Actor Pictures.

Headshots For Acting And Promotion.

Actor pictures are the single most important marketing tool available to you. It’s what gets you called to auditions.

Backstage magazine says “headshots are the key to breaking in as a professional actor”. That pretty much says it all.

One thing that actor pictures must do is stand out. If you are going to be skimmed over by a director, who may be looking at hundreds of actor pictures, you absolutely must be able to grab their attention.

How?  Your eyes. Your eyes are the most important part of your actor pictures, they command attention. As in any portrait, it’s all about the eyes.

Here are some guidelines that should be followed in your actor pictures.

• Be natural. A small amount of makeup to cover imperfections is fine, but be sparse.
• Be neutral. Clothes should not be attention grabbers.  This is about your face, not your favorite sweater, awesome as it may be.
• No props.  Again, it’s your actor pictures so a really cool hat that covers most of your head won’t work.
• Invest. Maybe you can get $25 actor pictures, but they will look like $25 actor pictures. Remember, this is your billboard.

Actor pictures must be as accurate as possible. Of course, things like blemishes that are temporary can be removed, but nothing permanent. If you have a mole it needs to stay. The last thing you want is for a casting director to look at you, look at your acting headshot, and see two different people. Accuracy matters.

Business headshots can be seen at this link.

Get A Second
Headshot For FREE

Two headshots lets you switch out whenever you feel like a change!  ($50 value)

Studio Or Location??

Typically, acting photographs are taken in a studio, with a plain background. However, there is no reason why you can’t have an environmental portrait taken outdoors.  The goal is to take a photograph that shows you as you are, and background elements will distract from this.

So outdoor images really need to have a background that is well blurred, and not in any way a distraction from you. If you are on the fence about this, you could do both styles of photos and you will have options when putting your applications together.

What Should I Wear?

Baggy clothes may be comfortable, but your actor pictures must accurately portray who you are. So it’s better to wear something a bit closer to your body size and shape. You don’t want the person looking at your actor pictures and guessing what you look like.

It’s ok to arrive with some different clothes if you would like some advice about what matches best. A few test shots will also give you a good idea about what you like. Don’t worry, I’m very flexible and more than happy to help.

What About Make Up?

As with clothing, you are trying to convey an accurate representation of who you are. Some make-up is ok, but try not to conceal your features too much. A natural look is best.

Remember, things like skin blemishes that you have today but will likely not have tomorrow, can be removed in post-production. I will remove pimples in an actor headshot, that’s not a problem. But removing a scar or a mole would be the wrong thing to do.

Turnaround Time.

Typically, the turnaround time for your actor pictures is within 48 hours. If you want to choose your final actor pictures while you are here, you can. Or, if you prefer to discuss it with someone, or ponder the options, a complimentary online gallery with the images taken will be uploaded for you to choose from.

Here’s a possible useful link on your way to Hollywood fame and fortune – Backstage Casting Agency.