Tell us your thoughts!  Over the years, I’ve heard all the nightmare stories as well as all the praises.  The men and women on my website have used the services of a professional makeup artist that I’ve provided.  Because I’ve heard it all, I have very specific criteria when working with a makeup artist to make sure you have the best experience possible.

For one, I look at their work and make sure they are talented and meet with them before trying them out.

During the meeting, I hand them a list of preferences for headshot appropriate makeup that agents want to see.  You’d be surprised how many people either overdo or don’t do enough makeup for headshots.  Little things like not using fingers to touch up under the eyes and prevent infections etc. are discussed as well.  You’d be surprised…

I like working with people who are professional and have an all around good attitude.  I look for artists who really enjoy what they do, like to have fun and are not eager for the shoot to end so they can leave.

Professionalism to me means being on time and not using your time to chat on the phone or to text.  Being attentive to your needs as well as being agreeable to your requests.  After all, we are providing a service for which you are paying, so you’re the boss!  After makeup is applied, if you request any changes, my makeup artists will not get offended or give you a hard time!

During your shoot, you won’t find my gals texting or wondering off.  When I’m working, they’re working as well.  They will be watching closely for a hair out of place or wardrobe malfunctions or touch ups that may be needed.

And for you dark skinned folk, I make sure to work with professionals who understand all skin types, won’t make you look ashy and are mindful of the tonal variations on your skin!

The following headshot examples display a range of makeup applied to all skin tones, old and young, male or female, white or black! Currently my very favorite go to gal is Tara Shakespeare!

Edgy / Commercial Business

Three time returning client Arae Murdoch has come all the way from Canada to finally call LA home!  Sassy or sweet, Arae is a veteran in front of the camera!

Fun Dad / Love Interest / Commercial Hipster

Will Brennan, Amy Blair, and Nicholas Downs know how to bring back this rustic look.  Whether a fun dad, a lovely leading lady, or a hip guy next door, these three sure know how to work plaid!

Sexy Leading Lady

You really can’t go wrong with fiery red hair combined with amazing talent!  Angela Gulner does this look with flawless effort!

Edgy Bad Girl / Girl Next Door

Kelly Lynn Washington was so much fun to work with!  With a Jodie Foster essence, she displays a full range from the girl we love to hate to our high school sweetheart!

Comedic Best Friend / Commercial Mom

I’m so flattered that Douglas M. James had his first headshot session with me!  He had such amazing talent and energy which really pulls through in this shot!   Andrea Meier displays a sense of understanding and comfort with those sweet eyes!

Theatrical Edgy / Commercial Business

Lawrence Lacey has a great personality and a chameleon!  I think these shots show how he can switch from sour to sweet in the blink of an eye.  thanks for protecting us in that alley Lawrence!

Recently I was asked by one of my clients if he’ll be picking up a CD of images after we finished our session.  I thought technically he could, but the images wouldn’t be up to par if I handed them over straight from the camera in their RAW form.  So the short answer was no.  For the long answer, here’s what goes into your pictures after we’re finished shooting.

First, I go through all your images and edit the bad ones, like with the eyes closed, or where you have a double chin that shouldn’t be there.

Next I do what’s called a batch processing.  This is where I take all your edited images and color balance the average  skin tone as well as the contrast levels.  This global process somewhat prepares the images to look color balanced on monitors.  I say somewhat because we don’t really have control over how your images look through other people’s monitors.  Some monitors may be brighter than others, causing you to look washed out and other monitors may have an orange or magenta color cast causing your skin tone to look yellow or red.   For this reason we don’t fuss too much over your low resolution images batched for “web use”.

We then take these globally color balanced images and create 4×6 proofs.  Proofs are used to compare small 4×6 prints before making a final decision on an 8×10.  Proofs are printed on machine prints at photo labs.

We also take all your images and re-size them for the five major directories like LA Casting so you can upload with ease.  This is just a little extra something I like to include in my packages.

