All About Actors Headshots

I'm often asked by clients what is the best type of shot to use, "is a smile better than a straight face"? "is a tightly cropped shot better than a full head shot"?

Obvious things such as wearing a boldly patterned top or something with heavy and strong stripes can seriously affect the whole look of the picture, distracting the eye of the viewer away from your face towards your busy top. Another thing to think about is the effect of jewellery on how the image is perceived and if it distracts the eye away from the most important part of the shot - your face.

I can only give this advice; the actors headshots has to work in a split second, if you think that casting directors and agents view many photographs often in rapid succession, your shot has to stand out, it has to make them stop and think - wow! - and we've all heard of the wow factor

The casting director needs to stop at your picture, and love it. Then they'll be prepared to look at your CV. I like to think that even though there may be several people with a similar look or CV as you, they'll be impressed enough by your picture to look at your CV and then to ask you for audition or interview.

My style of headshot photography is very relaxed and easy going. I'm here to help you get the best possible shot. I like to have fun and I always try to get a natural shot that is clearly you. I want my pictures to say to people, " Hey this is me, aren't I great "

Most of all I enjoy my work and I like to have fun, hopefully you'll have fun too and actually enjoy having your headshot taken for change. See more of my work and ton more info at www.nickgregan.com

This is perhaps one of the most crucial aspects of your headshot. It has to be a true representation of you. There is no point in sending out a shot that no longer looks like you for instance; if your hair was blonde and long but is now black and short. Equally so for the guys, if for some strange reason you had your shot taken with a beard and then decide it looked a bit naff and you shave it off - well you really need a new headshot.

The first thing a casting director or agent wants in an actors headshots is a true likeness. Imagine traveling for a couple of hours for a big audition waiting in line and getting yourself all psyched-up for big moment and when you walk in you see the look of confusion on the casting directors face, the last thing you want to hear from them is ' where's the person in the picture'?

So let's make it clear you have to look like your picture, it's no good guys if you're going a bit thin on top ( like me ) and you ask the headshot photographer to retouch the hair line a bit, just as it's no good ladies getting your lines of life ( wrinkles ) retouched out because they may just say to you " where's you're younger sister, the one in the photo'?

So the bottom line is in the words of the great bard "to thine own self be true" and make sure you look like your headshot.

I just thought I'd jot down a few notes on how this beautiful hot weather can affect your actors headshots.

Firstly and most obviously, drink plenty of water - and that's a general living guide but is extremely important when we think of getting a new actors headshots. The water will help your skin to appear smooth and clear, it helps clear the body of toxins and reduce spots and dryness and above all else prevents dehydration. So remember to drink plenty of water in the week leading up to your headshot session.

Secondly, drinking plenty of water in the hot London weather of the moment will help to keep you cool, an important point when you are on your way to the studio for your shoot. Arriving hot and bothered will leave you feeling uncomfortable which may then manifest itself as stress leaving you unprepared to have a headshot done for some time.

Thirdly, if you arrive overheated and sweaty you'll have to cool down before the before the headshot photographer can begin to shoot. This is simply because your photographer cannot shoot an actors headshot when you are glistening as this will show up clearly as shiny patches around your face. Worse still if you are perspiring heavily, this will show up clearly as beads of moisture and ruin your actor's headshot.

Fourthly, another thing to think about is the photographer's time. Some headshot photographers run to a very tight schedule and arriving late or not being ready to shoot when you do arrive can lead to rushed or shortened sessions as the next client may be arriving shortly. Fortunately I always allow a minimum of one and a half hours for each appointment as this leaves plenty of time for late arrivals, stress on arrival and in some cases a reluctance to have a headshot done - as I've discussed previously on this blog.

I hope these few tips are of use. As an actors headshot photographer in London there is more hot humid weather predicted throughout the summer.

'The fashion wear's out more apparel than the man' - Much Ado About Nothing....

....in other words choose what you wear carefully.

I advise my clients to wear something fairly simple and plain, there are exceptions to this, which I'll go over later. But in the main the idea is to have your face as the main focus of the actors headshot and not a trendy fashion top that you've just bought.

Firstly it can date a picture as some fashion items are in one month and out the next.

Secondly we really don't want anyone who looks at your actors headshot to be paying attention to what you're wearing, if they are then they're not looking where they're supposed to and that's at your face.

Thirdly as I've stated before your headshot has a very small time frame to make an impression and it has to make the right impression.

