns at Showfax, including, "Bad Headshots, Good Headshots" and "Bad Headshots, Good Headshots II" as well as our headshots related Q&A blog exchange on MySpace.

HEADSHOTS : PART 2 : PHOTOGRAPHERS, STYLISTS, AND MAKE-UP ARTISTS

How to find a good headshots photographer:

Finding a "headshots photographer" (or any photographer) nowadays is not tricky. Finding the "right" headshots photographer is, and that's precisely because photographers are so common and the photography field is extremely competitive.

If price is your main concern, you can always find "cheap" or "budget" headshot photographers nowadays. And by that I mean photographers willing to provide their services for what seems like a really good super low rate. This can be good for your pocket book, and in some arguably rare cases, can yield fantastic results. But in many cases, actors who resort to hiring the cheapest headshot photographer they can find end up regretting it afterwards.

In some cases, this is because the "professional" photographer (and by "professional" photographer, I mean someone who makes a living primarily from taking photographs) they thought there were hiring was, in fact, someone simply claiming to be a professional in order to attract their business.

The fact that the photographer charged so little for their services was a sure sign that they didn't really value their own work and experience highly enough to charge a reasonably rate for it.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether you hire an amateur or professional so long as you as you get the type of quality work and services that you're looking for. And if you're careful in your search, you can have great success with both. Every professional photographer started off as an amateur.

Just be careful when it comes to choosing a photographer entirely based on price. Do you really want to shoot with a photographer who doesn't value their own work highly enough to charge a reasonably rate for it? Probably not, but it's entirely up to you.

Does hiring a professional headshots photographer matter?

If you're extremely lucky, like to take risks, and can actually find someone who is truly skilled at taking photos and knows how to get the best from the people they work with, then no, hiring a professional photographer may not matter. But for people who are less adventurous and serious about getting great headshots, particularly in New York or Los Angeles, don't gamble. Why? Because beyond just getting your photos taken, you should also consider the quality of the "service" provided.

I mention New York and Los Angeles because these are two headshot hotspots where it sometimes seems headshot photographers outnumber actors. This makes more sense once you realize, that on top of all the new hobbyists the digital camera revolution has created, many out-of-work actors are now picking up digital SLRs and attempting to shoot headshots to pull in extra income. The market was already saturated with photographers, but now working as a professional is even more difficult.

Here's a question to consider. Who do you think is more likely to strive to provide you with better service? The photographer whose livelihood and reputation depends on it, or the person who simply has a camera, already has a full-time job, and is simply looking to make a few extra bucks?

Professional photographers who have a name, or are developing a name for themselves, know that reputation and customer referrals are an important aspect of the business. They know that providing a quality service is important. This can mean a lot of things, from looking out for your overall comfort during a shoot to delivering the products you paid for on time.

It's up to you to choose what works best for you, but don't underestimate the importance of hiring a good professional. It's not just about finding someone who has the ability to take a decent photo. Someone who has gotten to the point where they can actually make a living in a creative and competitive industry like photography has most likely achieved that level of success by working exceptionally hard to get there. They've picked up tips, tricks, and techniques along the way that require time and experience to attain.

A good professional photographer will know how to get you to relax in front of the camera and evoke the best poses and looks out of you, will provide suggestions, and knows how to accentuate your positive features and traits through the lens.

Those who are providing headshots and photography outside of their day job typically have much less incentive to give their clients 110%. In the very competitive business of acting, any advantage you can give yourself over your competition can be huge.

How to choose a good headshots photographer:

When looking for a good headshots photographer, you should have a couple goals in mind:

1) Find a headshots photographer you believe you will be comfortable shooting with. I firmly believe that being able to "hit it off" with a photographer and develop a good rapport with them can make a huge difference in the way your headshots turn out. When you're comfortable and enjoying what you're doing, it's much easier to project one's self to the camera in a confident, comfortable, and positive fashion. You're also much more likely to feel comfortable experimenting with different looks, facial expressions, etc. which can lead to some truly unique, eye-catching, and outstanding headshots. Smiles are genuine, not fake, and expressions tend to be much more vibrant and alive.

If at all possible, take some time to speak with your prospective photographer(s) beforehand to try and get an idea of what their personality might be like and how they communicate.

2) Find a headshots photographer whose portfolio demonstrates that they can take quality, professional looking headshots done in a style that you really like. It should go without saying that you should like the work of the photographer you choose to work with. You may not feel like a definitive judge of what makes a perfect headshot, but it is important that whichever headshot photographer you choose consistently demonstrates in their portfolio that they can take the types of photos you are looking for.

If you love a photographer's style and the work they have in their portfolio, the chances are very good that you will love the work they do with you.

Photographers' "style", what to avoid:

Some photographers work hard at developing a particular "style" of headshots in order to stand out in the very competitive business of headshots. In some cases, this will make no difference one way or the other, provided you like that particular style.

However, there is an increasing trend by some headshot photographers to overly crop a photo. This means to cut off or exlude certain features of a subject, such as hair, foreheads, chins, ears, etc. In some cases, this is perfectly acceptable. But in other cases, extreme cropping is a sure sign that your photo will end up in the casting director's "rejected" pile.

Basically, if your headshot is hiding a particular feature from a casting director that they feel is significant, then your photo has been excessively cropped. Overly cropping an actor's hairline can lead the casting director to believe you may be bald. Maybe the ear that is conspicuously left out of the photo is disfigured? Maybe you have a huge scar on your chin. If it's not in the photo, they won't know.

Over-cropping is bad. Avoid it.

"Celebrity" Photographers:

Whether it's a photographer who is a celebrity or it's a photographer who has worked with celebrities, keep in mind that it really doesn't matter at all when it comes to your headshots. A casting director just wants to see a good headshot. They don't have any idea or even care about who the photographer has worked with in the past. So as much as the photographer themselves may impress you, all that really matters is the quality of your headshot. So be sure to choose a photographer based on the quality of their work and not the celebrities they've worked with.

Do you need a make-up artist for your headshots?

Good make-up artists can definitely help hide your flaws and accentuate your features and they can be a vital part of a photo shoot, but headshots should be an accurate and realistic representation of "you", not a glamourized version. For headshots, you should good, but without looking like you're wearing make-up. This means that if you feel the need to hire a make-up artist, you will probably want to stick to "natural" looking make-up and avoid heavy eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick, etc.

It is very important that if a casting director chooses to review you, based on your headshot, that you actually look like your headshot. If you feel you require make-up, but are comfortable doing your own, then you probably don't need a make-up artist.

Do you need a hair stylist when getting your headshots done?

The style of your hair in your headshots should be one that is easy for you achieve. And if it's easy for you to achieve, then hiring a hairstylist for your headshots shoot probably isn't necessary. With that said, it is important that your hair is presented in a fashion that doesn't distract the viewer. If it's unkempt or unruly, then you should get it taken care of (ie cut and styled) well in advance of your shoot.

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