[Acting Headshots Examples by Vanie]
Hopefully, you’ve done your research before your headshot session–
you’ve determined your key marketing looks and have begun to put together the proper wardrobe for each one. 👚
Mindy Gilkerson: Creative Professional / Troubled Teen / Silicon Valley
Jaylin Eaves: Girls’ Night Out / Timothy Finch: Preppy Best Friend
If you’ve already downloaded my Ultimate Look Guide, maybe even bought my Wardrobe Guide, but you’re still struggling to figure out what wardrobe to bring, hiring a professional stylist may be your answer.
Darlisa Majid-Ali: Love Interest / Fitness / Student
BEFORE YOU DO, here are four crucial tips to make sure you get the most out of your investment and leave the studio with killer shots. ✅
1️⃣ Make sure you’re clear on the specific “types” you’ll be shooting for on the day of your session and convey those looks to your stylist.
What you don’t want to do is simply bring clothes that look great on you or go well with your skin tone— the wardrobe needs to support the character!
2️⃣ Let the stylist know that acting headshots are shot from the waist up. This means that the photos won’t show the full outfit, nor will they show the shoes. 👠
This means that the look has to be completely clear with no help from wardrobe below the waist. One way to make that happen is with accessories.
Liz Tiede: Outdoorsy Girl / RaeAnne Carlson: Techie
Zelika Chante: BBQ Mom / Ian Cole: Hip Friend
3️⃣ Be sure to have your stylist put together 2 to 3 options per look. I can’t stress that enough. Never rely on one single outfit being the “perfect” one for a specific type.
You may find the photographer’s in-studio input and experience may contradict what you and your stylist thought would convey a look effectively. Backup options offer flexibility and ensure successful collaboration on the day of the shoot!
4️⃣ Lastly, know exactly how many outfits your headshot package includes, and convey that number to your stylist.
You may end up selling yourself short if your stylist doesn’t know how many final outfits you’ll be photographed in. Ask me how I know… 😏
Mai Linh: Love Interest
My favorite wacky and talented stylist is former client, performer, and certified Style Coach, Rayne Parvis.
I also LOVE Caroline Fogarty and Buckley Sampson!
Whether you choose to work with a stylist or you tackle the wardrobe yourself, you’ll have done the critical homework. Now, you just have to bring me your options! 😉
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I love helping you by putting out this free information (often written on weekends and evenings) so please help me spread the word by commenting and or sharing this post on your social feed! 🙏
I don’t know you, but I love your work and can’t wait to shoot with you one day. From all the way in Atlanta!
Awe, thank you!
I love your work. The photos are beautiful. The actors look comfortable, professional, ready to work. I don’t think we should be “typing” women, or anybody, as “victims”. That’s not what I see when I look at Nicole Pierce and Kelly O’Malley’s photos. As an actress, I would never let anyone brand me that way even though I have played multiple roles where I was killed. We actresses play the stupidly-named “victim” role for the other part of the story, the part where that woman is a person who does things and the audience and the hero care about her. We play the “victim” role to collaborate with good storytellers or for a paycheck. But it’s not a type.
Please help empower women. We are also CEO’s, police officers, judges, business owners. Starting with our headshots, we can type women as empowered leaders and go-getters. I’m totally with you and in full admiration of your work.
I like that you suggested having 2-3 options when it comes to your look to make sure that you can consolidate the ideas of a photographer and of a stylist. My husband and I wanted to hire a fashion stylist that can help us during our family portrait photoshoot. We’d like to make sure that we will consider each one’s ideas so we can create a perfect look because we don’t want to feel unhappy while our photos are being taken.