Why You Might Be Unhappy with Your Acting Headshots

Name: The Light Committee
Price range: $$

By The Light Committee

So, you got headshots made with a photographer and have started using them to try to get auditions. You’ve put them on Backstage or Actor’s Access. Your agent sends them out, but you just aren’t getting called for auditions. Is it your headshots that are the problem? It can be but not always, nor not even often.

What Are Your Expectations with Acting Headshots?

Acting headshots are certainly one important factor to getting called for auditions but any actor that has been through the process end-to-end – got headshots and ultimately got cast for something – knows there is much more to it.

Your resume is also important, not just your look. You might need to temper expectations with where you are in your career. If you’ve only gotten around a couple of roles, then your resume might be thin. So maybe it is your level of experience that is the bigger factor for not getting more auditions.

Also, your demo reel might be thin or perhaps you need to switch it up – use different scenes to create it. Or perhaps you are not aligned with your agent and they are sending your information out for roles you’re just not a fit for.

The point is, there are a lot of factors that go into success at getting auditions. Yes, your headshots might be the problem. But it’s not necessarily the photographer or their results. It might be the looks are off, your outfit is off, your hair needs a new style, or more. If the quality is there in your headshots, it’s not necessarily the photographer. You might need to switch up the vibe of your headshots. But if it is the photographer, how did you arrive at using them?

Did You Do Your Research to Find a Good Headshot Photographer?

As an actor, you should want the best acting headshots in Los Angeles that are possible. So, when you finally booked your session with a photographer, how did you find them? Did you do enough research to verify they were the best option for you?

Sometimes photographers come as recommendations. They might be from a friend or agent. If it’s your friend, did they do enough research? If it’s an agent, did they recommend a photographer because they’re getting kickbacks? It happens and their recommendation does not necessarily mean they are the best option for you. If you got an agent recommendation, ask if it is okay to research to find someone else? You can even tell them that before you book, you will run it by them to verify it is a good choice.

Do your own research because a recommendation does not guarantee success with a casting director. The truth is any headshot photographer in Los Angeles that has 5+ years of experience with actor headshots can point to success at helping actors get roles. So, with such photographers, they likely know well what they are doing.

Definitely read reviews online anywhere you can find them, such as on Google, Yelp, or Reddit. Also, they should have a website with plenty of headshot examples for you to view. Verify if they have a physical location, meaning a real commercial photography studio. You might even give them a call to measure their personality.

The Price Did Not Live Up to the Results

You might also want affordable acting headshots in Los Angeles but you keep hearing you have to pay up. So you do. You book the photographer that wanted $300, $500, $800 or more for that headshot session. Then you send off the photos to your agent thinking they’re winners and it turns out your agent hates them. It happens and I’ve rescued plenty of actors that this has happened too.

This is not to say the opposite can’t happen, that you do your research, find a reputable affordable photographer, and your agent still does not like them. This is often because you didn’t get your agent’s input beforehand. What if your agent wanted you to get theatrical looks with a denim jacket and you went with black leather.

Not being on the same page with your agent can be costly, especially if you hired that $500 photographer. If you don’t have an agent and are just getting started, then making sure you do extensive research on a photographer will be important. You don’t have to settle for a friend’s recommendation.

You Worked with an Inexperienced Photographer

In an effort to save money, you might also have asked your friend who is an amateur photographer to take photos for you. This often happens because people do not do enough research to find value. If you go online and do a search for acting headshots in Los Angeles, the top ones listed are often expensive. So, you say forget that. I’ll ask a friend. After all, how important can acting headshots be?

You might also just get an amateur photographer on advice that a professional is not needed. You might know someone in the industry showing you examples of how basic headshots have worked for others. Well, remember that the headshot is just part of a package that includes your resume, demo reel, and more.

It might also be that for the examples they are showing you, that person is lucky to have a look that is in demand. You might need to work more. This means beefing up your resume and demo reel, and using high quality headshots to help you better achieve success. Besides, why not put your best foot forward from the start? When is the advice that “you should not use the best quality items to market your career” ever good advice?

Back to that research you did. You searched for the top photographers in Los Angeles and found only expensive ones. Remember there are many cities in Los Angeles county and if you used Google, they may not necessarily show you ones in Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, and other incorporated cities. So, also search for photographers in these cities or others that you might be willing to go to. There is value to be had without sacrificing quality, if you look.

All the Looks Appear Somewhat Indifferent

This often has to do with working with an inexperienced photographer. If you study some acting headshots and see a commercial look with someone smiling and then a theatrical look with someone not smiling and they appear similar except the expression, it might be an inexperienced photographer. Lighting a commercial look and theatrical look are different. So, is the background. So is the outfit. And we already mentioned facial expressions. It’s different in a headshot session just like it is different on a movie set.

It may not be inexperience either. It might also be a limitation in their resources. A photographer might have a limited number of studio lights or backgrounds. Thus, the looks can appear similar. Don’t be afraid to call and ask questions. Here are some you can ask:

How many studio lights do you have as an option to use?
How do you light a commercial look versus a theatrical look?
Do you use anything on the lights to modify them and how so?
How many different backgrounds do you have and what are they made from?
Do you have a commercial studio or work out of your home?

A studio that has at least three lights is what you should target at a minimum. But the more the better. Photographers that do not have a commercial studio can be limited in their capabilities too. So, keep that in mind.

You do not have to know the answers to these five questions but if you ask them, does your photographer sound knowledgeable? Do they hesitate or deviate from answering? That’s what you are trying to gauge.