Contextual Portraits Exhibition

Last evening was the opening night of the Merton Young Faces photography exhibition at The All England Lawn Tennis Club. It was attended by the glitzy and notable of south west London and was an inspirational evening for all concerned. Fifty contextual portraits of inspirational young people wowed the audience, it was commissioned by Wimbledon Foundation, part of The All England Lawn Tennis Club. the portraits varied from sporting venues including the iconic Centre Court at Wimbledon, to historic Southside House and Wimbledon Theatre to gritty vibrant Smallhoders boxing gym. Xanthe Izzy Bradley Every portrait was diferent yet engaging, with each young person sitting comfortably within the context of their environment whilst at the same time expressing confidence in who hey are. A good portrait is like a good conversation it s takes at least two people, the photographer and the subject must communicate to get the best possible result. One of the skills a good portrait photographer must
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How to Give Your Actors Headshot That Extra Bit of Zing?

There are so many technically good headshot photographers out there (and a few who are not, I have to admit) so how do you make sure the one you choose will make sure your headshot has the extra zing? First off do your research, I’ve gone over this incredibly important part of the headshot process in other blog posts you can find here, how to choose the right actors headshot photographer. Great headshots have personality, connectivity and individuality. What is it that makes your headshot stand out? Is it a technically perfect photo; correctly exposed, well composed and is nicely lit or is it more about the personality expressed by the actor? In fact do both need to be equally working well together to make your headshot stand out from the crowd? Yes they do! It takes two to Tango There is a famous South American dance called the Tango, there is also a very famous saying that goes ‘It takes two to Tango’ which is true. As the saying implies you can’t dance the Tango by yourself
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What kind of actors headshot should I use?

This is one of the of questions I’m often asked by actor’s who are new to the industry. Should I have a commercial headshot or would it be better to go for a theatrical one? As a actors headshot photographer in London, why not have both is my usual answer, use your commercial headshot for commercial castings and your theatrical headshot for acting roles. Novice actors and performers are often confused by the difference between the two types of headshot, fear not read this and all will be revealed. The Commercial Headshot Essentially a commercial headshot is all about the smile, you need to look approachable and friendly to the point that someone will want to buy something from you. Think about the actor advertising toothpaste or recommending that you buy a particular type of car. The clue is in the name – commercial – it’s all about selling and the best way to sell is have people like you. So your commercial headshot should portray a nice friendly, likeable, trustworthy pers
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Portrait Photography Exhibition

Mounting the pictures from The Merton Young Faces photography exhibition was a thrilling experience, It s my third exhibition and every time the process is the same and just as exciting! I love taking the photographs, love engaging and learning something about my subject and then bringing that knowledge into the portrait. The next stage is printing and framing the images, this is when I get a feeling of substance, in this case seeing the portraits and imagining what they ll look like mounted in a gallery. By this time I ve already decided how the exhibition will flow, which picture work well together and how I want to start and end the viewers experience. And finally the hanging of the frames, it s a time for it all the hard work to be seen, to become real, it s also time to see that the layout works as I wanted it to. Sometimes, as in this exhibition I need to tweak the layout a little so that I can lead the viewer s eye around the exhibition. There are always a lot of people involve
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50 Portraits From Headshot Photographer Nick Gregan

Merton Young Faces Photography Exhibition is a series of 50 stunning portraits from headshot photographer Nick Gregan. Well that s what the exhibition press release says it s all about, but is a portrait any different from a actors headshot? Yes and no, in this series of photographs I have taken what I call contextual portraits this means they are in an enviroment or contain something that relates to and helps tell the story of the subject. Louis In this shot of Louis who is an up and coming actor I wanted to place hime somewhere he felt comfortable, it was on stage in Wimbledon Theatre. Louis had a great confidence about him and was also quite a cool young man. I ve captured all of this in this portrait without going down an obvious route. In an actors headshot I am looking for the actor themselves to tell their story. We want a casting director to lok at their headshot and see the actor, to relate to them and not be distracted by other elements within the photograph. Peter In this h
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Headshot Photography News?

I like to stay up on the current trends in headshots and of course headshot photography news as it comes ‘hot off the press’ as they say. Occasionally I come across some advice that really bucks the trend and in some cases is rubbish. Regular readers will know I like to give useful advice to help actors improve their chances of getting a great headshot, you’ll also know I often warn people to be wary of ‘amateur photographers’. Actors headshot by Nick Gregan There isn’t a professional governing body that regulates photographers, you don’t have to have any qualifications to call yourself a professional photographer indeed I myself don’t have any at all other than 25 years experience. If you are an electrician or car mechanic for example you have to pass industry standard exams before you can practice solo this isn’t the case with photographers, a camera is all you need. One of the results of sophisticated digital cameras becoming cheaper and cheaper is that it’s eas
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Rebekah Gurney Actors Headshots

