Having been a successful headshot photographer for over 15 years and voted by BackStage West and CSA as one of the "best photographers in LA," I want to throw my two cents into the mix regarding headshots that work online. I think this is one of the most important issues an actor will face when getting new headshots. And in these tough economic times when actors are turning to "cheap" photographers to save a buck, it couldn't be more timely!
First, a quick note on the purpose of headshots. Headshots are about casting... that's all! They have to tell us three things, 1) what's your look, 2) what's your personality and 3) can you act. If you're missing any of those, it is not an effective headshot. "What's you look" means what "type" are you. What kinds of parts will you typically be cast in? If you're a mid-west character mom, you'd better look it and not force the shot to look like an artsy, beautifully lit, uber-airbrushed supermodel wannabe. Any decent actor or photographer should know that. "What's your personality" means exactly what is says. Casting people and agents HAVE to see your personality in your shots. You must be yourself. And, "Can you act," simply put, means do you have something going on inside your head. Are you emotionally charged and interesting to watch or are you staring at the lens like a zombie who's been dead for years? Make it an acting exercise. Give yourself lines, toy with your photographer, flirt, etc. Do whatever it takes to get something going on inside your head.
Now the million dollar question, how do you capture that in a little thumbnail photo? It comes down to this one thing... make it all about your eyes. Like casting directors have been saying for years, "great shots are in the eyes!" And that is the responsibility of both the photographer and the actor. In regards to the three things I mentioned above, "look," "personality" and "can you act," I want to focus on the last two. That's what should come through in your eyes. Hopefully, your photographer is shooting you naturally so your physical look should be obvious.
It is the actor's responsibility to "bring it" to every shoot. You have to be yourself, show us your personality, and have something going on in your head with every single look. To make an extreme example, think of that great shot you saw of your favorite actor compared to a typical senior portrait. One has personality and the eyes grab your attention. The other is posed and stiff and lifeless in the eyes. It's all about chemistry. Bring lines or monologues to your session. Think of conversations you would have with your friends, your enemies, your boss, the love of your life, etc. Create chemistry. Most photographers don't think about these things (sadly), so you need to. One Casting Director I worked with recently told me, "My favorite headshots are the one's that look like the actor is playing around with the photographer and making him guess what they're thinking." I love that! Robert Duvall once said, "the reason I keep acting is because I can't wait to get on the set and start (messing) with people." And, it's what makes him so cast-able. Try it! See if your eyes don't come alive in your shots when you constantly make your photographer guess what you're thinking.
On the flip side, it is the photographers responsibility to know how to make your eyes "pop" technically. I shoot commercial photography for companies like Big Lots!, K-Mart, Warner Brothers, etc., and have been involved in the casting process for national TV and print campaigns. What I found after looking at thousands of submissions on Breakdowns (Actor's Access) and LA Casting is that most photographers, or people who call themselves photographers, have no idea what looks good on a computer monitor, much less in a print. Here is what every photographer should know (but many don't): first, in order to make the eyes pop there must be some sort of catch light, whether natural or artificial, that will "catch," brighten and draw attention to the eyes. Second, the shots must have good contrast. Most shots on Breakdowns and LA Casting have hardly any contrast at all. They look muddy. No one is going to notice your eyes if that is the case. Digital is a flat medium by design so digital shots need to be adjusted. I'm amazed at how many photographers don't process their images. They just hand actors a disk with raw images or un-process JPEG's. Third, any photographer worth their salt should have a calibrated monitor and system and know how to attach a good web-ready color profile (like sRGB) to the final shots. I know some of this may sound like techno-garble to most of you but it better make sense to your photographer. Finally, your photography better know that it is industry standard to shoot most of the shots cropped chest up. At thumb nail size anything more than a tight headshot will loose the eyes. With almost every agency 3/4 shots are out!
On a side note, it is my goal to challenge every headshot photographer out there to find a way to see, at least once, what their work looks like on one of the major online sites! As far as I'm concerned, it's their job!
You may be wondering, how do you find out if your current shots work or not? Do this simple test. On most standard computer screens the thumbnails on Breakdowns are 1 3/8" wide by 1 5/8" tall. On LA Casting they are even smaller. They are 1" wide by 1 1/4" tall. Bring up the shots you're using online, shrink them down to that size and see if the eyes pop. Go online and get other actors headshots (from their websites, from Google, from photographers sites, wherever) and shrink them down to the same size. See how yours compare. Are they muddy? Do they have good contrast compared to the others? Do your eyes pop and grab your attention compared to the others? Is there "life" in your eyes? If not, get a better photographer. Someone who knows what they're doing. And then, do your job. "Bring it" to your next session. Be yourself, have fun and live on camera.
Hope that helps. Sorry for the long answer, but these are essential truths that every actor should know. I get scared when actors want to save money and they start thinking that headshots are just so the Casting Director can "see what you look like." WRONG!!! They are your most important marketing tool, they are to tell the casting community who you are (not just what you look like) and they are to get you cast! Get a photographer who knows what they're doing, someone who knows how to make your eyes pop. That takes an export. Or, an amateur and a miracle. You decide. Have this conversation with your photographer. Make sure you have good chemistry. Like I said above, a great headshot (and great acting for that matter) is always about chemistry. Chemistry with the camera, chemistry with your photographer and chemistry with the person looking at your shots.
Happy shooting and much casting success!
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