Getting an audition is often thought of as the hardest part of being an actor, and feeling like you are just going through the prime years of your career unnoticed can be a really difficult part of trying to get your “big break.”
Taking a great headshot can be an exhausting task, not to mention nerve-wracking. These headshots are likely to make or break whether or not you will be considered for roles, and taking a good one takes a lot of time, effort, and some camera magic.
For those who feel like taking their own pictures isn’t their best strength, headshots can definitely be a source of stress. This blog will help you to work through the most common issues with headshots, as well as show how you can help yourself to produce the best industry photos you can, and put your best foot forward when looking for work as an actor.
What Are Acting Headshots?
One of the absolute most important parts of getting noticed as an actor is having a good headshot. Headshots are the first impression you give to everyone important in the industry, and are thought of as an unconventional resume.
Your headshot will be the first thing that anyone in the industry sees of you, and could be given to anyone from a casting director in your first indie film, to an agent you want to represent you. Or you might just pass it around to advertise that you’re looking for work.
Headshots are usually a portrait photo of your face, taken from the shoulders upwards. You should aim for a nice face-framing look, with good lighting to highlight your features and let the casting directors see what you are working with. They can either be a digital thumbnail, or can be a physical copy handed out, usually formatted in the 8 x 10 inch size.
It’s also a good idea to prepare some additional high-quality photos of your whole body, taken in several professional outfits and settings, in case they are ever requested. This helps to show the directors some range you can cover as an actor if they are looking for a particular role or situation.
It is important to use a photo that has been taken expressly for the purpose of being a headshot. This isn’t the time to use a cropped group shot, or use a photo where you’re having a lot of fun or wearing creative makeup. Remember that this photo is a representation of your professional self as an actor, so choose a photo that you feel will both represent yourself and entice casting directors to choose you for a role.
Headshot Formatting
The next step after you have had some fantastic photos taken of yourself is to ensure that they meet the stringent requirements for headshot formatting. There are different standards for printed headshots compared to digital versions:
Printed:
- 8 by 10 inches in size
- Color printing
- Include your name on the front
- Be printed in portrait (vertically) as a general rule
Digital:
- Digital photos should be compressed to reduce their size, in jpeg, .pgn, or .jpg format. Occasionally a .tiff format may be acceptable.
- High resolution photos (300 dpi) should be used so the photo is versatile as either a small or larger image.
- There should not be a name on your digital image.
You should also attach your traditional written resume to the back of your headshot. This ensures that your resume and headshot won’t be separated from each other, and gives casting directors an easier time when considering your application.
Your resume should be reduced down to the same size as the headshot so it fits nicely on the back, and stapled directly to the photo. You want to ensure a professional, tidy presentation to make a good impression. The sharper ends of the staple should be on the resume side of the headshot, to keep the headshot looking neat, and it should be stapled on all four sides to keep it in good condition.
How to Take a Good Acting Headshot
A good acting headshot will be an accurate representation of what you look like. If all goes well, you will be meeting the casting director in person after all, so you need to make sure that when you meet they’ll recognize you from your headshot.
There are several different things to consider when taking your headshot that may influence how it turns out. This includes lighting, the camera you use, the time of day you take it, but also the background of the photo, what you wear, and how much makeup you use.
1. What to Wear
Choosing an outfit for a headshot is a bit like choosing an outfit for a job interview, but you don’t know which company you are applying for. Try to ensure you have a simple outfit and remember that you are the highlight of the photo, not what you are wearing.
To this end, the best bet is to wear solid primary colors, avoiding busy patterns or large statement pieces. Pick shades that go well with your skin tone and that look good on you. Make sure you feel confident in what you are wearing, but that it doesn’t take attention away from you. Avoid flashy jewelry or anything that can pick up flashes of light from the camera.
As a photography hint, avoid wearing black or white. Black absorbs light from all wavelengths, so it tends to create shadows in the photo and can even create the illusion of absorbing light. White tends to wash out most people, although if it’s a color that looks great on you, by all means wear it.
Wearing clothing that suits the type of role you normally audition for can also be a good strategy. For instance, if you are often cast as a high school kid, wearing clothes that suit that age can show that you can pass for a teen. However, you want to make sure you tailor the rest of the shoot to match the clothing.
2. Background
The background for your photoshoot will have a major influence on the feeling of the shoot. As a general rule, using a simple background with a good, well-lit environment will give you the best picture.
Choosing a background can help you tailor your shoot to the kinds of roles you are looking for. For example, if you want to work as a crime drama lead, having a headshot with a darker background will help lend a gritty, dramatic flair to your image.
On the other hand, you need to ensure that the background is not too distracting from your actual photo. Make sure that you still stand out against the background, and that all of your features are visible so the casting directors can see what you have to offer.
The background for your headshots can be outside or inside. Outdoor environments may help to lend a softer quality to the lighting of your photos, but are often more difficult to work with and can be susceptible to sudden changes in the weather.
Studio photoshoots are generally preferable because they are more consistent, and can be done at any time of day. It is worth noting that if you are taking your own photos, then you will have to find a suitable place with a nice source of lighting and an uncluttered area to take your photos.
