This is probably the question I get asked most about actor headshots – how often should they be updated? The rule of thumb is to ask yourself: “Do I look any different to my current headshot?” That means…. Have you gained a few years? Had a few birthdays? It can be surprising how much we change in just a few short years and how that rate of change differs across age groups. Here are my recommendations for how often you […]
How to prepare for your actor headshot session… Your actor headshots are a key marketing tool for your acting career, so it’s important to prepare yourself in order to get the most out of your session. Here are some things you might want to consider: Think about your casting type. A good actor headshot is not only eye-catching but also successfully conveys an actor’s casting type. For instance, if you typically play edgier, authoritative or confrontational roles, you may not […]
Everyone wants to know what makes a great acting headshot. Well who better to ask than a casting director and a director? Sharon Sorrentino is a London based casting director with over 13 years’ experience in the industry, responsible for casting multi-award winning films such as The Journey, Grandfather and The Storyteller as well as authoring The Audition Room, a pragmatic guide for actors offering tips and inside knowledge on how to land the audition you want. Tracey Street is […]
What to wear for actor headshots One of the most common questions I get asked about actor headshot photography is ‘what should I wear?’ Though the industry is certainly more flexible and open to contemporary style portraits than it used to be, there are still some very good rules of thumb to follow in order to make sure your actor headshots look professional and that your clothes aren’t distracted the casting director from you. Colours: Below are my recommendations […]
All too often I get actors come to me for a headshot session after being disappointed (and usually considerably out of pocket) by going to a makeover studio or general portrait photographer. These are two types of places it is vital to avoid when looking to get industry standard actor headshots and this is why…. Makeover Studios I know makeover studios all too well – I used to work in some at the very start of my photography career. […]
When actor’s book their first actor headshot session with me, they often ask how to prepare for the shoot. I therefore thought it might be useful to write a short blog entry discussing the key things to be aware of when diving in to your latest actor headshot photography session, and how these can affect the success of your shoot. Your Experience So Far When you arrive to one of my actor headshot photoshoots, I like to […]
Ah! That age old debate of studio vs outdoor! Well today I thought I’d write a blog entry using my recent session with the fabulous Natalie Simone to showcase a few of the differences, so you can get a feel for what kind of look works for you and make your decision on what approach works best for acting headshots. So I’ll be honest: I’m a bit biased! I LOVE outdoor headshots as I feel they are just so much […]
Welcome back to my blog! If you’re reading this in an email, you might want to head over to HERE to get a proper look at the images! In the last entry, we discussed how posture, expression and lighting can drastically change your actor headshots. If you didn’t catch it, check it out HERE. Today we’re going to look at how to actually choose the few headshots out of possibly hundreds taken over the course of a session that […]
Welcome back to my blog! If you’re reading this in an email, you might want to head over to HERE to get a proper look at the images! Over the next couple of entries I’m going to use a case study to look at how small changes in posture, expression and lighting can drastically change your headshots, as well as discussing what to look for when it comes to choosing your final headshots from a shoot that may well contain […]
There are many different approaches to headshot photography and one of the main differences between headshot photographers (other than price), is whether they prefer to shoot in a photography studio or to take actors outside and use natural light. I must admit I am a fan of both, though they each have their pros and cons. Outdoor Headshot Photography: Shooting outdoors has the advantage of making photos, particularly headshots, look more natural than their studio counterparts. This is largely because […]