articles you might like
Why your friends’ headshot opinions are probably misguided
[Headshots Los Angeles by Vanie] Do you know what you'll get if you ask 50 people what they think of your headshots? You’ll get 50 different opinions— that’s just a fact. 💁♀️ Everyone has an opinion, and almost everyone with an opinion on headshots is sadly misguided. I’ve heard opinions range from: “you shouldn’t have arms in your photo” “you should show a little body” “your head should be centered” “most of your head should fill the frame” “Your photo is too close” “there should be no shadows in your photo” “the background should be real” "background should be white” Etc. etc. etc. All...
I spent good money on them; why aren’t my headshots working online?
[Los Angeles Headshot Photographer Vanie] “I spent good money on them; why aren't my headshots working online?” I get asked this question all the time, and I consistently see actors making the same mistake— overwhelming the “buyer” with too many choices. The “buyer” being the casting director. Think of it this way; you’re a salesman selling your product 💰 (in this case, your look), and if you give the buyer too many choices, he will move on. It’s basic Sales 101. Have you ever just given up with the Cheesecake Factory menu and just pointed to an item and ordered when the waiter came around...
Headshot trends change–stay current!
[LA Headshot Photographer Vanie] Before digital, we had film, the mystery of black and white, and a whole lot of freedom. 🎉 Those were the days when I didn’t have to accommodate the demands of internet directories, forcing headshot photographers to frame tighter, taking away the ability to use the subject’s body as a means to communicate. Those were the days when a 3/4 image was perfectly acceptable, because there was no such thing as a ‘thumbnail’ that made the head too small. Ah, those were the days. 😌 And of course, headshots were black and white, which made everyone’s skin look perfect...
If your headshot makes you look green, agents assume you can’t act.
[Los Angeles Headshot Photography by Vanie] Guest Blog by Sinclair Jones of 2nd Street Artist Management I recently had the pleasure of working with Sinclair Jones, who has built a successful career as a manager placing talent in shows like Prison Break, Law & Order, CSI, Southland, and a number of feature films. I was pleasantly surprised by what Sinclair had to say about the importance of quality when it came to headshots. I had learned from a SAG panel I attended that cheap headshots make an actor look green-- a sure deterrent from calling him in, but little did I realize agents also...