Every year or two an up-and-coming actor needs new headshots, and since my hair had gone from almost black to ash blonde (Hey, blonde is the new gray, Baby!) mine were overdue.
Over the years I've come to the conclusion that the point to headshot photography is to show what I will look like when I walk in the door to audition. Well of course, you say? Try convincing the photographer! I've had inexpensive family photographers and really expensive New York photographers. I've been flat-lighted to the point where my face looks like two eyes and a mouth on a white sheet of paper. I've been photoshopped to the point where I look like I'm made of plastic.
Every actor has had this experience and the odd thing is that (1) the photographer thinks that you want it that way and (2) his or her ego is such that they can't release a photo without making you "pretty."
But the result is that whenever I see a breakdown posted, half the time the casting director now asks for a snapshot so they can see what you really look like! So who's kidding whom?
I AM pretty (well...on a good hair day), but I'm also a woman of a certain age and I wanted that to show in my face, complete with crow's feet and freckles. I also wanted lighting that put some dramatic shadows on my face, because I have been making do for the past few months with a screen shot that did just that and it was getting me auditions. I talked over my concerns with actor Ken Arnold, who does headshot photography as a sideline in Baltimore (and leads some really helpful workshops at Studio-Boh), and he got some great shots.
By the way, to look your best in headshots be sure to use Clear Eyes or other eye drops before your photo session to get the red out. You want the color of your eyes to pop and if you're like me your eyes are often irritated from makeup, hairspray, bright lights, etc. Teeth a little dull? Swish for 30 seconds with a mix of 3 parts mouthwash to 1 part hydrogen peroxide (spit it out!) and then rinse your mouth with plain water. It will remove surface stains. It also pays to learn to do your own makeup and style your own hair so you can reproduce that look for auditions. I even cut my own hair. Finally, you know the look you're going for, so choose your own outfits.
Anyway, here are the final four, chosen for the three kinds of roles I most often get - older Mother (which I used at right on my blog), senator/detective, and secretary/socialite - plus an "everywoman" look, since a big budget mini-series may be coming to the area where "factory worker" is likely to be a role. I didn't change my hair, makeup, or earrings from shot to shot, so they all have a similar look, but they're still just a tad in one direction or another, depending on what I was going for. An actor doesn't need to be too much in character in their submission photos. They just need to hint at the possibilities while still being themselves. Ditto the big grin. I try for a middle ground of looking amused/pleasant and keep the toothy smile in reserve if casting specifically asks for it.
Ken added a bit more color saturation on some of these, but none were retouched (which you can really see in the larger 8" x 10" prints). We'll see if these get me in the door at casting.
Over the years I've come to the conclusion that the point to headshot photography is to show what I will look like when I walk in the door to audition. Well of course, you say? Try convincing the photographer! I've had inexpensive family photographers and really expensive New York photographers. I've been flat-lighted to the point where my face looks like two eyes and a mouth on a white sheet of paper. I've been photoshopped to the point where I look like I'm made of plastic.
Every actor has had this experience and the odd thing is that (1) the photographer thinks that you want it that way and (2) his or her ego is such that they can't release a photo without making you "pretty."
But the result is that whenever I see a breakdown posted, half the time the casting director now asks for a snapshot so they can see what you really look like! So who's kidding whom?
I AM pretty (well...on a good hair day), but I'm also a woman of a certain age and I wanted that to show in my face, complete with crow's feet and freckles. I also wanted lighting that put some dramatic shadows on my face, because I have been making do for the past few months with a screen shot that did just that and it was getting me auditions. I talked over my concerns with actor Ken Arnold, who does headshot photography as a sideline in Baltimore (and leads some really helpful workshops at Studio-Boh), and he got some great shots.
By the way, to look your best in headshots be sure to use Clear Eyes or other eye drops before your photo session to get the red out. You want the color of your eyes to pop and if you're like me your eyes are often irritated from makeup, hairspray, bright lights, etc. Teeth a little dull? Swish for 30 seconds with a mix of 3 parts mouthwash to 1 part hydrogen peroxide (spit it out!) and then rinse your mouth with plain water. It will remove surface stains. It also pays to learn to do your own makeup and style your own hair so you can reproduce that look for auditions. I even cut my own hair. Finally, you know the look you're going for, so choose your own outfits.
Anyway, here are the final four, chosen for the three kinds of roles I most often get - older Mother (which I used at right on my blog), senator/detective, and secretary/socialite - plus an "everywoman" look, since a big budget mini-series may be coming to the area where "factory worker" is likely to be a role. I didn't change my hair, makeup, or earrings from shot to shot, so they all have a similar look, but they're still just a tad in one direction or another, depending on what I was going for. An actor doesn't need to be too much in character in their submission photos. They just need to hint at the possibilities while still being themselves. Ditto the big grin. I try for a middle ground of looking amused/pleasant and keep the toothy smile in reserve if casting specifically asks for it.
Ken added a bit more color saturation on some of these, but none were retouched (which you can really see in the larger 8" x 10" prints). We'll see if these get me in the door at casting.
Hi Kathryn - I love this article and I was wondering if we could get your permission for re-print in our upcoming issue? You new headshots are lovely. Please let us know: actlikeachild2012@gmail.com
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