A headshot is one of an actor's most important tools. It will determine whether or not casting directors or agents even look at your resume, much less give you the chance to impress them with your awesome acting ability. But professional headshots require a significant investment on your part. This article will help you get your money's worth by finding the right headshot photographer for you.
Step 1
Know what you want and need so you can focus your search and make meaningful comparisons.
Most headshot photographers offer more than one package, with the cost increasing with the number of "looks." A look is not a facial expression or change of lighting; it's a change of hairstyle, makeup, and/or wardrobe to suggest a different character type you can play. Theater actors often get by with one look, film and television actors may have a "casual" look and a "business" look, while commercial actors often get very specific "character" looks (for example: nurse, cowboy, police officer).
Hair styling and makeup can also add to the cost. Some photographers don't offer it, some charge an additional fee, some include it as an option with their basic service, and some even insist that you use their stylists. Since many women are more comfortable doing their own and many men prefer to use none at all, this may not be something you want to pay for.
Step 2
Ask for recommendations. Talk to actors you meet in class, at auditions, and on set. Ask if them if they're happy with their headshots - and try to get a look at the pictures to see if you would be happy. Pay particular attention to actors who are the same type as you; what worked for a 19-year-old supermodel might not work for a middle-aged character actor. Definitely talk to your agent or manager if you have one.
Step 3
Find the Web sites of recommended photographers. (If they don't have Web sites, they're probably not serious about their profession or they're hopelessly behind the times.) Each site should clearly identify the photographer as a headshot photographer. Wedding photos, class pictures, family portraits, and glamor shots are all very different from actor headshots. Anyone claiming to do all of them is a specialist in none, and there are plenty of headshot specialists to choose from. At this point you can also rule out any photographer whose rates are clearly beyond your budget.
Step 4
Review the pictures on the photographer's Web sites. Don't be overly swayed by beauty; almost anyone can take a pretty picture of a pretty face. The face should be well-lit, with no distracting shadows, and every part of the face should be in focus, especially the eyes. Beyond that, looking at a great headshot will feel like looking directly into the eyes of a real person with an inner spark and a distinct personality that you would want to know better. It's a tough thing to describe but striking when you see it.
If you like what you see, write down the photographer's rates and contact information and move on to the next site.
Step 5
Contact the photographers on your list to ask questions that weren't answered on their Web sites.
How long will the session last? ("Unlimited looks" aren't really unlimited if you run out of time.)
- Do you shoot digitally or on film? If digitally, does your rate include a CD with high-resolution images of every shot? If on film, does your rate include all the negatives from the shoot? Does the rate include proof prints or a proof sheet (small prints of each shot from which you can select the ones to be enlarged)?
- Do your rates include any retouching services?
- Will I own the rights to all my photos? (You should have the right to do whatever you want with your headshots, without restriction and with no further compensation to the photographer. The photographer may use one of your headshots to promote his own business, but should not give the rights away to anyone else.)
- What types of payment do you accept or prefer? (Many photographers require a partial payment to book an appointment, with the rest due at the beginning of the session.)
Step 6
Using all the information you have gathered so far, rank the photographers on your list from first to last choice.
Step 7
Contact your first choice and set up a time to meet at the photographer's studio and look at his portfolio. You may get a different impression from looking at 8 x 10 photographs than you did looking at images on the Web. Ask the photographer what kind of direction he gave the actors, if he's ever had a particularly difficult session, and what sort of actors he enjoys shooting the most.
If anything about this meeting makes you uncomfortable, whether it's something the photographer says or does or simply a "negative vibe," thank him for his time and move on to your next choice. If you aren't comfortable during the shoot, the photos will reflect that.
But if you like what you see and hear, you can book your session knowing that you've done the necessary research to get great headshots that you will help you in your acting career.
NEXT: Getting the most out of your photo session.
(Photo by Wonderlane - some rights reserved: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
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