Lastly, we print your personalized CD label and burn your disc.  This entire process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours depending on the number of images taken.  So unless you’re willing to hang out, we mail your CD the day after your session!

Urban / Quirky Best Friend

Returning client Lawrence Kao is always a pleasure to work with, and does a great job showing off his hip edgy look.  How could you not want to be friends with sweetheart Sara Jo Allocco?

Urban Bad Boy / Commercial Business

David Mate, owner of Hot Bartenders LA does a wonderful job revealing his dark side, and brown-eyed girl Michelline Coonrod, roommies with Vic D. proves beauty and brains come in one package!

Casual Office / Fun College Student

Glasses are such a great accessory for headshots!  Lisa Temple really warms up the workroom with this smile and Emily O’Meara seems to be the perfect college roommate!

Commercial Business / Fun Mom

Couple Cory Blevins and Stephanie Burden worked wonderfully in front of the camera.  Cory nailed the business look, while Stephanie perfectly displayed a fun loving mom.  What a great team!

CW Bad Girl / Edgy Sexy

Both of these girls know how to work an edgy look.  Hannah Lopez shows off her tough side, while Chess Brown shows some sass.

Young Professional

With dark eyes and a great smile, Brandon Weaver pulls off every look with ease.  Business in pink? No Problem!

Fun Mom / Quirky Office / Casual Business

A kid would be lucky to grow up with Pamela Cohen, Mark David Christenson proves that the office can be fun, and Jason Baladi pulls off the unamused co-worker!

Nerdy Guy Next Door / Fun Uncle

Matthew Morgan has a great look! Do you see the Steve Buscemi resemblance?

Comedic Office / Blue Collar Dad

Whether he is in the office or at home with the kids, Michael Halpin always remains fun and light-hearted.

Fun Best Friend

Even when she is caught off guard Jennica Chavez still manages to look like a sweetheart!

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Blog written by guest blogger Mike O’Dell – Bobby Ball Talent Agency.

I’ve worked with Mike O’Dell for over seven years now.  Mike is a hard working no none-sense actor’s agent.  His experience of 11+ years, first at SBV and now at BBA, two well recognized agencies, definitely gives his words weight so I asked him to guest blog.  A wise actor would take his advise!

“Headshot Perspective – My Opinion

Get a real photographer.  Nothing is more lame for an actor than being surrounded by dozens of professional headshots while theirs is so bad the DMV wouldn’t accept it.  Anyone who cannot tell the difference is in complete denial. Real photographers compose. Amateurs point and shoot. Take no offense amateurs. Some of us, like me for instance, cannot do that much.

Consult with your agent. Your agent has seen the actors that are booking the jobs you are not. They tend to know what and who is effective for headshots. Listen to what they have to say. Communicate with them. Very often the photographer will be willing to talk with your agent prior to the session to further clarify what is needed.

Be on time and cooperative with the photographer. They know what they are doing. Most people do not feel comfortable posing for pictures for a long period of time and most photographers know this. They will therefore do all they can to set you at ease and bring forth the best of you.

Don’t get chintzy with hair and make-up. While a glamour shot is NOT the goal here, most photographers will know what sort of light is needed for you and how best to tone your skin and make you as presentable as can be.

Please consult with your agent when examining proofs. Be sure you know what they want, but be sure they know what you want as well. This way there are exactly zero misunderstandings down the road.

Because most headshots are placed on at least one on-line casting site, make sure to take chosen proofs to a photo lab. Once there, have it processed into an online image. All the sites currently in use have different specs for downloading and most local labs are familiar with local photographers. Once more, they know what to do.

Otherwise, follow the same rules as always:

Don’t upstage yourself by wearing some distracting article of clothing or holding a cute adorable animal.

Please shower/bathe the day of the shoot. Sorry it is necessary to say this.

Follow photographer and agent advice for wardrobe and settings. (Costumes are not currently in vogue, FYI.)

