For an actor, a headshot is much more than just a “good picture.” It can be a gateway to new opportunities to further your career and take it to the next level. Often times, it is an introduction to the people who can give you your big break or at least your next gig as an extra.
First, off let me state that the following are my opinions — opinions collected from over 10 years in the headshot business but opinions just the same.
One thing about headshots is everyone will have a different idea of what makes a good headshot and what makes a bad one. It’s ultimately up to you, the actor, to decide what kind of headshot you want out there representing you.
That said, I’ve picked five things that I believe you should definitely stay away from when shooting your headshot.
#5. Poor Quality
You don’t have to pay a fortune for your headshot, but at the very least, don’t have your friend shoot your photo using a cell phone. It says a lot in terms of your commitment to your acting career when a casting director or agent sees a professionally shot headshot. It tells casting professionals that this is someone they can trust on a set, as opposed to someone who is just trying out acting on a whim but may not be committed to it.
#4. Hats and Hands — Let’s Leave Them Out
If you like wearing hats and putting your hands under your chin in real life, that’s fine, but don’t do it in a headshot. It may give the appearance that you are trying to hide something. Those pictures may be better suited for a website but not for an actor’s main headshot. Gentlemen, if your hair is thinning, let’s see it. Ladies, if you have a scar on your chin, don’t try to hide it. We love you anyway. These things make you who you are. And you are the person they want to book.
#3. Too Much Retouching
This is a big one. As I stated in #4, show them who you are. You can lighten, soften, whatever, but please don’t remove something that will be obvious the minute you walk into an audition. Imagine if a young Cindy Crawford decided to remove her now famous mole from her upper lip. She may have never gotten noticed and propelled into stardom. And please don’t make yourself look 10 years younger than you are. There is plenty of work for you, whatever age group you happen to fall in.
#2. Not looking at the Camera
Some may disagree with me here, but I’m firm on this one. An actor not looking at the camera in a headshot is the equivalent of going on a job interview and not looking the interviewer in the eyes. Your headshot may be the first time a casting director or agent is seeing you. You have this one shot to make some kind of connection with the person on the other end of the photo. Maybe on a business card or postcard a sideways glance is an acceptable look, but not on your headshot. It’s important to look interested.
#1. It Simply Doesn’t Look Like You
You would not believe how simple, yet how complicated this is. Every person, whether that person is an actor or not, has a unique personality. An actor’s headshot should do its best to showcase that personality. There is no “right way” to accomplish this. It’s just something that you and your photographer need to work toward. I’ve been involved in many casting calls, and there is nothing worse than when actors just don’t look like their headshots. You are often times brought into an audition based on the person we see in your headshot. If that person doesn’t walk through the door, you are simply wasting the casting person’s time. And I don’t just mean that your headshot made you look better then you do in real life. It goes both ways. I have also known actors who in real life are very attractive and have that “it” factor. However, the headshot they’re walking around with just makes them look really plain, and could very easily get overlooked in a stack.
There are plenty of other things to consider when shooting your headshot: distracting clothes or backgrounds, studio vs. natural light, and so on. (Natural light, i.e. outdoor photography, seems to be the growing trend.) However, please don’t get wrapped up in the trivial things like, “Should I staple or glue my resume?” or “What font should I use?” These things don’t mean nearly half as much as the picture itself, and of course the content of your resume. There are really only two main factors in a headshot that are a must: It must be a professionally photographed picture and, it must it look like you. Everything else is up for debate. Remember, rules were made to be broken.
Actors should be respected for how many rejections they have to endure just to land that one job. One thing is for sure. In this business, you win some and you lose some. You just don’t want to lose one because your headshot shows you wearing that pink fedora your girlfriend gave you on Valentine’s Day.
