For the professional actor, headshots are one of the most critical tools. These images are literally the tip of your career spear, the point of first contact that must stand in for all your talent and dreams, until someone decides, based in part on your headshot, to actually call you in for an audition.
Actor headshots are also the first opportunity you have to show Casting and Producers specifically HOW to hire you, by capturing their attention, demonstrating you’re casting clearly and specifically, and making them curious to see more of you.
Allow us to walk you through some of the most common mistakes actors make in LA while hiring a photographer for actor headshots.
1. Compromising Quality over Budget
It is important to choose professional photographers who specialize and are working at the higher levels of their profession, creating only the best actor headshots. Instead of choosing a cheap or “good enough” discount package, save up, and hire a top level artist who can truly show you are competitive and ready to hire.
2. Neglecting to See the Portfolio
Are you planning to hire the photographer recommended by a friend who couldn’t stop raving about her amazing actor headshots? Before you go ahead with this decision, really review their portfolio, and imagine how you would feel if your new shots looked similar. Can you see yourself in their images, and do you love what you see? If so, then go ahead and schedule a consultation.
3. Not Holding a Meeting
Most actors are running to work, the gym, school, and trying to have a real life in between auditions. It can seem not essential to meet with multiple photographers before choosing the right one. It is a crucial mistake to skip this step however, as it will deprive you of the opportunity to decide you comfort level with the chosen photographer, get a sense of how you vibe with them. That chemistry is a predictor of the results you will be paying your hard earned money for.
4. Neglecting the element of Creativity
Actor headshots are very different from corporate headshots, portraits, or any other area of expertise. At Geoffrey Donne Photographers, we have had the pleasure of working with many successful Hollywood actors, and positively impacting newcomers and journeyman performers as well. This is what we specialize in, from a detailed pre-shoot consultation, to your final shots that visually capture your essential casting looks, we show the gatekeepers how to hire you, and cause them to be curious about you, want to meet you. This is a tall order for a single image, and requires a fair amount of experience and skill to truly do very well.
5. Lack of Communication
Neglecting to communicate your desires and requirements to the photographer before your session is another crucial mistake that often ends in shots that simply do not do their job. Be sure to have an in-person meeting so your chosen photographer is well aware of the kind of actor headshots you are looking to create together.
6. Leaving it all on the Photographer
Remember, the best actor headshots are always a product of the amazing collaboration between the photographer and the subject. If you are planning to leave the entire process in the photographer’s hands, you may as well leave your entire on-set performance to the Director. Do your homework, know your casting, be a collaborative driving participant in the process of making unstoppable headshots.
7. Not Requesting Mood Boards
Most newbie and struggling actors believe that requesting their photographers to create mood boards will only cause the costs to increase. That’s not true. Your photographer is liable to provide mood boards before demonstrating his vision in the actual photo shoot, and if that is not the case, you can always do a quick search on ‘acting headshots near me’ to find a professional who is willing to work with you more connectedly.
Los Angeles Portrait Photographer 