Headshot tips from a Glasgow photographer
Whether you’re a professional, student or amateur actor, your headshot is your way in to your next role.
Great headshots are a must for anyone in the acting game - but not exclusively for actors. Anyone can get value from a good headshot - creatives, performers and professionals. And let’s face it, many of us want one just for their dating profile (go on, admit it - it’s perfectly fine!)
Choosing who to pick to shoot your headshots for you, is a minefield, and believe it or not, this isn’t (specifically) a blog post about why you should pick me (though forgive me if I do at least make a couple of points as I go!). But I thought it would be useful to have something out there to use as a guide to direct potential (and existing) headshot clients to before a shoot to help steer them in the right direction to get the most out of their shoot.
Remember, that like all marketing, there is no one-headshot-fits-all-purposes. In much the same way as tailored marketing is used to direct the right consumers to the right product, you should aim to have a set of headshots that you can choose from, each just different enough to appeal to a different audience or casting type.
Come prepared!
If you have an existing headshot, share it with your photographer in advance if you can. Think about what it is you do (and don’t) like about it - and talk to your photographer about how they can help improve on it. It’s always good to go into a headshot session with an idea of what you ‘do’ like, just as much as what you don’t. We photographers might take a lot of pictures of a lot of faces - but we cannot read your mind. Talking with us and showing us anything you like will help us help you get those killer headshots that help boost your career.
If you have an agent, talk to them about the castings that you feel you represent or that you are aiming for. That will help inform you of the type of look and mood you want in your headshots. Your agent can help you find some great examples of other actor’s headshots that they might feel would suit your style.
Think about what you want to wear. There’s the usual guidance about not wearing bold patterns or tiny checks, but for obvious reasons, avoid super bright block colours too. And for pity’s sake, don’t wear neon green. We all know what happened when the Queen wore green here. The internet will love you for it, but your reputation will suffer! Be comfortable. Be you (within reason). Those are the most important things.
Being yourself
A great headshot will help you in many aspects of your life, in business, marketing, professional networking as well as acting!
Feel good about yourself. I have always said, I get the best headshots out of you, when you feel good about who you are. That means being well rested the night before, and not bleary eyed with a hangover. Feeling good about what you wear. Feeling good about how you look. I’ve often advised simple (and you’d think obvious) things like having a little pampering, or getting a haircut or a wee tidy up before a shoot.
Admit it - when you do get a new ‘do - what’s the first thing you do? You take a mirror selfie and post it on Instagram, don’t you? Go on - deny it. You can’t? Of course you can’t, because that new look gives you a little boost of self-confidence. And as a headshot photographer, I can work with that little boost to help get better shots for you.Don’t overdo the makeup. Especially important for actors, it’s really important to look authentically you. Don’t try to hide behind layers of makeup - keep it very minimal. If you have the odd little spot, any good photographer will get rid of that in post production for you. But (at least speaking from my perspective here) - a headshot should reflect the person in front of the camera, and that means I at least, do not do heavy handed retouching. If your casting agent sees a headshot that looks like you have plastic skin, and then in the flesh realises you’re not quite who the photo has represented - they won’t be calling you back.
Be honest and open about who you are. Own yourself. Trust your photographer on this.
Relax, don’t overthink it and have fun!
Many people feel at their most awkward (and vulnerable) in front of a camera. You are not alone in this, trust me! I admit, one of the greatest joys in what I do as a headshot photographer is meet and get to know lots of different people. I love learning more about my clients, and I will chat to you endlessly to find out more about you and whatever it is you love. I find that helps relax a client and takes them more out of the mindset of the photoshoot process - which I often find they overthink way too much! The more relaxed and comfortable you feel, the better the images will be in the end.
I don’t believe in rushing a shoot, and I’m much more concerned with getting great results with you than watching a clock or aiming for a specific number of images. Even though my booking system here will show session times/images - those are purely for guidance and to set expectations. In almost every case, my clients have chosen their images, but I have also included one or two extras which have really stood out for me. Sometimes those images might not be your main headshots, but ones that for one reason or another are ones that make me smile.
