This question is often proposed to me when consulting with clients, and also when speaking with other photographers.
The first thing that I will advise when choosing a head shot is not to pick a headshot because you like how you look. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with looking good. Hell, I want to look good too, but I have observed that many people will always choose the most glamorous shots, even those edging on “artsy”. A modeling agent told me that the headshot (which might actually show more than just the head, of course) should give those in a casting role a very accurate idea of what the actress/model will actually look like when he/she walks in the room. Flattering is ok, but not at the expense of reality. Less is more.
Headshots are to have the personality.
The best way to look or think about a headshot is to look at it as your business calling card. A good card, tells the card holder or viewer a great deal about you without them having to ask.
The most effective way to pick a head shot is to take your personal preferences out of the situation and chose headshots that read well with others. I find that getting to really know yourself and understand how other people see you can be really helpful. Once you have mastered this, I think that you will have uncovered the secret to picking the perfect, and most effective headshot. Let face it, actors are chosen by what a client perceives they are capable of doing based on their headshots. What’s funny is that often times, actors are called into audition for roles that make them go “Wow, I don’t know why they keep calling me for these roles.” Image, Perception, that’s why. So, if you want to avoid this, get to know yourself and understand how you are perceived by others.
What is a headshot?
A headshot is a photograph used by actors and actresses in order to get them work.
What's the difference between commercial and theatrical headshots?
Often an actor will have both a commercial agent and an acting agent, and an actor will have two different types of headshots printed at all times; the commercial and the theatrical
Thanks,
Romeo Duncombe-Clarke
