Is a Professional Actors Headshot Important – Only If You Want To Be Taken Seriously?

Is a Professional Actors Headshot Important – Only If You Want To Be Taken Seriously?


This is a discussion I’m having with actors more and more these days and I believe it is critical that actors don’t loose sight of the fact that they are, and always need to be taken as a professional in their chosen career.

Often I hear performers say ‘but why can't my boyfriend/girlfriend do it - they have a nice camera?’

• If you have tooth ache does your friend try to fix it for you, or do you see a professional – a dentist!
• If you need your haircut do you let your dad or your friend cut your hair – no you go to a professional salon!
• And if you have an electrical fault in your house do you try to repair it yourself - no you call in a professional electrician?

The crux of the matter is; if you don’t use a professional actors headshot photographer you are probably not giving yourself the best opportunity to be taken seriously. If you approach an actors agent or casting director with a snapshot taken in the garden or against the living-room wall – what does that say about you?

It says I’m not really serious about acting, it gives the impression that you’re only playing at being an actor and nobody takes people like that seriously, time is too valuable to waste on unprofessional people. A lack of professionalism in one area may well and probably will spill down into other areas, perhaps being late or unprepared for an audition.

There are so many good actors out there doing things right desperate to get their break, why should agents and casting directors waste their time with those people who can’t be bothered to do it right?

Just about everybody has a good quality digital camera nowadays. Cameras with 4, 6 and 8 mega pixels or more are not uncommon these days and everyone thinks that they can take a good picture. To be honest a lot of people can take a good picture, but a good actors headshot has to be a 'special kind of photograph'. There are hundreds of free tutorials on the Internet and many courses available in just about every medium you can think of from home study to part or full time education. But simply because you’ve completed some form of study course, does that make you a photographer? I’m afraid the answer is no it does not.

There are many, many elements to a good actors headshot, composition, background, lighting, the pose, what the actor is wearing and most importantly what’s in the eyes.
An experienced actors headshot photographer will control all of these elements making sure that they all work together well to give an actor a really stunning shot. But most importantly they will give you tips and techniques to get the very best out of you. An actors headshot photographer in London or any major city should be aware of current trends and styles. They will encourage you to express yourself and they won’t be afraid to tell you when something is not working. As your primary piece of marketing you should have your headshot on everything you send out, make sure it’s a great headshot that gives you every chance of being remembered for all the good reasons.

Discover the truth about getting great actors headshots from one of London's finest headshot photographers where he reveals 7 Secrets Of A Great Headshot at www.nickgregan.com