In any industry, a high-quality headshot can set you apart from the competition and serve as a memorable introduction. But in the acting world—where your appearance is a central part of whether or not you’ll be chosen—the importance of a headshot is even greater.
However, you shouldn’t use just any headshot. A photo that looks amateurish might make casting directors think you don’t take your craft seriously. If you’re having trouble planning the perfect headshot, take a look at these 10 quality acting headshots and our tips for how to create your own.
1. Pay Attention to Your Facial Expression
Your facial expression is one of the most important elements of any acting headshot. For casting directors, your expression is an indicator of whether you can act. If you aren’t able to convincingly project confidence and relaxation, directors won’t be convinced that you can portray a character and be believable.
These assumptions may not be fair or accurate, but if you want to maximize your chances of securing a job, getting your facial expression right is crucial. Focus on eliminating tension, especially around your mouth. The goal is to project confidence in yourself and your acting ability.
2. Don’t Forget Lighting
If you’ve ever taken a selfie in a poorly lit room and then taken another one outdoors on a clear day, you’ll know the difference good lighting makes in any photo. Natural light often works well, but there’s nothing wrong with professional-quality studio lighting—as long as you know how to use it.
Achieving the right lighting is a balancing act. You want the light to be bright enough to clearly show your whole face, but not so bright that your features look washed out. Harsh light has a way of highlighting imperfections, and that’s the last thing you want to do when taking a photo you’ll be counting on to secure gigs.
3. Don’t Forget Your Hair
Your hairstyle might not be the most important part of your headshot, but it still plays a role. Some people overthink this part of the process and try to make their hair look as good as possible, but you should do your best to look like yourself on a good day. Wear your hair as you would normally wear it. For instance, if you have naturally straight hair and wear your hair this way in all your roles, you shouldn’t get a perm before the shoot. You don’t want to be hired based on a headshot and then show up looking nothing like the photo!
4. Throw in a Hint of Personality
It’s okay—and sometimes even advisable—to incorporate glimmers of your personality into your headshot. When done artfully, this can be a way to create a headshot that looks professional yet memorable.
The headshot above is a great example. The subject is wearing a black turtleneck against a dark background. This is a classic combination for acting headshots, and a headshot featuring only these elements would be fine. However, the incorporation of long, distinctively decorated nails means this headshot already has a feature distinguishing it from the others. This strategy is unlikely to win you gigs on its own, but it can certainly give you an edge when it’s done well.
5. Don’t Write Off Colored Backgrounds
Most acting headshots use one of two backgrounds: an outdoor shot with the scenery blurred or a traditional studio shot with a solid black backdrop. There’s nothing wrong with either option, but if you want something that will really make you stand out, try a bold-colored backdrop.
If you go this route, pay close attention to both the color of the background and what you’re wearing. As a rule of thumb, you want to avoid patterned backdrops, as they can prove too distracting. You should also choose clothing that works harmoniously with your chosen background.
In the example above, the bold brick-red background is sure to catch the eye of any casting director. However, if the subject wore a color that didn’t work with this background (like a mustard-yellow shirt), he would get attention for the wrong reasons.
The clothing choice above keeps everything in balance. The subject is wearing various shades of white, which is a neutral color. As a result, he stands out against the background without overpowering it.
6. Keep the Focus on You
Some people choose to take their headshots in beautiful and exotic places. There’s nothing wrong with that, but avoid the urge to showcase the background. Most casting directors will size up your photo in seconds, and you want to do everything you can to draw their eye immediately to your face.
If you look at the headshots above, each one (except for those with solid studio backgrounds) has an intentionally blurry background. That strategy lets you keep the colors of your surroundings but prevents them from competing with you for attention.
7. Eye Contact Is Key
When you’re first introduced to someone, do you turn and stare thoughtfully into the distance? Hopefully not. You should think of your headshot as your introduction to the casting team—and you want that first impression to be a good one. When you create eye contact, you’re establishing a connection with the viewer of the picture.
However, you shouldn’t just strive for eye contact alone. Your eyes should communicate emotion. A blank or lifeless stare does the opposite of creating connection, and can even make the viewer feel unnerved.
Communicating emotion through your eyes when looking at a camera can be a challenge. If you’re concerned about your ability to do so during a headshot session, practice with your phone’s camera at home.
8. Consider a Monochromatic Palette
Much of the time, actors want to “pop” against the background of their photos. This is a great way to draw the attention of casting teams to your face, but if you’re looking for something different, you might consider a monochromatic palette.
That might sound dull in theory, but the headshot above is an example of a well-executed monochromatic headshot. The background is a similar shade to the subject’s clothing and even skin tone. If the headshot were composed of these colors alone, it might start to look washed out. However, the subject’s hair is dark enough to ground the picture, and it also frames her face. The result is an unconventional, intriguing headshot that still accomplishes the goal of showcasing the subject.
9. Use Light and Shadow to Your Advantage
Every article offering advice to new photographers implores them to use good lighting. But the truth is that what constitutes “good” lighting is subjective (at least to an extent), and you can adjust your lighting to accomplish particular goals.
In the case of an acting headshot, the goal is to make you as attractive as possible to casting directors. When you use the interplay of light and shadow in a thoughtful way, you can showcase your face while making your headshot stand out.
This headshot is a great example. Even though half of the subject’s face is better lit than the other, there is still enough lighting for anyone viewing the picture to fully appreciate his facial features. The “shadow” side adds clear definition to his jawline and gives the photo a dimensionality it wouldn’t otherwise have.
10. “Real-Life” Backgrounds Can Work, Too
Many successful headshots use either a fully blurred outdoor background or a studio background. But if you want to get creative, you might consider solid “real-life” backdrops that don’t have to be blurred. In this photo, the subject has chosen what looks like the side of a metal building as her backdrop. The color is an effective complement to the blue in her outfit.
Why consider these kinds of backgrounds? They add the kind of groundedness you can’t always get with studio shots or those with a blurred background. The result is a true connectedness with your viewer—and that’s definitely something you want when it comes to headshots. Because of the natural background, this headshot almost gives the viewer the sense that they’re talking directly to you.
Tips for Taking the Perfect Acting Headshot
It’s possible to take a headshot yourself, but first, you should make sure you know the basis of headshots for acting. How you take a headshot depends, in part, on the discipline you’re taking them for. For instance, a headshot for a dramatic actor is going to look different than a headshot for a comic actor. Here are some proven tips for creating great acting headshots:
Keep It Professional
When casting directors assess your headshot and résumé, they aren’t looking solely at acting experience. They also want to make sure they’re hiring someone who takes their career and their craft seriously. If you just snapped a selfie and called it a headshot, someone assessing your résumé might think you aren’t invested in your career as an actor.
You don’t necessarily have to book a professional photo shoot for your headshots to look professional, however. If you take quality photos at home and then optimize them with an AI headshot generator, you can end up with a collection of headshots that look like they were taken and retouched at a photographer’s studio.
Take Pictures That Look Like the Real You
Many people are tempted to make themselves look younger, slimmer, or more attractive in their headshots, but this isn’t a smart career move. Acting is probably the only industry where employers can legally hire (or decline to hire) you based on your looks. If you send a heavily edited headshot and then show up looking nothing like it, the casting director might decide you’re not suitable for the role. Even if they keep you on, you might end up with a reputation for dishonesty.
That doesn’t mean you should completely avoid retouching. However, you should avoid making yourself look like a different person in your headshots. If you have wrinkles or strands of gray hair, leave them. If you feel the urge to use editing tools to make your face look thinner, resist it.
In a similar vein, you should do your hair and makeup like you typically do. If you usually wear no makeup at all, there’s no need to put on makeup just for your headshots.
Pay Attention to Your Eyes
The eyes are often the most important part of a headshot, and this is especially true for acting headshots. The more effectively you can emote through your eyes, the better you’ll look.
However, you shouldn’t overdo it. Most professional photographers say that having a clear thought in your head can help. Never underestimate the importance of eye contact. You aren’t just trying to smile for the camera; you’re trying to form a genuine connection with the person on the other side of the photo.
Know Your Audience
Some actors prefer the one-size-fits-all approach, meaning they take one style of headshot and submit it for every job they apply for. That might be easier than juggling several different headshots, but it isn’t likely to yield the best results.
You don’t have to have a different headshot for every single job you apply for, but it’s a good idea to have a few general types of headshots to choose from. A headshot with deep shadows and an unsmiling expression might be good for a period drama, but you wouldn’t send the same picture if you want to be considered for a role in a sitcom. Matching headshot types to genres makes logical sense, but there’s another benefit—it shows casting teams that you took the time to consider the role instead of just sending out mass applications.
Keep It Simple
Thinking of trying to draw the casting director’s eye with bright clothing or props? Don’t! This is a bad idea for a couple of reasons. First, these items detract from your face and eyes, which are the most important part of any actor’s headshot. Second, they make you stand out for the wrong reasons: most casting directors will think you look desperate. Clothes with muted colors like dusty rose or olive green have low saturation and are great choices.
Plan Your Poses
Simplicity is key when it comes to acting headshots, and unostentatious posing is preferable. Still, it can help to have an idea of the poses you want to use before your shoot. Here are some classic examples:
- Facing the Camera While Slightly Leaning In: Making eye contact with the camera starts to build a connection, and a slight forward lean makes that connection even stronger. Don’t overdo this one—imagine you’re sitting across the table from a friend and you have to lean slightly forward to hear what they’re saying.
- Facing the Camera Head-On: You really can’t go wrong with this pose. It’s as simple as it gets, and ensures casting directors are focused on your face and eyes.
- Sideways Facing the Camera: This is an alternative pose that may make you stand out in a good way. It also may make you look slightly slimmer. Turn sideways so you are perpendicular to the camera, and then turn your head so you’re looking right at it.
- Over the Shoulder Facing the Camera: This kind of pose may not be right for everyone, so you may want to try it out first. You simply turn your back to the camera and look over your shoulder. This pose lets casting directors clearly see your face in profile, but it doesn’t give them a good look at you head-on.
How do you know which pose is right for you? You won’t know until you try them. Run through these poses in front of your phone camera at home, and then choose your favorites for the photo shoot.
Keep the Shine to a Minimum
Even if you never wear makeup in real life, there is one kind of makeup you should always have on hand for a photo shoot: powder. Sweat and oil buildup can cause your face to look shiny. That might seem inconsequential, but it’s one of the few things retouching can’t reliably fix.
Building a Career? Portrait Pal Is Here for You
Few photos carry the weight of an acting headshot, and anyone giving advice to new actors will tell them to invest in a quality headshot. However, for many—especially actors early in their careers—getting a full professional photo shoot is easier said than done. Sessions often cost hundreds of dollars, and not everyone has that kind of money to spare.That’s where the magic of AI comes in. If you’ve generated headshots with Portrait Pal, you already know that AI can take your existing photos and give them the boost they need to go from amateur pictures to professional-quality headshots. Best of all, it costs a tiny fraction of what a professional shoot does. Try Portrait Pal. It just may give you your best headshots ever.