We all know that first impressions count and we have only a couple of seconds for the right impression to be made. We want the casting director to go 'yeah I love this shot' rather than 'nice top shame about the face' or words to that effect.

Make sure you stay away from strong jazzy patterns or bold stripes as these can all lead the eye of the viewer away from you face, similarly it's the same with big bold earrings or big necklace's as these draw the eye away too.

There are exceptions to the rule though, you may have a very distinct look that places you in a certain type of role, you may look like Bet Lynch (Coronation Street) or Pat Butcher (Eastenders), if so then play to your market niche. In this instance you could easily get away with big jewellery and a gaudy patterned blouse (lovely!!). Pitching your headshot in this way will limit you severely to the type of roles you get asked to audition for so think carefully.

So remember the words of the Great Bard above 'fashion wear's out'

For more information on everything about headshots visit www.nickgregan.com

This is a discussion I'm having with actors more and more these days and I believe it is critical that actors don't loose sight of the fact that they are, and always need to be taken as a professional in their chosen career.

Often I hear performers say 'but why can't my boyfriend/girlfriend do it - they have a nice camera?'

If you have tooth ache does your friend try to fix it for you, or do you see a professional - a dentist!
If you need your haircut do you let your dad or your friend cut your hair - no you go to a professional salon!
And if you have an electrical fault in your house do you try to repair it yourself - no you call in a professional electrician?

The crux of the matter is; if you don't use a professional actors headshot photographer you are probably not giving yourself the best opportunity to be taken seriously. If you approach an actors agent or casting director with a snapshot taken in the garden or against the living-room wall - what does that say about you?

It says I'm not really serious about acting, it gives the impression that you're only playing at being an actor and nobody takes people like that seriously, time is too valuable to waste on unprofessional people. A lack of professionalism in one area may well and probably will spill down into other areas, perhaps being late or unprepared for an audition.

There are so many good actors out there doing things right desperate to get their break, why should agents and casting directors waste their time with those people who can't be bothered to do it right?

Just about everybody has a good quality digital camera nowadays. Cameras with 4, 6 and 8 mega pixels or more are not uncommon these days and everyone thinks that they can take a good picture. To be honest a lot of people can take a good picture, but a good actors headshot has to be a 'special kind of picture'. There are hundreds of free tutorials on the Internet and many courses available in just about every medium you can think of from home study to part or full time education. But simply because you've completed some form of study course, does that make you a photographer? I'm afraid the answer is no it does not.

There are many, many elements to a good actors headshot, composition, background, lighting, the pose, what the actor is wearing and most importantly what's in the eyes.

An experienced actors headshot photographer will control all of these elements making sure that they all work together well to give an actor a really stunning shot. But most importantly they will give you tips and techniques to get the very best out of you. An actors headshot photographer in London or any major city should be aware of current trends and styles. They will encourage you to express yourself and they won't be afraid to tell you when something is not working. As your primary piece of marketing you should have your headshot on everything you send out, make sure it's a great headshot that gives you every chance of being remembered for all the good reasons.

Discover the truth about getting great actors headshots from one of London's finest headshot photographers where he reveals 7 Secrets Of A Great Headshot.

As we roll into September we start the academic year again. It's such an exciting time for actors and performers as we enroll in our courses and meet new people.

There are many exciting thing to do and some not so exciting ones too, things like reading and research, studying texts ( not the one's on your phone ) and scripts. Like most people the thrill of performing and actually doing far out weighs the everyday tasks involved in studying. There is one job however that has to be approached fairly soon, and that is getting your new or updated headshot done.

Many students leave this until towards the end of the year academic year, putting it off until it becomes absolutely imperative to get it done at the last minute. This often leads to stress trying to find a photographer and having the time to get it done and printed before your showcase is upon you.

My advice as a busy actors headshot photographer in London is to plan early, take the time to find a photographer who's photos you like and who you like personally - someone you think you can get along with.

Often you'll find many photographers offering student discounts in the early part of the academic year.

Try to avoid the stress and worry this year plan early - remember the old adage ' fail to plan and you plan to fail'

I was searching a well know casting site today and came across a headshot of a guy that was taken outside. I noticed it in particular because it was a similar style of shot to one that I do for some of my clients that works really well. A shot that most of my clients really love.

When I looked at this shot one thing jumped out at me - THERE WERE NO EYES - what I mean is that the poor actors eyes could not be seen. They were simply large black holes in the face of the actor. ( Great for a Zombie movie )

As you know I have posted many times on how important the eyes are in an actors headshots. They are critical to making your headshot stand out.

