Headshots for Actors

The days before are important, because like with rehearsal, we want to make sure that you can relax and be yourself on the day.  

We’ll gather wardrobe options, and I can help advise you on choices that read well in camera. We’ll talk about hair and makeup (I prefer minimal). And if we’re shooting outside we’ll watch the weather together.

Also! Take care of yourself. Get some good sleep. Practice good nutrition. Maybe don’t open the bottle of wine yet. 

Nothing replaces good prep. Afterwards we can both have a drink while we look through a slew of shots of you at your absolute best.

The day of. It’s here. Don’t worry, it’s not that scary. We’re just having fun, and in the process I’ll be taking some photos of you. 

When you show up, we’ll sit, share a cup of coffee, and check in on the plan. We’ll go through your wardrobe options, and create a list of shots to get.  

When it comes to headshots, I live by the idea that your photos need to LOOK LIKE YOU. Except for specific cases, I don’t shoot glamour, or ultra-smooth. I want to see your skin. Yes, I’ll fix blemishes (more on editing below), but I don’t want you to look porcelain. I tend to shoot close, so we can get right into your eyes (THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ANY HEADSHOT). The eyes are the connection to the human inside. 

We’ll play with lighting and position, always looking to find your best angle, your best side (yes that’s a thing), and your best expression.  Everyone is different, and the things that work for one client would be ridiculous for another.  

If you’re not a professional model, or don’t have much camera experience, don’t worry! I work with clients of all sorts, and know how to guide you to a look that captures you. Cameras make people tense up. It’s true for everyone. But there are tricks to get you there, and the biggest one is to just relax. Don’t worry. If you’re making a silly face I’ll tell you.

We did it! The shoot went great. Definitely got some good stuff, and today (delivery of 1st selects in 1-3 days) we start to sort through the chaff.

A half day shoot can produce anywhere from 300-800 shots, depending on what we’re up to (more isn’t necessarily better). But I’m not gonna hand you the ones where I caught you blinking. I’ll also get rid of anything that’s technically deficient, like missed focus or the flash didn’t fire (s’why we take more than one).

And then you’ll visit the website gallery I prepare for you. It’s an easy to use visual interface, and if you want to share it with your loved ones or your agent, that’s easy too. You and the people you share it with can favorite images you think are successful, and view each others choices. It’s no hurry. It’s good to let this sort of thing sit. Get some second opinions. Sleep on it. 

Choosing photos can be a daunting task. Looking at hundreds of slightly different photos of your own face is a good way to go completely blind. Photographers know this, and will often take short breaks to let their brains reset a little as they sort through shots.

And above all else, what we’re looking for is connection. The perfect mix of lighting, eyes, expression, and mood.  And of those, specifically expression. It’s the one thing that can’t easily be photoshopped. Look past the stray hair, look past the spot on your shirt. The smile, the look in your eyes. Does it LOOK LIKE YOU? That’s the one we want.

You’re right! This is hard. But we’ve whittled it down to our top few. Your reps have weighed in. So has your mother. And I’ve given you my professional opinion. But the final call is yours. 

To start with, we choose 2 shots. The best 2. That’s a simple task, and we can worry about more later.

All of my packages (except the run-n-gun) include 2 retouched final photos as part of the price! Additional shots are $50 per edit. 

Editing is a tricky business, and prone to overkill, but done properly it can work magic on a photo. Blemishes, zits, stray hairs, that mole you’re going to have removed someday, all that goes away easily. But what we don’t want is to make you look flat and lifeless. Subtlety and class is the name of the game. 

Digital photography is more than a little complex, and most people don’t understand the myriad technical aspects that go into it. Images taken by a professional camera are fundamentally different and more complex than the ones your phone takes. In order to use them on a website or print them, you need to know about RAW imagery, camera profiles, resolution, dpi, filesize/type, color science, and rasterization. Did that confuse you? Don’t worry, I know all that stuff. I’ll take care of it for you, but this is the reason that I don’t provide un-edited shots. They’re unfinished images, that are designed to be edited, and unless you own professional software you won’t even be able to view them properly. This is why you have me.

And you will see your images change in the edit. I often make color adjustments that fit your mood, brighten or accentuate to give a more cohesive look, and subtly work the background to make it lead the viewers eyes to yours.

They’re here! You got an email with a link to download your images. I’ve prepared them in a number of easy to use formats that cover all the applications you need: files labeled for web use, digital hi-res, and printing (yep they’re all different).

You love them. Your reps love them. And you’ve put them up in all the appropriate places. You’ve ordered some prints (which you can do directly through your photo website, or with your favorite printer). And you’re ready to be seen.

I also offer graphic design, so if you need a one-sheet, comp cards, or anything else, I can help.