John Manning Photography • 28 E. Jackson • Chicago, IL 60604 • tel. 312.399.6342 • jmanningphoto@gmail.com
The main thing to shoot for in an actor’s headshot is personality. It’s important to look as good as you can, but if the shot doesn’t project personality, it won’t work very well.
That’s not to say that your actor’s headshot shouldn’t also make you look good. I’ve read on websites of other photographers who do actors' headshots that it’s not about looking beautiful, it’s about being true.
I don’t agree. If I were an actor looking for headshot photography and trying to do the best actor headshots possible, I would go to the headshot photographer who is going to make me look beautiful, not to one who apologizes in advance for failing to make me look beautiful.
Yes, the shot should be “true”. Don’t retouch so much or overlight to the point where it doesn’t look at all like you do. Casting agents I’ve spoken to in Chicago and Los Angeles usually tell me that they don’t want the shot to look much better or worse than you will look when you walk into their offices.
But attractiveness sells. Period. So even if you’re a character actor who looks more like Paul Giamatti than Brad Pitt, in your own way you still want to look good in your actor’s headshot. I know that many photographers who shoot actor headshots write off people who look less than fabulous, and even some of the actors themselves have lower expectations for the results. I don’t agree with that practice and try just as hard on “real people” as I do on the most beautiful.
In fact I’ve worked with many men, women, and children who have gone on to become very successful, even if they didn’t look like the gods and goddesses of Hollywood. They shouldn’t give up and neither should their photographer.
Then there is the opposite problem. Sometimes when a really great-looking person walks into a photo studio, the photographer just “phones it in” and coasts on that person’s God-given beauty. This is all wrong. There’s more to creating a great shot than just pointing the camera at a beautiful subject and taking a picture.
You have to capture that person’s personality, their energy, their uniqueness. That means being able to really see what’s there and to inspire and help that person project the beauty and personality that lies buried within. I’ve never found that shooting or retouching the really beautiful person is any easier or quicker – or less deserving of my full attention.
Creating a great actor headshot will depend a lot on your comfort level. If you find it hard to feel comfortable with a photographer or the way he or she works, find another. You want to be able to relax in spite of any fears and self-doubts you may have, so you can do your best work and produce an effective headshot.
I always do my best to make the person I’m shooting feel comfortable, so we can both do our best work. I’ve heard so many stories over the years of nightmare photo sessions with photographers who were arrogant, insensitive, uncaring, or just burned out. I’m always on my guard against these problems.
It’s not just that these actors or models are spending hard-earned money with you, it’s that they are giving you their trust. This creates a strong responsibility. It’s not just that weak shots waste their time and money. They waste their opportunities, since as everyone knows weak shots keep you from getting parts you might otherwise have earned.
Experienced actors know they can’t afford to mess around with photographers who are inexperienced or incompetent. There’s just too much at stake.
