Headshot Photographer

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 in Hackney 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 an actor gets to the audition it's up to them to show their acting skills and ultimately whether 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 someone who calls or advertises as 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 and our work.

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!

The Early Bird Gets The Worm

As we roll into October 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 actors headshot done.

Many students leave this until towards the end of the year academic year, putting it off until it becomes the absolute last minute to get it done. This often leads to stress trying to find a good headshot photographer and having the time to get it done and printed before your showcase is upon you. This is a stress that you don't need before a showcase when your mind should be focused entirely on your performance.

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'

Is a Professional Actors Headshot Important - Only If You Want To Be Taken Seriously?

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 photograph'. 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

In a one word answer - no!

As an actors headshot photographer in London I can say unequivocally that having your hands in your headshot is the wrong thing to do. Seeing hands in a headshot generally happens one of two ways, either up close to your face supporting your head or lower down perhaps resting in your lap or across your shoulder. A slight exception to this is the USA where it is more common to see a greater area of an actors body.

Here are a few good reasons why hands should not appear in your headshot:

Firstly, the whole idea behind the actors headshot is that it's a photograph of your head and not your hands. It's meant to show Casting Directors and Agents what you look like. Not what your hands look like.

Secondly, having a hand close up to and covering part of your face defeats the purpose of the headshot in so much as it's not showing all of your face. There could be a very good reason for this, maybe you are using your hand to cover a mark or facial feature that you don't particularly want people to see on first impressions. Possibly you are resting your head too heavily on your hand and are pushing the skin of your face into an unnatural way, either creating folds and wrinkles or stretching your skin thus giving a false impression.

Thirdly, as I've stated many times before the main point of focus of your acting headshot should be your eyes. Having a bunched fist supporting your chin, a pointing finger resting against your temple or the flat of your hand against your cheek draws the eye of the viewer away from the really important part of the headshot - your face and your eyes.

Finally, hands and pointing fingers are from a different era. Modern headshots especially in the United Kingdom are clean, open and friendly allowing the Casting Director to 'put' a character on you. Using a dated headshot makes you stand out from the crowd - but in a negative way. Often the 'thoughtful or pensive' look with the pointing finger or the clenched fist give a headshot too much of a stylised look from a different age.

It's vitally important that your actors headshot makes the right impression in those very first seconds. Your 10x8 headshot is your business card and your main piece of visual marketing so it has to be right. Don't take any chances when sending out your headshot and hope that you'll be able to impress at the audition. With a weak or poor headshot you'll never get to the audition stage.

More info including the '7 secrets of a great headshot' available at www.nickgregan.com

Armin Shimerman made his name in television - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Seinfeld, Boston Legal (to name a few) - by playing unique, memorable characters. But did you know his true love is theater?

I caught up with Armin at the tail-end of his run of The Seafarer where he was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk about theater, how he prepares for a role and much more!

You're currently starring in The Seafarer. Even though it's a short run, how do you keep your performance fresh night after night?
How do I do that? How does any actor do that? By being inspired every night by what the other people are doing and finding new things in the play as we go along. Although it's a rehearsed and performed piece, there's always something new. That's the great thing about live theater, you can always find something new and fresh each performance. The audience and the actors give you things.

How do you choose your theatre projects? Do you have a master list of shows or characters that you want to do somewhere?
I tend to prefer classical theater. That is what I've been trained in and what I've mostly done and what intrigues me the most. However, I saw this particular play in New York when I was visiting a couple years ago, and it was an incredible production directed by the playwright on Broadway. And when I saw it, after I saw it, I was just absolutely enthralled by it and there was a particular part in it that I really wanted to play. That is not the part that I'm playing, but I was really enthralled by the play. And I particularly wanted to play the Devil, but instead the theatre here, very wisely in my opinion, cast me as Richard Harkin which is the host of the party for want of a better term. And I'm just tickled pink. Without doubt it'll always be one of my favorite character's that I've ever played.

I've heard you're fantastic in the show.
It's turned out very well. We've had a wonderful director. Delisha [Turner Sonnenburg] did a great job directing it. The theatre has done a terrific job of producing it. And it's an incredible ensemble of actors.