I had the pleasure of photographing Rebekah Gurney today, strong actors headshots from a lovey lady. Actors Headshots by Nick Gregan The post Rebekah Gurney Actors Headshots appeared first on Nick Gregan Headshot Photographer.
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Shakeapeare’s Actors Headshots Tips on His Birthday

Shakespeare The great Bard William Shakespeare, may have been born about 450 years ago today (or a round about this time), he gave us many words of wisdom but hidden in his magical works are some little know snippets of invaluable information. As an headshot photographer I decided to did deep into the world of Shakespeare and have a little fun with some of his thoughts on headshots. Perhaps unwittingly or perhaps visionary he gave us pointers on the best way to achieve a great actors headshot. I thought to myself, I had to pass on these words of wisdom our greatest bard has given to aspiring actors of today s generation. Skimming through his great works I ve dug out some quotes that Shakespeare must have been thinking about applying to today s actors when he wrote them.
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How should actors go about choosing the right headshot photographer?

Your headshot is the first impression a Casting Director has of you. A great headshot is what’ll make a Casting Director or an Agent sit-up and take notice of you.  It’s your first point of contact and often your only point of contact, so essentially the image has got to grab their attention and hold it. You absolutely can’t take a chance with not impressing them in all the right ways. This is your career you are talking about and the image you want to portray to the industry professionals. My advice is; choose a professional headshot photographer to do the right job for you but how do you find the right person for you? © Nick Gregan It can be a tricky question to answer, do you go on recommendation, and do you go for the most expensive person? Or do you simply go for the busiest person because they must be the right photographer? Actually these are all things to consider and that s it, consider. However because the relationship between a headshot photographer and their client
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Nick Gregan Headshot Photographer Testimonial

Nick Gregan is the only headshot photographer I have been to that makes you feel very comfortable in the studio and most important infront of the camera. He has many years experience and knows how to get the most from the client hence having more than enough great headshot choices. I can t recommend him highly enough and would never go anywhere else
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Deadline for Spotlight Headshots

Deadline for Spotlight Headshots Spotlight headshots are a crucial part of any UK based actor’s marketing pack but there’s one question I get asked quite often ‘is there a difference from normal headshots and a Spotlight headshot?’ The answer to that is yes and no as headshot styles change one thing that has stayed constant is the need for a 10
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Headshot Photographs & The Casting Director

Photographing headshots for actors is about giving the actor the very best chance of being noticed, so staying current with the style, capturing personality and emotion and understanding that actors’ castability are all elements that play a part in creating a headshot with the ‘Wow Factor’. We want Casting Directors to look at their headshot and say “wow, I like that” if that happens then I’ve done my job as a headshot photographer. I was doing some research today and I came across this article in the Guardian newspaper by Laura Barnett about Casting Directors and the role they play within the production process. I thought it was worth sharing, especially for actors who are new to the industry, where the many job descriptions can become confusing or muddled. We often think of the world and roles of the Casting Director as mysterious as they are rarely interviewed or proclaimed outside of the industry. From my perspective as a headshot photographer when I am shooting a clie
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Words Every Headshot Photographer Likes To Hear

Nick Gregan makes you feel relaxed and never rushes you. He gives you all the time you need to get the shots that you went there for. As actors, we go to our photographers with a look in mind that we want to achieve. Because Nick is so easy to talk to, I was able to tell him exactly what I wanted and he listened to me and totally understood. The result: The exact photos that I wanted; the exact look that I had in mind! I am extremely happy with my new headshots, and it was a pleasure to work with Nick, as he is so professional, and I could tell that he genuinely wanted me to be happy with the final results. Excellent! Client testimonials are an important part of credibility and affirmation, they are the words every headshot photogrpher likes to hear, and they help other actors get a better feel for a headshot photographer. With the rise in social media a positive client testimonial has the power to add to a photographers reputation and helps others looking for a service feel more conf
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A Step by Step To Guide Better Actors Headshots

When do you know you need a new headshot? What s the process to nailing that killer actors headshot? Here are few of the steps briefly outlined to help you through the minefield of decision making. New headshots are a big decision in an actors career they can make the difference in getting auditions, being noticed and a big difference in your confidence levels. Actors Headshots © Nick Gregan Katie Geary © Nick Gregan Chris © Nick Gregan
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Make Sure Your Actors Headshot Looks Natural

Don’t Go Crazy With Retouching So you’ve just had your actors headshots done and are really happy with the results but, you feel like they could do with a little extra ‘shuzzing’ you want to make sure they’ve got ‘The Wow Factor’. Nothing too crazy, just tidy up a few little pimples and the laughter lines around your eyes that have started to appear recently. You suggest this to the headshot photographer and they are quite happy to retouch them for you. You tell them what you want and they reply; “sure no problems I’ll just tickle-up your headshot and make you look great” you feel happy that they are going to retouch their own photos and leave feeling confident. A couple of days later when the retouched headshots are delivered you are really pleased with the result, your skin look’s smooth and silk like, your eyes are bright and perky, your laughter lines have disappeared completely and overall you look great. You’re fired up so let’s hit those auditions. Oh
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Who Chooses Your Actors Headshot?

