Should You Retouch an Actor Headshot?
Some in the industry go a step further in suggesting you not have your headshot retouched. This is just poor advice. Despite best laid plans, things happen. You might have gone to bed extra early but allergies the next morning might still give you a bit of red-eye, for example.
Working with a good photographer should mean they know how to retouch a photo while still ensuring your essence comes across. Things like excessive red veins in your eyes, a pimple that showed up that morning, lint on your shirt, a fly away hair – these are things that easily could not be there when you are at an audition. It is safe to remove them from a headshot and does not misrepresent you.
However, you should stay away from removing all your wrinkles, a mole, a scar, a tattoo, and so on. These are your essence. That mole or scar might be part of the reason a casting director was interested in your look.
Make Sure the Looks You Can Do Come Across
Coming across as yourself in a headshot does not mean you should not come across as the various characters you can pull off. In life, we go through moments where we must be serious and devoted and just the opposite, playful and care-free. We all naturally have different character traits depending on the moment.
So, it is possible for you to take on the role of a cheerful best friend at one point, and a serious detective in another. Be sure you get enough headshots to convey the many characters you can be. Determine who you are in each regard. Some people naturally smile and laugh all the time. Some people must force this. Some people are naturally upset often, and some must force it.
So, if you normally do not exude laughter, you might not want to put a comedic look in your portfolio. If you are usually happy go-lucky and rarely upset, you might not want to put a villain look in your portfolio. Capture the looks you can naturally pull off so the audition itself is natural for you to do and is not forced. Getting these varied looks helps a casting director more easily imagine you in that role. In quick summary, each casting director seeks something different. So, having a broadly appealing look is most important. Do not get too specific with looks, at least not in the main shots you are sending out.
Consider the File from All Angles
Your headshot is viewed in many ways. It can be viewed as one thumbnail amongst a sea of other thumbnails. It can be viewed as the sole image on a digital display. It can be viewed as a printed file. So, be sure the headshot is a winner across all these possible view types.
As a thumbnail, good color coordination will be essential. So, working with a photographer that has a grasp of color theory is a good idea. But it is not enough to just have this understanding – do they have the tools to pull off the color coordination you need? This can include lighting, studio backgrounds of various colors, and so on.
Once your thumbnail is clicked on, your headshot must continue to impress. While capturing your essence is important, the quality of the image is essential to helping you stand out. Here is where all the color coordination, the outfit you chose, the look you are expressing, and so on, get all put together to help compel the viewer to take the next step and contact you.
So, be sure that when you are submitting things like your resume and headshots that they are the best quality possible and the highest resolution possible too. To get an opportunity to audition, this is essential. You also want to bring your resume and headshots with you to the audition just in case someone from the casting team did not get a copy. It is probably best to consider bringing it in print and digitally.
There’s No Second Chance for First Impressions
When it comes to your headshots, are you happy with them? Do they show off your best sides, features, etc? Do you have the looks you need? Is your resume up to date with your most current work? Are these two important items doing what it takes to grab the attention of a casting director? These are all things to consider once you have your headshots.
You might have done all the right things to get professional headshots but sometimes the look you need just did not come across that day. Whether you hired the best photographer or not, sometimes it might just be the outfit you chose, or the picture you think is best is actually not. So, when you get headshots, get many of them so you can rotate them around and see which ones are helping you succeed more.