Why hadn't this photographer not seen that there was not enough light on the subjects face, why hadn't they used some kind of reflector, was it they couldn't be bothered or didn't understand the concept of lighting.

Which leads me to another point. Maybe the photographer was part time or cheap or a friend, either way they should have known that they weren't doing justice to the subject or themselves. More on this in another post.

Back to the main point. Why didn't the photographer do something about this, AND more importantly why didn't the actor realise that his eyes couldn't be seen and say something to his photographer AND just as important why would he use this headshot to promote himself?

Didn't he realise that his eyes were the most important part of the shot? didn't he understand that he was selling himself short in this ultra competitive market where you only have seconds to impress?

I also wondered if he knew about this stuff and if his photographer had ever mentioned or knew themselves how important the eyes are in an actors headshot?

I am saddend when I see this kind of poor photography, partly because it brings my profession into disrepute but mainly for the actor who has wasted their money and is unknowingly promoting himself with a headshot that is doing him damage. He should be on the phone asking for his money back - not a reshoot in this case as the photographer clearly does not understand on of the most fundamental rules of photography.

A Top Tip From Shakespeare Himself

'We are such stuff as dreams are made on' - The Tempest - in other words be yourself and follow your dream.

Be yourself in your headshot, do not hide from the fact that you might have a unique facial feature, it could be anything from a big nose, a small mouth, a big mouth even a scar of some kind. There is no point in trying to hide from your face, no point in having extensive retouching done to cover uneven teeth if you have them - if you're that bothered about your teeth get them fixed!

Try remember that you are unique and work with it, work on your individuality and use it as an advantage, there may be less roles for you but that also means there'll be a lot less people suitable for those roles so you'll have a better chance of getting them.

There well may be things you don't like about yourself, I'm sure we've all looked in the mirror at some time or another and thought ' I wish I had a different, smaller, larger, wider, thinner' facial feature but hey you've got to live with it and you've got to learn to love being you especially in a stills shot.

This is why when you are choosing your shot it's advisable to get a professional opinion as they won't be viewing the image as you would with all of those little foibles running around the back of their mind.

I'll go into the choice of shot in a later piece.

So once again words of advice from our greatest writer%u2026..such stuff as dreams are made%u2026..

%u2026..and dreams are made of people like you.

Watch out for more tips on a great headshot from Ol' Shakey himself coming soon.

I always advise my clients to wear something fairly simple and plain for a headshot. There are exceptions to this, which I'll go over later. But in the main the idea is to have your face be the main focus of the actors headshot and not a trendy fashion top that you've just bought.

Firstly, one of the most important points is that it can date a picture, some fashion items are in one month and out the next.

Secondly we really don't want anyone who looks at your headshot to be paying any attention to what you're wearing, if they are then they're not looking where they're supposed to and that's at your face.

Thirdly, As I've stated many times before your shot has a very small time frame to make an impression. We all know that first impressions count so we have only a couple of seconds for the right impression to be made. We want the casting director to go 'yeah I love this shot' rather than 'nice top shame about the face' or words to that effect.

Make sure you stay away from strong jazzy patterns or bold stripes as these can all lead the eye of the viewer away from you face, similarly it's the same with big bold earrings or big necklace's as these draw the eye away too.

There are exceptions to the rule though, you may have a very distinct look that places you in a certain type of role, you may look like Bet Lynch (Coronation Street) or Pat Butcher (Eastenders), if so then play to your market niche. In this instance you could easily get away with big jewellery and a gaudy patterned blouse (lovely!!). Pitching your headshot in this way will limit you severely to the type of roles you get asked to audition for so think carefully before you go down this route. However if this is your character type then go for it.

So remember the words of the Great Bard above - "fashion wear's out".

Keep in mind that if you don't have any acting experience, getting an agent can be hard, so don't spend all your energy looking for an agent if you're starting out. You can easily get your first acting role on your own.

Actually, the easiest way to get an agent is to start working. If you get a good role, the casting director in charge may even suggest an agent to contact. So be prepared with a well writen resume and a good stong actors headshot.

Here's one more thing I strongly believe in

If you're college age and want to give yourself the best chances of having a successful acting career, go to a good acting school. Agents and managers get a lot of their clients from graduate showcases of acting schools. They want to help promising actors grow from the start. Of course, not all graduates get representation straight out of school, but even those who don't have more opportunities to network and get involved in acting projects through other alumni. Starting an acting career without going to a good acting school can be very hard and time consuming. Four years to get an acting degree can seem a long time right now, but most aspiring actors with no strong training will take much longer to break into the business and find a good agent on their own.