Relax. You are about to be immortalized.

Most headshots are good for about 18-28 months depending on the actor. If you have headshots older than 2 years talk to your rep or your favorite photographer. It is time to do it again.

Remember, this is YOUR investment in YOUR career. Do it right.”

Quirky College Student / Edgy CW

Elijah Cook

Business Headshot

Leading Love Interest / Edgy Bad Boy

Hans Christopher Brofeldt

Urban Student / Young Dad

Jeremiah Watkins and Tom Galup

Young Professional

Lawrence Thunell

Commercial Dad / Quirky Office

Marty Putz

Love Interest / Boy Next Door

Conrad Camody

Business / Blue Collar

Detective

Steve Bethers

Mom / Casual Business / Victim

Olivia Balardo

Comedic Girl Next Door

Hendrix

Young Dad / Guy Next Door

Chris H. Pierce

Professionals fully invested in their craft pay a high price for the ability to create quality images.

To start, professional equipment is expensive.

Prosumer cameras cost upwards of $2700.   Pro cameras cost upwards of $8000.  Multiple cameras for backups in case of failure on the job are a necessity.  Pro lenses are $1200 and up.  Most of us own at least five.  Flash units cost $400 and up.  Then there are Computers.  Computers with mega fast multiple processors and mega large RAM, to handle super large files coming out of cameras, and the power needed to process them, cost about $5000 and up (if you like Macs).  I personally have and need three desktops and one laptop to share with my assistants.  Multiple monitors easily cost $3000 and up.  Hard drives to store thousands and thousands of digital files cost $80 and up for 1Terabite.  They used to cost a whole lot more.  Additional hard drives to store the backups for the thousands and thousands of digital files cost $80 and up for 1Terabite.  Number of hard drives you may find at a pro studio? Easily over 100.

The list goes on.

Studio equipment including multiple light heads, power packs, umbrellas, soft-boxes, stands, sandbags and backdrops are worth thousands.  Cases for storing and transporting equipment cost a bunch more.  Pro photographic printers are usually $700 and up.   Software like Photoshop, In Design, Lightroom etc. are very expensive.

Even more is needed…

Tons of accessories, CF cards, filters, transmitters, light meters, multiple reflectors, flags, tripods, multiple battery backups to prevent loss on multiple computers in case of a power outage, assistants, the education needed to keep up with the ever changing world of software.  Oh and let’s not forget insurance to insure thousands of dollars of equipment.

And of course profit margin…

For things like eating, medical insurance, a car followed by more insurance, a home, some time off, shoes, more shoes, a boyfriend and four cats.

The following headshots were taken by an expensive professional.

What characters these guys brought through!  With a pair of stylish glasses and a slight smirk, Amir Levi was able to bring out that approachable guy at the office!  Whereas Drew Hinckley was able to get in your face with his larger than life personality!

Fun Co-Worker / Quirky Office

Confidence really goes a long way!  Tarniesha Stimage  shows us she can really take charge with this strong, yet womanly, essence!

Business

Bill Hofto effortlessly goes from that stay-at-home dad living in the suburbs to that over-worked guy slaving away at a corporate office!

Fun Dad / Business Professional

Next, Jerry Hernandez was a pleasure to work with and was able to bring out this timeless edgy look.

Edgy CW

What a doll!  Whether she’s the girl that will take you out on the town or the one you sit side-by-side with on a swing, you can’t help but fall in love with Sarah Marie’s  gentle essence!

Hip Leading Lady / Girl Next Door

John Bozeman really brought out some serious range!  Here, he displays the commercial business professional followed by that struggling blue collar worker!

Commercial Business / Blue Collar Worker

Returning client, Gary Brintz brought out some great characters as usual!  Here he is commercially, ready to crack some jokes followed by his more edgy essence as the guy we don’t want to mess with!