If you played the role you wanted to play originally, do you think you would appreciate the show as much?
I'm sure I would because I really liked the show when I saw it in New York and then I saw it again actually in Los Angeles as well. The show itself is incredibly uplifting - enormously uplifting. The show itself I would always appreciate. I would see the show from a different set of eyes if I were playing the devil because really there's a tug of war for the soul of my brother, the character of my brother. Between the devil and myself. So, I'm seeing the show through very, very, very positive eyes, whereas if I were playing the Devil, I'm sure I would be seeing it through a negative pair of eyes.

PART TWO TO FOLLOW

And of course my character wins the chess game and the Devil loses, and again, that too would probably tint my view of the proceedings. But whatever character you play, anyone of the five characters, I think everyone would agree, it's an audience favorite. People jump to their feet. There's a moment towards the end of the play that almost invariably we get a gasp or a surprise or a huge applause because that's the way the play works.

How do you go about approaching a role? What are the first things you tend to do?
Well, the first thing I suppose that I do is read it and try to find out what the arc of the character is. You know all actors look at theatre pieces through the eyes of their characters because that's the character they're going to play hopefully.

For me once I've been cast, it's my first piece of homework is to see, "Okay, how does this character change from beginning to end?" Then of course, that sort of instructs me on what the intentions are of the character, what is it they want at the different times of the play. And then as you rehearse you fill in the gaps for that overall intention and what it is you need. And then the relationships build between you and the other actors about your characters. So it's a building block process.

Actually, the better metaphor is a crossword puzzle. It's a hard crossword puzzle. You get two or three or four answers right away if you're lucky and then you struggle with the next couple of answers. But when you get those filled in it gets a little bit easier and you gradually bit by bit fill in all the blanks and that's sort of what I do as a performer.

You've done everything from theater to TV to films. Do you prefer any one over the other?
Yes, I much prefer the theater. I was schooled in the theater. It has always been my hope that I would be a major regional theater actor. I started actually here in San Diego at the Globe. And because of certain events, certainly fortuitous events, I'm very happy it worked out the way it did, I was sort of seduced by TV. The dark side of the force. And luckily, for my life and for my comfort and for my ease that all worked out very well. But my heart has always been in the theatre. And I'm extremely happy to be back working on the courts.

I love how you didn't even hesitate on that answer.
Well, there's no hesitation whatsoever. TV pays the bills. And I'm very happy to do it, and I don't denigrate it. It's not any worse or better than thetheater. But my heart lies in the theater.

You've been in two television shows that have incredible cult followings - Buffy [The Vampire Slayer] and Star Trek. It's gotta be great just walking down the street and be just instantly loved or I guess feared in the case of Principal Snyder.
Exactly. And so there's the dichotomy. You've said it very well. I can be loved or I can be despised for Snyder. And when people say, "I loved your show," I always have to ask which show. And I have luckily also done a lot of other things as well. Sometimes they're referring to Seinfeld or Boston Legal or something. So I can never really be sure, but certainly those two shows are the ones I'm best known for. And it's a great treat to me, dessert actually, to hear people despise me or love me. Depends on which show they followed.

QuarkI have to ask a Star Trek question. When creating a character like Quark, did you have a lot of room to do what you wanted or was there a strict character Bible on what the writers wanted with him?
A little of both. The writers and the mythology that I stepped into as Quark. Mythology that I helped create in Next Generation but mythology that had already been established about the race, about the Ferengi, that was pretty much set in stone. What I could do primarily was to change subtle little things in the nature of the race within the confines of the scripts I had pretty wide leeway to choose what I wanted for the character. So as far as the race is concerned, it was pretty set in stone. For the character himself of course I had to do exactly what they told me to say. There's no ad-libbing in Star Trek. But how I played the character, which is the actor's providence, that was left to me primarily. And certainly as the years went by, I got more and more leeway to do whatever I wanted as far as character choices.