Who Chooses Your Actors Headshot? Is it you? Is it your Agent? Is it your headshot photographer or is it your family? What about if you’re not sure of which one is the best headshot for you? What if you don’t like the way you look, how on earth are you supposed to choose headshot that’ll get you work as you probably won’t like any of them? Ultimately it’s your career so you have to make the final decision however there are people out there who have your best interests at heart and will help you out. There are lots of experienced professionals with tons of knowledge who have a valid opinion you are not alone. Amy-Jo If you are in the position of having an Agent then ask their advice, in some cases your Agent will insist on choosing which headshot they want you to use, you may not always agree with them. The thing is that they see you objectively, they see you essentially see you as a way of making money, if they can’t get you work then what’s the point of them representin
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Headshot Photographer in London

It s always great when client s say nice things about you, as an actors headshot photographer in London I love shooting headshots and feel great when a client is happy. Expectedly so, most clients are not surprised that they have a range of great headshots, they do their research and due diligence, find a headshot photographer they like, talk to them and then book a session. So there should be no surprises, but there always are thats one of the things that makes my job so much fun. Delivering great headshots that actually help actors get noticed by the Casting Directors.
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Superb Theatrical Photographer in London

Excellent casting headshots from Nick Gregan London?s best Headshot Photographer.
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Have headshots changed since they first started being photographed?

I went to the opening of the fantastic exhibition ‘Salt and Silver’ at the Tate Gallery earlier this week; first off what a brilliant introduction to the very origins of photography developed by Henry Fox Talbot. One thing that occurred to me when looking at some of these extraordinary prints from 150 years ago was how much a good photograph stood out from an ordinary one. I’m not saying there were any bad photos here because there weren’t, but some were more special to me as a ‘people photographer’ than others. Every one of these Victorian pioneering photographers deserves huge praise and admiration in their own right. However for me, Roger Fenton’s portraits drew me in, just as a modern actors headshot would do too. Looking at the portraits of Captain Lord Balgoine and Captain Mottram-Andrews, both photographs grabbed my attention but for very different reasons; Balgoine the younger of the two appears dark and brooding with the weight of the world on his shoulders, whi
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Should You Avoid The Headshot Factory?

Do you want to stand out from the crowd? The answer could be yes and no at the same time. Are you courageous enough to use a completely different headshot and stand out from the crowd and hope to catch the Casting Directors attention or will you go down the headshot factory route and have a headshot just like everyone else? It s tricky one, the thing is your headshot shoot should be all about you and making sure you leave the studio with a great headshot. Sometimes headshot photographers are really busy, they work to a tight schedule, they have clients waiting for the next session and they can t always give you the attention or time you need. Is this fair and do you feel like you re on a production line? Your session should be about you, your headshot and how you and the photographer can work together to deliver some great headshots. I don t think your session should be about anything else, it shouldn t be about a factory shoot where every person who goes to that photographer, leaves
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Who Is That Co-Starring In My Headshot?

Who Is That Co-Starring In My Headshot? Headshot photographers are popping up all over the place these days, virtually anyone with a digital camera and the kahoona s to say so, can call themselves a headshot photographer. As far as I know there are no professional bodies or qualifications needed. A classic example of this is myself I have no formal qualifications and am not a member of any professional bodies but, I have been a busy working headshort photographer for almost 20 years. I learned all of the many skills involved in creating and producing photography over several years and because I was using film I had to fully understand the principles of photography before I started calling myself an actors headshot photographer. It just wasn t possible to charge clients for my services and HOPE that the film came out right. I had to completely understand how to use a camera, how to use exposure, composition and lighting before I called myself a professional headshot photographer. Unfor
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Agent or Manager?

Contemplating a change? As the new year kick’s into action many actors are motivated to drive their career’s forward either by shooting new, fresh headshots (which is always a good idea) or by changing representation that may have become stagnant in recent times. Depending on where you are in your career, depends on what and if any representation is needed. New actors often feel that having an Agent is crucial to getting work and moving their careers forward, this is not always the case, with websites such as Spotlight, CastingCallPro and CastNet there are many more jobs and opportunities advertised on a regular basis. However the bigger, more prestigeous auditions most often come through well-known Agents. When an actor feels as though they have enough experience they want to make the move onto representation. I came across a great article on Backstage.com on the differences between Agents and Managers. Definitely worth a read. Here s an except here but I advise you to read the w
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