If you're not college age, then your best chances of making it are just to start working. Get involved in as many acting projects as you can to start with. If you're in a community theater play that gets a good review in the local newspaper, make copies and attach the review to your resume when you send it off to agents. Don't worry about whether acting jobs pay or not at the beginning. Audition for student films (not only will it help you build your acting reel, a good student of non-paying independent film can jumpstart your acting career if it gets exposure at a good film festival, plus the student filmmakers you meet today will work on larger projects when they get out of school).

Intern, network, take acting classes, go to open calls Spend 90 per cent of your time training, performing and looking for acting work, and only 10 per cent looking for an agent or manager. Once you start getting a lot of work, finding representation will be easy.

Good luck! Add comments to this page to let us know how you're doing.

Here is a great interview Bruce Willis gave about his early days as a young actor. From his decision to become an actor to his time on Moonlighting, this is really a must read.

Q: When did you decide to become an actor?

A: It wasn't gradual. It was a very abrupt choice. It was the first year I was a student at Montclair State College (now a university) out in Jersey. They had a great theater department, where stage directors would come out from New York City and help. My first play as a freshman, I realized this is what I want to do. Never looked back. Never considered anything else. I was 19. The role was a small part, Ruckley in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." I changed most of my classes and took all acting and theater-related courses. By the beginning of third semester, I was cutting class to go to auditions for plays out in New York. Got into a play in 1976 and moved to New York.

Q: What was going through your mind in those days?

A: I had been in New York for a couple of years doing theater. For me, to work on any film, let alone one with Frank Sinatra or Faye Dunaway, I was thrilled. I thought I was in show business, albeit on the perimeter. A couple of things happened on that film. It was back in the day when I still had a big full head of hair, and I had just shaved my hair for an independent film called "A Guru Comes." I answered an ad "must have shaved head." So I shaved my head the night before. I went in to audition for "First Deadly Sin," and the director, Brian Hutton, later gave me a small speaking part.

Q: When did you realize you were a good actor?

A: It was a staircase of work. Every job I got seemed to be a little better part with a little more to do, a little more challenging. I'd study in between with Stella Adler, who took a liking to me and helped out a lot. The work was the answer. If you were a working actor in New York and getting paid, then that allowed you to call yourself an actor.

Q: Was there a job you loved or hated most during those first years?

A: I can't remember any of them that I really didn't like. The one that was another big turn was a Sam Shepard play called "Fool for Love" that I did off-Broadway for about 110 performances.

Q: What was your first impression of the David Addison Jr. character in "Moonlighting"?

A: That part in "Moonlighting" just came out of nowhere. I had gone out to California after I finished "Fool for Love" to take a vacation and check out the Olympics in 1984. I ended up not having any time to check out the Olympics because I had gotten a call from an agent about auditions. One of them was "Moonlighting." I had a typical New York theater actor's disapproval of television. I hadn't watched television for about 12 years at that point. But the script that Glenn Caron wrote, I thought, "I know this guy. I know how he talks." Unfortunately, I didn't look the part of an ABC leading man at the time. It took a while for ABC to accept me. But it was another big turn.

Q: How did it improve your acting?

A: Comedy is a test by fire. Comedy in a weekly two-character series is a huge test. You're either funny or you're not. If we hadn't been funny, the show would have gone off the air quickly. We had great writing. Glenn wrote just about all the episodesthe first year . Cybill (Shepherd) and I just clicked. More than anything, we tapped into a sort of screwball comedy that went back to Howard Hawks and Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. We just talked as fast as we possibly could and said funny things. It was like a big toy, having a show where the guy who created (it) would say, "Yeah, do that. That's funny," and making it all up as we went along. The first 2 1/2 years were a thrill.

Q: Did the fun end?

A: As with a lot of television, it just becomes cyclical. It's hard to avoid repeating yourself. It's hard to avoid telling the same joke in the fourth year that you already told inthe first year . Our audience was pretty faithful, and they started to notice it. The network started to notice it, and the wear and tear on Cybill and me was something I had never experienced. Just mental exhaustion. Everybody knows what physical exhaustion is. You work out, your muscles get tired, you go to bed early. Mental exhaustion is a lot trickier. You don't know where the falling-down point comes. There were days where we worked 17 hours. In that 17th hour, you'd have to be on and funny and still deliver. Not a lot of time off. Fromthe first year on, we worked nine months, and on my hiatus I would work on a film.

Q: When did it feel as if the work paid off?

A: When the first "Die Hard" came out I was starting to hear people say, "Wow. Congratulations. You've crossed over." I didn't know what that meant at the time or how difficult it was to take that step from television to feature films.

Q: What role did you feel the least confident in taking on?

A: I was always trying to push myself to try new things. When I started doing supporting roles in other people's films, my agent was up in arms, saying, "You're going to hurt your price. You're going to hurt your box office." I was just trying to keep myself interested as an actor. Taking the role of Butch in "Pulp Fiction" was certainly challenging. Everybody brought their A game to that. You had to show up with yours. I played a small role in a movie called "Mortal Thoughts" that (ex-wife) Demi Moore produced. I had a ball doing that. Prior to "Pulp Fiction," I used to say that was my favorite film. It didn't get seen a lot because it got caught in a studio regime change. But it's still out there.

Q: What's the worst advice you've ever received?

A: I don't pay much attention to advice. It's worth about as much as it costs. I try not to give it. And I try not to take anybody else's too seriously. I have to take responsibility for everything that happens in my life, good and bad. So advice is like cowboy hats.

I'm sure you've heard this question a lot if you are trying to break into the business: "Who's your representation"

Being represented basically means you have someone, whether it is an agent, manager, or publicist, submitting you for projects and pitching you for work. Just about every actor in the world has an agent or is looking for one.

An agent is someone who works for themselves or at an agency, whether it is commercial, theatrical or model agency, they submit you for projects and take a percentage of whatever you earn, usually about 20%, depending on the agent terms. Agents will keep you on their books as a client so long as you are making them money and have shown that you are a responsible, professional actor.

When looking for an agent, it is always good to go with your gut instincts. Does this person operate out of their home, or out of an office? Do you trust them? Have any of your friends or other actors heard of this agency?

Keep in mind they all earn their living through commission -- they make money when you do. And you should never, ever pay an agent to simply represent you. If an agent believes in you and thinks they can get you work then they'll do that without you having to pay for their services.

They may well ask you to get new headshots - thats fine, there may be several reasons for this, they're out of date, don't look like you anymore or maybe they have someone with a very similar look to you and they want to market you differently.
This is ok.

Remember all agent's work on a commission basis and that is their motivation to get you out there and get you seen.

Headshot Insecurities

Those niggling little insecurities of an actor are a issues I come across on a regular basis as a headshot photographer in London.

I came across his great post on the Unscripted Blog and really thought it was worth a read as it gives an insight into the actors sensibilities. Angela Sauer expresses many of the sentiments I encounter everyday when shooting actors.

Headshot Photographer

As an actors headshot photographer I encounter many actors who imgine themselves in a different light when in front of the stills camera, especially if they have the time to over analyze the shots on the computer screen. Dealing with an actors insecurities about themselves and then encouraging them to express themselves is a major part of the headshot photographers ability. Often actors see flaws in themselves that are not really there or that are so insignificant as to be unnoticeable to the independent viewer. It can be difficult to remember that sometimes when you are convinced you have a big nose, or a smaller left eye or even as far as being preoccupied with things like my thinning hair or one ear larger than the other.

Often no amount of level headed objectivity can convince an actor that all those years of having that little green devil on their shoulder, is worrying over nothing at all. This is where one of the great benefits of digital photography comes into its own - people can actually see right there and then that they're worrying over nothing. Being fully aware of what I've said above about over analyzing a shot on the compute screen, if the photographer takes the time to explain his thought process from an objective point of view, as someone who is used to viewing hundreds of headshots on a regular basis. Explaining clearly what they actually see and just as plainly what they don't see. This can go a long way to alleviating the actors concerns over their little foibles. There is always the last resort too.

The Headshot and Photoshop

It also helps that you can use the magic of Photoshop to tweak the picture in front of their eyes, thus settling their nerves and calming all of their fears and worries , and the screaming of those little green devils on their shoulder. I must admit that I rarely need to make major adjustments to a headshot simply beacuse once the actor has managed to relax and relieve themselves of those little niggling worries they more often than not open up and express themselves so much better. Leading to a much better, more natural headshot that they are nearly always happy with and feel no need to have the retouching done anyway.

Is My Actors Headshot Boring?

My initial response to this question is " not if it was taken by me" This is a bit of professional pride and also a bit of ego kicking in - but true.

Many times when a client is booking me for a new headshot session they mention that their previous headshots are just not working, or that they don't like them anymore.

