Theatrical headshots are different than corporate or business portraits. Both types of photos are designed to represent a business, but theatrical headshots are appropriate when the product you are selling is YOU! Actors, models and even authors can benefit from this type of professional image.
Actors
Gone are the days when the norm for actors headshots was a glossy black and white photo. These days, color is in (although 8 x10 is still standard for printed headshots). The actor’s face should be the primary focus, and there should be no distracting clothing or backgrounds in the photo. An image from the neck or shoulders up really focuses on the face and every actor should have one of these, but also having ¾ body shots or full body shots are helpful for casting. Just remember it all starts with the face. It is important to wear natural looking light makeup and have little photo editing so as to give a true representation of the actor’s looks. There is nothing worse than showing up and looking completely different from your headshot. That is why it is important to keep your acting headshots up to date. You might also have variants of your acting headshot - such as taking the first part of session with beard and then shaving it for the second portion of the photography session. Sometimes, specific types of actors like comedic, character or period photos to also have images in costume or settings that match the type of acting they do. Despite the importance of remembering these technical requirements, it's just as important to make sure an actors headshot captures their personality. Backstage.com has a great collection of tips and information about actors headshots.
Models
Models should have a similar headshot that shows off their facial features, but it is more common for models to also want full body posed shots to add to their modeling portfolio in different scenarios. The images should be powerful and focus on the model’s best features. The images should match the type of modeling industry the model wants to find more work in. Many people think instantly of skinny tall people with extremely good looks when they think of models, but there are plus size models, foot models, hair models, hand models and other branches to consider.
Author Headshots or Portraits
Authors are their own product, although the product usually their brain instead of their looks. May know what their target audience is and have images of themselves that represent the type of worlds they create. It is also acceptable to just have shots that focus on the author’s head and serve like a business headshot to represent the author to their fans and the public. If you like to set stories in a specific location, is it possible to take photos there? If you write dark stories, you don’t necessarily want a beaming smile in your headshot. If you are a quirky and funny writer, you may want to take your photos in a fun environment or a quirky setting and outfit. Remember, author portraits will be used to market you to potential readers. How can you fit and represent what you are selling.
If you want to book a session for theatrical headshots in Tampa, