Everything Acting Podcast Follow up
Misconceptions about headshots Headshots take time
This year I had a television producer who wanted me to participate on an episode of her popular prime-time makeover show. The producer wanted some acting students who were down on their luck to come to New York and get headshots. Great idea! I was onboard. Then, the producer told me that I would have sixty minutes to take headshots for twenty people. I did the math. I would have three minutes with each actor. Only one minute if I split the time with my makeup artist and gave them sixty seconds to walk from the makeup chair to me. It would be impossible to do anything under those circumstances. I wanted to find a way to make it work. I suggested bringing in a handful of my colleagues. They decided to take the students to a show instead. Later this year, a lady putting together an acting seminar wanted me to spend 5 minutes with a handful of actors and do "sample shoots." I explained that my makeup artist alone can take up to an hour with a woman. Five minutes will get you a terrible headshot. When you're looking through a really great headshot portfolio, it's easy to forget that there is an entire process behind what you see. It's kind of like your friend from home who thinks your job doing 8 show a week on Broadway is easy. The makeup, light, environment, talking, direction, color correction, and retouching all work together to create what you see. My shoots never take less than two to three hours. Believe me, if I could get people in and out in twenty minutes, and still do quality work, I'd be doing it. I would also retire early. Sometimes I'll get emails that say something like: "I love your work, it's so simple and natural! I only need one look, so how much would 20 minutes of shooting be, with no hair and makeup, and no retouching?" Imagine trying to hire a director for a Broadway musical and saying "I really want to do a Broadway musical, but I don't want an orchestra or crew and I only want one day of rehearsal." It's probably not a good idea. Good headshots are like good acting. It looks simple, but it's a little more complicated than it appears. I shoot for a long time because it takes that long for most people to get comfortable with the process. Just like the Podcast you heard, in the beginning, I was a little nervous and shaky. But, as the show progressed, I became more comfortable. If you just throw something together, it's not going to be good. Some photographers will accommodate just about anything you want at the expense of quality. Beware.
The Evolution of a Headshot
Clearly, he was versatile. It's interesting that headshots remained in black and white for as long as they did. For some reason, when movies switched over to color, headshots did not. I'm still not sure why it took so long to change or why New York resisted it at first. In the late 90's, some headshots started turning horizontal and sloppy edge borders became all the rage. In the late 90's headshots became more natural, less like a high school portrait. Now, depending on the photographer, the line between fashion/magazine images and headshots is starting to blur. Today there is a mix of all different styles. "Old school" headshots are still preferred by classical singers and instrumentalists. Headshots are still evolving and, depending on when someone enters the business, an actor has a different idea of what they should or should not be. Everyone will tell you something different College professors
That particular school is rather isolated from New York and Los Angeles. I imagine that particular professor had been teaching there for decades. His advice was probably relevant when he was still working as an actor. Just be aware of who is giving the advice and how long they have been out of the business side of "the business." Agents/Casting Directors
Picking your photographer In a perfect world, all of your friends have just shot with the same photographer and they all had amazing headshots. If you're lucky enough to be in that situation, and you personally like the photographers work, it's safe to say that the photographer is a good choice for you. If you're not that lucky, look at the headshots of all of your friends. You know what they look like. You know their personality. Does their headshot fit them? Myspace/Facebook is a great tool for looking at headshots (and not just the photos the photographers want you to see). The internet has become a great asset when photographer searching. In the not so distant past, you had to go meet each and every photographer just to see their work. Now you can narrow down your search from home. Start your search at either www.reproductions.com or www.tvistudios.com to view the work of New York and LA based photographers. What to watch out for: Only a handful of headshots in a portfolio. As a photographer, it's easy to get lucky a few times and get a great shot. It is another skill altogether to be able to make anyone who walks in the door look good. Celebrities. More than once I've had an actor come in for a shoot and tell me how upset they are that their last photographer "ripped them off." I'll look at the bad headshot and ask why they chose the photographer in the first place. They'll say, "They shot [insert name of celebrity]." I'll go over to my computer and pull up the photographers website. Guess what? The headshot the actor brought in usually looks exactly like what is on their website. Go to a photographer because you like their entire portfolio, not because you like one actor who happens to be in the portfolio. Claims of being the best / putting down the competitors. There's a quote that I like from "Fiddler on the Roof", "I heard that the Rabbi who must congratulate himself has a congregation of one." Do not go to someone with a big ego. It will only get in the way of your shoot. Besides, if they're going to put down their competitors, why support that? No air conditioning. This might sound silly, but there is a photographer in the city who does not have air conditioning is his/her studio. We shared a makeup artist once and she told me about how the clients were sweating profusely even before she was done putting on the makeup. Doing your own makeup. In theory, this sounds like a good idea. You should look like you, right? Reality is, street makeup is completely different than makeup for photography. The photographers who are actually concerned about the quality of the final product typically require you to use their makeup artist. Taking off clothes. It still happens. Can you believe it? I've heard two first hand accounts this year alone. If anyone asks you to take off your pants or top, walk out. Period. No exceptions. If they do not give you your money back, go to the Better Business Bureau. Touching. There is absolutely no need for a photographer to touch you during a shoot. The makeup artist will have to invade your personal space a little. Photographers can, and should, give direction verbally. This is the only way to do it (digital vs. film, natural vs. studio light) The digital/ film argument is over. It raged from the late 90's to around 2006. I made the switch in 2002. It's a big learning curve. A lot of people did not want to switch. Eventually, everyone was forced to switch. Now, to a lesser extent, there's a debate over natural versus studio light. Both can look great and both can look terrible. It depends entirely on how skilled your photographer is. The weather can also impact your ability to use natural light.
After reading all of that, you're probably frightened to death! :o) The good news is that there is a strong core group of great, talented, honest, funny, headshot photographers in New York and LA. They're easy to find. Next time you're at an audition and you see a headshot you like, ask the person who the photographer was and what the experience was. That's the most reliable way to find your next photographer. Good luck!! -Chris Macke |
There seems to be a widespread misconception that good headshot photographers work the same way the high school portrait photographer worked. Remember? It was a conveyor belt with a photographer at the end. You had about 60 seconds in front of the camera to look good. There are some headshot photographers who work this way, and it's pretty easy to pick them out when you're looking at their portfolios. None of us have a magic camera that transforms you instantly. If you do have one, let me know, I want one.
Headshots have evolved a lot since I moved to New York. I wish I had saved some of the photos from my first agency job. The most amusing were the photos with people dressed up in different costumes. Same guy, same expression, same everything, except he would be in a firefighter's uniform, a policeman's uniform, a doctor's uniform, and a business suit. 
A lot of my clients stay in touch with me after their shoots. One called just to tell me about the headshot seminar her college had. At the seminar, the professor held up two headshots. He asked, "Which headshot is best?" Everyone pointed to headshot #1. He said, "No, no, no, no. This headshot (#2) is clearly the best." Then he proceeded to explain why the glamour shot was the strongest choice. The students sat in amazement.
Ever read articles about headshots by agents and casting directors and wonder how they can all contradict each other? When I started working at my first agency, actors would come in and ask me my opinion on all sorts of things. Because I wore a little badge that said "industry," whatever I said became the word of God to them. Guess what? The agent sitting across from me had completely different opinions. Agents and casting directors all have different backgrounds. Some were once lawyers, others were actors, and a few just like getting lots of attention. There's no school for being an agent. Most have different ideas about what a headshot should be. It's like trying to get everyone to agree on what show should have won the Tony Award this year. They're all passionate about their favorite, but often times disagree with each other about the show.