3. Posing for Your Headshot
Arguably the most difficult part of taking a good acting headshot for most people is having the right pose. Most people feel a lot of stress about taking these photos and that stress tends to manifest into tension in the face that can show up in the photo and make you look less than your best.
You should try and relax as you pose. This will help to reduce the tension in your face and let your natural features show. You should also try to present your best facial angles and good posture, to get the nicest looking photo.
There are three main photo angles that are used for headshots. These are:
- The classic: head straight on, facing the camera. This angle allows the camera to see your whole face, and is generally thought of as the most common headshot pose. When in doubt, this is a great headshot for a beginner.
- The lean: slightly leaning in towards the camera. This angle feels like you are including the camera in a conversation, and lets you be a bit more dynamic in your headshot than the classic, while still showing off most of your face and features.
- The backwards glance: looking over the shoulder. This pose is flirty, mysterious, dynamic, dark, or edgy. It can be whatever you make of it. Although it comes with some drawbacks in that it can hide much of your face, it also provides an element of storytelling, and can be a way to stand out in a stack of other headshots.
The poses you choose should make the photo feel fluid and dynamic. You should avoid poses that make you appear to be alone, so no selfies. Think of your photo as capturing a moment of you acting in real time, then take several shots until you get one that feels just right.
Is It Worth Paying a Photographer for Acting Headshots?
Ultimately, it is completely up to you whether you try to take the perfect acting headshot yourself or pay a photographer to help you. However, it’s usually recommended to get some help with your headshots.
Don’t forget, these headshots are going to be doing a massive amount of the work to get you acting gigs. It is important to invest in them, but the amount that you are able to afford as a struggling artist may vary.
How to Choose a Photographer
If you choose to hire a photographer, then making sure you pick someone you trust, and who is right for you is important. The best way to find a good photographer is to ask around your local community for referrals.
Many of your actor friends likely have headshots of their own. Ask to see them, and ask them about their experiences with getting them done. You can also use online tools like social media to look up your favorite photographers and see if the work they do is in line with your vision for your headshots.
How Much Does a Photographer for Acting Headshots Cost?
The other very important consideration when choosing your photographer will be the cost. Depending on where you are in your career, you may have more or less resources at your disposal for headshots.
Acting headshots usually cost anywhere from $400-$1500 per session. This is based on a variety of factors, including the experience of the photographer, the number of looks you would like, the length of the session, or the amount of retouching done to the photo after the session has ended.
You should also keep in mind that this likely doesn’t include additional costs, such as hair and makeup for your photoshoot, photo formatting, printing costs, and any editing that may need to be done.
You should have a conversation with your photographer before the session that outlines what you expect, and what services they do or don’t provide, as well as what the total cost will be.
Using AI headshot generators instead of traditional photographers
In this day and age there is an alternative to the traditional photographer for new and experienced actors who need headshots. This is utilizing AI technology to create your headshots.
There are several pros and cons to using an AI headshot generate to create your headshots compared to a traditional photographer:
Pros
- The cost of AI headshots is far less expensive than a traditional one, and can be done from the comfort of your own home.
- The process of creating AI headshots is also much faster, with AI headshots being ready in hours, compared to the weeks needed to find and coordinate with a photographer.
- You’ll get a large collection of photos to choose from, compared to the two or three photos typical of a traditional photoshoot. This means you can pick and choose the best photos for each of the roles you are applying for.
- AI can use editing software to help create high quality photos that make you look professional and polished without you needing to learn difficult retouching software.
- Some companies offer a money-back guarantee for AI headshots.
Cons
- AI requires lots of pictures of your face in order to accurately render your image. So be prepared to take lots of pictures from several different angles in order to get the best headshots.
- You need to follow the instructions of the AI generator to get the best images, or else the photo can come out looking a bit strange, which is not what you want from a professional representation of your brand.
- You need to be careful when choosing the AI service to ensure that you have full control over the privacy of your pictures.
Portrait Pal
Portrait Pal is an AI generator that creates headshots perfect for your acting needs. It uses an AI algorithm called stable diffusion that learns your face from many different photos, and then produces a new image that looks just like you. This means that the AI photo will resemble you exactly, so long as you use enough good photos.
The best photos for Portrait Pal are a mix of selfies, candid shots and clear portrait photos. This allows the AI algorithm lots of different data from which to learn how to create a good photo of you.
The best part about Portrait Pal is the pricing. For the starter pack, you get 20 high quality photograph headshots in only two hours. These will include five different poses, as well as five outfits and backgrounds. All of these photos will cost $35 (on sale—the regular price is $59).
There are many more options available for more photo packages at Portrait Pal, but for acting headshots, this should be plenty of photos for you to start passing out to your contacts in the industry.
The most important detail, and what makes Portrait Pal so unique and trustworthy, is that they delete all of your photos immediately after the images have been generated. The images are not stored in any capacity, and your privacy is guaranteed.
So for amazing headshots that will wow casting directors and agents alike, without all the hassle of preparing for photoshoots and paying top dollar for photographers, give Portrait Pal a try today.