Best Friend / Detective

Kevin Walker brought on the hip edgy student whereas Julie Zhan pulls through as a preppy college girl!  Kara Gibson puts us at ease with her warm and friendly essence!

Edgy Bad Boy / College Student / Best Friend

Eric Olson drove up all the way from Palm Desert!  Here he showcases his sinister smirk and piercing stare then brings out the inspirational coach or supportive dad!

Bad Guy / Dad

Jamie Driscoll is an expert at wearing different hats both in front of the camera and with his own personal projects!  I think that ability really shows through his headshots too!  Keep up with his progress here! As it turns out, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree!  Check out Jamie’s son Jru’s page for updates on his debut record!

Young Dad / Hip Musician

Stay tuned for more and don’t forget to subscribe to this blog!

“Why?” you ask,  “why does my headshot photographer not want to give me a CD of high resolution files that I can go do as I please with?  After all, my other photographer did.”

This question has come up enough times that I feel the need to respond for the collective who don’t give out high resolution files.  These are my colleagues, photographers, and artists whom I have great respect for because they truly value their work, and like to see the process through from start to finish.  Let me explain.

But before I explain, I would like to define what a RAW file is (for the laymen).  Most professional photographers shoot in RAW mode.  A RAW file is the equivalent of a film negative.  RAW files are not the same files that a point and shoot digital camera produces.  A point and shoot produces JPEG files, which are compressed images, that are pre-processed by the camera.  Meaning, the contrast, color balance, and skin tones are determined by the camera, and therefore, the images need no further processing.  By contrast, RAW files need processing in the digital darkroom, sometimes referred to as the lightroom,  just like a film negative needs processing in the darkroom.  RAW file types are available only with Prosumer or Pro Cameras that cost anywhere from $1700 to $8000 or sometiems more.

Here is an example of what a RAW file that comes out of the camera looks like, and the same file processed.

RAW Headshot vs. Custom Processed

Everyone understands that a film negative is not a finished product or a ready image.  It is not an 8×10 headshot.  It needs to be processed in the darkroom, and then printed in the darkroom.  The printing process involves chemicals and other goodies where the photographer adds contrast, burning and dodging, and controls skin tones and brightness to produce the final print.  This can be the most creative, fulfilling, and exciting part of being a photographer.  After all, this is the only part of the process that the public sees,  the final image we create from that negative!  That’s the image that gets hung up in galleries, or published in books, or in the case of headshots, the image that gets passed around all over town with our name stamped on it (literally or not)!

Even those of us who dropped film off at the lab, for processing and printing, felt we had creative control over our final images.  This is because, to the labs we had a relationship with, we could dictate our standards and preferences, get exactly what we asked for, and even proof our images before proudly passing it on to the client as the image of our vision.

No one seems to understand that RAW files need to go through the same process of “processing”.

Here is another example or a RAW vs processed file.

RAW vs Processed

The truth is, the average person can not take film and process it themselves in their own darkroom.  Unlike the “Lightroom”,  consisting of a computer and Photoshop, darkrooms are expensive, time consuming, and require skills not easily available to the public.

With digital cameras and the tools for processing easily available to the public, I hate to say it, but, with all due respect, every Joe schmo thinks he is an expert in Photoshop; essentially an expert printer.  Maybe so.   But I can guarantee, that nine out of ten consumers do not have the skills to process an image the way a photographer can.  Why?  Because photographers spend countless hours doing what they do (their full time job), in addition, they are constantly educating themselves, learning new techniques, investing in new software and hardware, to be able to give clients high quality images stamped with their vision.

Most importantly, the processed RAW file is the photographer’s very own creative interpretation of the final image.  My personal feeling is that no one should take that away from an artist.

Saying to a photographer that you’d like to play around with the RAW images yourself, is truly diminishing what a photographer does as an artist.  The only part of the entire process that the public sees is the final image, and that final image should, in my opinion, be created with the photographer’s vision and no one else’s.