You've had such a long career where others don't, what do you think has been the most important thing you've done for longevity?
Tried to change. One of the great things that we just talked about. Quark is one type of character, but I was more than happy to play. I could have easily said to Buffy - and sometimes I had to - sorry I'm not available - I can't play Snyder. But I was eager to play Snyder, not only because I liked the show, but also because it was really different than Quark. And then it's always for my own readings and talkings with other actors I've always seen that you have to reinvent yourself on a regular basis. So that's what I tried to do. I tried to constantly reinvent myself, see where I am in my life at that moment and say, okay I've changed over the last 5, 6, 7 years, and my character should change, too. And it's pretty pathetic if you play the same character all your life.

You're an amazing character actor. I mean, I've never seen you do the same thing twice I don't think.
Well, thank you. Thank you. It is, again, I attribute that to my theatre training, which when you're in the theatre, you have to play different characters. You can't get by with playing just one character.
PART TWO

Do you have any advice you might want to give actors, either ones starting out or ones who I guess just can't seem to manage their breakthrough?
No. None whatsoever (laughter). Each person's path is different. And I can only say that luck is a huge factor in every career. When a door opens, you have to be ready and prepared to go through that door if it opens. But when the door opens and when the opportunities shows itself, in my opinion, is strictly a matter of luck.

There are wonderful actors who have never succeeded. There are horrible actors who have succeeded incredibly well. It's just a matter of luck. And taking advantage. And being prepared. I guess if I'm going to give any advice, be prepared as an actor. Work on your craft. Do what you can to make yourself a better actor and more importantly a better human being.

To do really well in an audition you'll have to practice your audition skills until they become second nature. Every single actor knows how critical a good audition is This and your headshot are crucial to your success as an actor.

Giving your memory a good work out is one of the most valuable skills as it is critical to learning your lines. Making sure you have a few pieces memorized is absolutely essential for any actor. Every actor should set aside at least 15 minutes of their schedule everyday and practice their reading. It's imperative that you have several audition pieces and that you practice them on a regular basis along with your sight-reading skills. Having these two techniques thoroughly practiced and comfortably in your 'locker' relieves the pressure on the day of the audition.

You can begin by simply taking a few sentences from a script or a play and reading them aloud. Take a good look at them and try to repeat the sentences without looking back at the passage. The first time you may well struggle with just a few words. But within 15-20 minutes or so, as you continue to practice, you will find that you will memorize the whole of the sentence and maybe part of the second, and so on. Whatever you do, you have to perfect your skills. You have to put your time and energy into them. The more you practice, the more you'll be prepared. Then if you get a sudden call for an audition, your preparation will definitely pay off. But you should also remember that improvisation is one of the greatest skills an actor can have. You can be funny, creative, energetic or even solemn, pensive and thoughtful to bring life into the character.

If you read well and you're right for the part hopefully you'll get that callback. What happens if you read well but and your audition piece is wrong - well that's just tough luck. Take it on the chin and get on with it - and learn for the next time. Don't beat yourself up over it. Think of it as a learning experience and make sure you're better prepared next time.

The casting director may well think that you are a good actor, but not exactly suitable for the role. Maybe they thought you didn't understand the character correctly - another essential skill for the actor. As an actor you'll have to learn to make those choices and interpretations, as they're crucial to a successful audition. When you're introduced to the character, you'll have to visualize and understand what the character is all about. Essentially you'll do your own version of the role, but it's you who brings the character to life.

Everyone likes a creative and intelligent actor but a director will be more impressed by an actor who can follow direction. You should keep in mind that you're there to impress, to get the role but you're also there to follow direction and bring a character to life under that direction. You may well be asked to read with another actor, a complete stranger auditioning at the same time, or someone employed by the casting directors to play a role across the whole day for everyone the same way. If you have a chance to practice together - great - do it. If you don't and you have to do your duologue straight off, make the most of it. Give it you're best shot and try to bounce off the other actor, look for clues in their speech and actions and feed off those for a better, more realistic performance.

Related Articles

Colin Firth on getting intimate with Nicholas Hoult - Eleven - The ...

Colin Firth may be flying the flag for Britain at this year's Oscar ceremony, but his newest character is a far cry from the days.

Publish Date: 02/05/2010 15:14

Preparing New Actors for Live Theater Auditions: What to Know When ...

For those who may wish to experience the thrill of performing plays live but have never had the chance, Community Theater offers a great opportunity to get started.

Publish Date: 02/03/2010 18:18

http://acting.suite101.com/

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)