Don’t Spend Any Money on Headshots
Until you’ve considered this advice…
Great headshots are usually expensive. I’m fond of a couple in Glasgow, but I’m big fan of John Cooper. Why? The photos knock my socks off. I love them. And he is reassuringly expensive for his art. He takes GREAT headshots. Lots of photographers do headshots, but they aren’t necessarily headshot photographers. John is a great photographer, landscapes, headshots, I love his work. Choosing where and how to spend your money on headshots is a huge decision, and NOT the purpose of this blog.
This blog post is about how to get the most out of great headshots. Don’t spend ANY money until you’ve considered how to make the MOST of the money you spend on those headshots.
You find a fabulous photographer whose style of headshot impresses you. Now what? Well, if you are about to walk into a photography session without planning the session in collaboration with the photographer, you could be wasting that money.
Why? Because a headshot is your main marketing tool. Casting directors, directors, producers etc will make a decision about you from that headshot. In marketing, we tailor the message and the medium to the target group. So, tailor your headshots to the types of work you will be seen for.
So, this is what I believe you should do:
1) Decide on three different casting types that you believe you represent (ask for help from your agent or someone who can help with this)
2) Devise subtle but suggestive looks that go with those casting types.
3) Take a selfie of you with each of those looks (clothes, hair, make up etc)
4) Now take those selfies to the photographer on the day, and collaborate with them on the creating images that sell those looks/types.
5) They are the photography expert, they have the skills and knowledge, but you need any idea of what you want. The headshot photographer SHOULD be able to help you regardless, but when you go with a plan, you leave with career enhancing headshots, and not just great looking photos.
The theory used to be that headshots should be plainish, black and white, and allow the person to read character onto you. But they will do that anyway. So help them. Subtly. Have 3-5 headshots that cover your casting types, and get your agent to send the most suitable for the role.