I think a painter would very much be offended if after purchasing his painting, the buyer decides he would like to add his own brush strokes to the canvas.

A writer would very much be offended if an actor decided to change the interpretation of a line that was meant to say something else.

I could go on but you should be getting the point by now.

Sure, in the days of film, there were headshot photographers (for one reason or another) who gave away their negatives, just as they now give away RAW files, or what some people call the high resolution files.  When a photographer gave his negatives to the client, and a random lab processed the negatives and made a print, the photographer essentially gave up creative control over the final outcome and look of the image.  Chances were, that if the lab was not a trusted lab that the photographer had a relationship with, and that lab put out mediocre work, the photographer in turn looked mediocre.

By the same token you can take RAW files to the reproduction lab and have them process the files for you.  In the case of headshots, unfortunately  with few exceptions, reproduction labs don’t necessarily take the time and care to creatively process RAW files.  They merely focus on the “setup” of your name, font, border etc.  and don’t necessarily focus on things like selective burning and dodging, perfecting skin tones, contrast, and enhancing colors.

Same as a film lab, if a reproduction lab is mediocre, chances are the final image will also turn out to be mediocre.  Guess who’s name and reputation rides on that image?  Yup, you guessed it.  When the quality of the final headshot is bad, the only person that gets blamed is the photographer.  This is true mostly because people are unaware of the process the images have to go through to look good, the process I explained above.

Here is another example.

RAW vs. Processed

In the world of headshot photographers, there are many who don’t necessarily view their work as art, who don’t care enough about what happens to their work once it leaves their possession, and simply give away their RAW files.  These photographers generally charge less since they spend less time in post, and also don’t need to invest as much in equipment and software to process RAW files.  I truly believe that they would be more successful if they took control of their images and treated, yes, even headshots, as art.  Because in my experience, good work (on final images that the public will view) begets more work.

A quick note about the rest of the industry:  giving away RAW files is not common practice in any other field of photography. In fact it’s frowned upon.  From wedding photographers to commercial photographers, and everyone else in between,  giving away RAW files is the equivalent of giving away our precious copyright, completely disregarding the Copyright Act of 1976 which protects the value of a photographer’s images.  But that’s a whole other topic.

To summarize, headshot photographers may be viewed as lowest of the totem pole, and some may even view themselves as such, and therefore not take their art seriously.   I, on the other hand, really enjoy what I do and  take my work seriously.  By striving to become a well informed and better photographer every day,  I aim to provide my clients the unique prospective of seeing my vision come to life from start to finish.  For me, the process begins, from the minute I click the shutter, create the web galleries, CDs, proofs, etc., and ends with the final image processed, with all my little creative touches!

To uphold and to protect my reputation from bad or mediocre processing of my images, and for the sake of creative control, I feel strongly about not giving out my RAW files.

Enough examples of RAW images.  Here are more from my shoot with Annie Ramsey, possibly the cutest redheaded actress in town!

Headshot

Headshots

As beautiful as film is, digital has certainly made it easier for photographers to produce work that their clients approve of.  For one, during a digital session, at least with me, the actor gets to go through every shot taken.  If there’s something we haven’t captured yet, we continue to shoot until we get what we need.  Film not only prevented that “sneak preview”, but it also limited us to the number of rolls we could shoot.  Now, I tend to keep shooting until both the client and I feel that we have enough to edit down to the “cream of the crop” in post.

Another advantage to digital headshots is that, if there is ever a question about wardrobe or makeup, we simply do a test shoot (just like the old Polaroid).  The camera never lies!  If you don’t like your makeup, we change it.  If the outfit we chose doesn’t work, we change it.  Digital sessions are almost re-shoot proof, since everything is previewed ahead of time.

For actors, the best advantage to digital headshots is the fast turnaround.  Some photographers hand you a disc immediately after a photo session.  I send you an online web gallery in one business day.  The reason why we don’t just hand out a disc after the session, is because we take the time to process our images and color balance them for online viewing (but that’s a whole different topic).