This is a common theme and I often ask clients to bring those headshots to the studio so that we can check them out together and hopefully diagnose why they're not working for them.

A very common problem is that they simply look boring or lacking in personality in the headshot. As you can see by the headshot on the right this guy has got something.

I firmly believe that it's an actors duty to' give it their all' in the photo session, I also strongly believe it's the duty of the headshot photographer to find the personality of the actor and encourage them to express it in the shot. I genuinely believe that this is what separates a good from a great headshot photographer.

Fine Art Photography Exhibition News

It was a really busy time over the last few weeks running up to the big day of my Ambiguous Misdirection exhibition.

Like many people I often work best under pressure but I have to say I was really under serious pressure trying to get everything sorted out in time for the big day.

There's many aspects to putting on an exhibition; actually doing the photographs themselves, creating ideas, organising models, exhibition space, creating a guest list and ensuring the right kind of people are invited to the opening night etc, etc, etc. I seem to have spent more time on the ancillary tasks that seem to keep cropping up on a very regular basis than on the creating process.

Photography Exhibition Extras

I'm the sort of person that if I am going to do something I want to do it right, at least the very best that I can. Continuing on this train of thought I made he very bold decision to produce a book to accompany the exhibition - another added pressure but as the time to go to print drew nearer and nearer and the book took shape I can say without a shadow of a doubt how proud I was of the way it shaped up and finally hit the bookstores.
Photography Exhibition Related Articles

* Wear Vintage? Read These. (blogs.forbes.com)
* ArtScene: Top Current Exhibitions in the Southwest (July/August, 2010) (huffingtonpost.com)
* E-book Sales Beat Hardcover Sales at Amazon: Tipping Point or Fluke? (scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org)

Does your headshot photographer really care about the outcome of your shoot?

Well they should because it's your career they're messing with!

I received this nice comment today from a lady who I photographed yesterday. It's a fairly common testimonial apart from the last few words - "you cared about the outcome too, so thanks" Thanks for yesterday, you made taking headshots easy and enjoyable! It felt like you cared about the outcome too, so thanks.

Wow! that made me think about my position as a headshot photographer and the results I deliver.

I didn't think I altered my approach to this client from any other client, I try to treat everybody the same - and I do care about the results of my headshot session.

However it made me think. I'm sure there are headshot photographers out there with huge ego's, who are very busy or maybe don't need to worry the flow of clients as they think themselves to be 'great headshot photographers' and the clients will come anyway. Possibly there are photographers out there who don't know any different - but not many.

The crux of the matter is this, do we as headshot photographers care about what happens to our clients once they leave the studio? Should we care whether the headshots we give them actually do anything for their careers, whether or not our headshots help them get work, hep them get past the initial selection process to the audition stage. I think we should.
Headshots and Auditioning

Admittedly once they get to the audition it's up to them to show their acting skills and ultimately weather they get the part is up to their auditioning skills, but for many clients they won't even get close to that stage without a great headshot to get them past the keen eye of a Casting Director.

Out of sheer professional duty we should care, but more importantly morally we should care weather or not we gave the client the right headshot, the right advice and weather it's working for them as an actors headshot. I'd hate the thought of one of my clients being constantly told that "their headshot was rubbish" or " it's not showing you very well" or " it's just not you".

It's a tough business this acting game and everybody expects to take some knocks, but we can cope with those providing there are some ups to go with the downs. However if an actor has a poor headshot - and they don't know it - because they've paid a lot of money to a 'professional headshot photographer' - they'll soon get fed up with the rejections and think it's themselves who are at fault. When it's not it's the fact that they have a poor headshot and may well have been given poor advice. The ego's of many in this business can be fragile at the best of times lets not add to the difficulties actors face by being sloppy in our attitudes.

I think a large part of my business ethos is to give people a great headshot coupled with expert advice that I have learned over the 20 years of working in this field, after all many of the clients we shoot are young, or new to this business and like all businesses we should work hard at giving our customers a superior service - if only for the purely selfish reasons of customer loyalties and good testimonials.

I'm sure that if I didn't care bout my work, about the clients needs I am photographing or getting the very best headshot for that person word would soon spread, and we all know bad news travels fast.

And finally remember - it's your career they're messing with!
Related Headshot Photographer Articles

* Finding A Headshot Photographer (actorgrowth.com)
* Quick Tips and Tricks for Auditioning (teachstreet.com)
* Dorky, Dated Headshots Abound in Marketing (mediabistro.com)