The best advantage for photographers is the fact that we can show you what works and what doesn’t.  Sometimes showing an actor how terrible that face he’s making looks, immediately eliminates the need to keep telling him/her not to do that!

Last but not least, my favorite part about shooting digital headshots is that I no longer rely on a lab to make my work look good in post.  We do all our own color balancing, online proofing, and 8x10s.  Although this may not seem like a big deal to an actor, it actually benefits them immensely to have a photographer see the process through from start to finish.  There is much to be done in the “lightroom” as there was to do in the darkroom with film.  All our headshots are essentially custom prints that we color balance, add contrast to, enhance the colors of, and retouch!

Headshots of Apryl Kay Washington

The answer is no, and not because I’m biased.  Here’s why.

If you don’t have an agent, and you’re just starting out, you’ve probably heard from other actors that if you spend money on headshots, once you get an agent, your agent is going to ask you to re-shoot.  Why not take some cheap headshots now, get an agent, and then spend the money on good ones?  Read these two sentences again.  Now think about it.  This is probably the worst advise you’ll ever get from another actor.  The reason why most agents ask actors to re-shoot in the first place is because they get cheap headshots to begin with!  In the end having to shoot twice, rather than shooting once and spending the money then, ends up costing you more.  Regardless of how expensive or cheap a headshot is, you still have to spend the money reproducing them and distributing them.  So why spend that money twice?  If you do it right the first time, not only will it cost you less in the long run, but any legitimate agent who isn’t benefiting from illegal kickbacks, is going to recognize your headshots to be high quality and not ask you to re-shoot.

Professional headshots should not only score you great representation, but they should also bring back a return on your investment for years to come.  At that point, the only reason to re-shoot would be if your look has drastically changed.

Commercial Headshot

Theatrical Headshot

Well for one, the work that you see in my portfolio, the work based on which you hire me, only looks as good as the lighting I use and the makeup artist I employ! If it wasn’t for the subtle touches of a makeup artist at work behind the scenes, my portraits wouldn’t look as clean, and consequently, you would think twice about hiring me. Having said that, when you do hire me, you expect your photos to look as good as the photos representing the body of work in my portfolio. I can almost guarantee that without a makeup artist, there will be an unrealistic expectation to see your face in a more “finished” light, like the faces you see in my portfolio. Without the whole package (makeup artist included) you might be let down.

I don’t shoot glamour headshots, and there is certainly a market for that sort of look where professional makeup is obviously essential, but even headshots that represent you as you are, need a little help from the makeup department. Why? Because headshots are a sort of business card where you’re selling yourself. They are what I call “the you on your best day”, so they should represent you in the best light possible without unrealistically changing your face. The best makeup artists will never change your face, furthermore, their makeup will never draw the focus away from you. On men, makeup will help even out skin tones, under eye circles, and get rid of blemishes that lighting alone can not get rid of. This in turn saves you money on retouching! In fact, when applied by an expert, the makeup will simply disappear while doing its job. For women, although hard to believe for those of us wearing makeup all our lives, makeup for camera is very different than makeup for every day use. Coverage could seem significantly more than what women are used to, however, colors should be kept light to prevent you from looking overdone. When applying their own makeup, while some women don’t wear enough, others tend to overdo what’s needed for camera. The camera picks up all sorts of subtleties such as mismatched colors, smudges, smears, that a professional makeup artist is aware of and works to prevent.

Last but not least, if you chose to do your own makeup, while shooting, the last thing you should be concerning yourself with is…makeup! Your focus should always be the photographer and his or her direction. Makeup artists are a good idea to have on hand since they will always be there to touch up shine, sweat, caking makeup etc., without you having to think about it.

I was on a shoot once where my client chose to do her own makeup. It happened to be a hot day and her makeup started caking and becoming blotchy. However, the more she tried to blend it, the more blotchy it became. Basically it was a disaster because her focus was pulled from the shoot and her makeup wasn’t doing the job! The foundation she used did not agree with the shooting conditions, something that could have been avoided with a professional makeup artist using professional products. In the end, retouching was her only salvation.

One last note: In the case of severe dark circles, sometimes even retouching can’t fix it fully, unless you don’t mind losing all definition under your eyes and looking like an alien.

Here are some samples of my long time, loyal, favorite client, Tim Wadhams. Sorry Tim!

These photos were taken at different times and they are samples of some serious under eye bags! Tim has no makeup in the headshot on the left. He does have makeup in the headshot on the right. Both photos are NOT retouched so that you can get a realistic idea of how much makeup can help in a more severe case.

Headshot with and without professional makeup

And now just for kicks, both photos, retouched. Even with retouching the one with makeup applied looks better!

Retouched headshots

Here’s the thing. Trends have changed in LA. Used to be that headshots were in black and white. Used to be that three quarter head shots were it. Used to be, used to be, used to be. Digital advancements in both cameras and printers have made it possible for the color headshot to be reproduced cheaply and for the birth of online casting. There are hardly any more paper submissions. In fact, most auditions arrive via email these days. Since all your photos are submitted digitally, and since the thumbnails online get really really small, the smartest thing to do is to shoot mainly close ups. Makes sense right? You don’t want your face getting lost in the thumbnail which is the only thing casting directors really see…unless they click on your headshot (but that’s a whole other topic of discussion). The agents I work with want to see your face and not your body. The 90s are gone folks! Having said that, stop bringing your shoe collection, all your skirts and all your pants to photo shoots! Start bringing the brightest most saturated colors (tops) you have in your closet. Your goal with color headshots online is to bring as much color into the headshot as possible so that you pop. If your closet is full of browns, blacks and generally muted colors, go shopping and don’t take the tags off! Also bring accessories. Bring the things that make you…you. Bring your hats, your jewelry, and whatever else makes you unique. Just don’t pull clothes out of the closet you haven’t worn in years because you’re going to a photo shoot. Bring your favorite clothes. After all, just as you put your best foot forward on a first date (and hopefully on the second one too), headshots are you on your best day! So don’t show up to your headshot session unprepared and always bring plenty of clothes based on the above mentioned guidelines so that your photographer can give you some ideas of what works best!

Below are some samples of great saturated colors that work…courtesy of Jake Martin, one of my clients who actually took my advice on clothing!

Headshot with bright colors

Headshot with great wardrobe colors

Headshot with blue to accent the black suit

Recently I was asked to contribute to a Backstage West column called “Ask A Photographer”.

Halley Bondy, one of the news reporters from Backstage West asked me to answer this question with 200 words or less. Oh Boy! Well here goes! Look for the December 11th issue!

The most important thing to convey in a headshot is specific marketing! The biggest mistake most actors make is taking a pretty picture that says nothing about them. Everyone can take a pretty picture but a picture that is directly targeting specific age ranges, and specific casting calls, such as “business man”, “young Mom”, “victim” or “girl next door”, is the picture that will get attention. If you present your agents with the marketing tools they need to get you in the door, you’re already one step ahead of the game. If you don’t have an agent, and you submit a variety of photos with marketing range, the chances of being called in are greater, since you’ve eliminated the guesswork as to what market you fall into! You can figure out your market by narrowing down your age range, and by doing a little research observing where “you” are cast on TV. There are also many workshops such as at Sam Christensen Studios that focus on just that! Remember, this is a business and your headshot is like a big business card. If the business card doesn’t tell us what market you fall into, the chances of getting called in for auditions are slimmer.

I’ve since started my own column of Q&A for actors. Feel free to throw in your questions in the comment box and I’ll be happy to respond. Be sure to subscribe to this feed to be notified when your questions are answered!

Victim headshot

Business Headshot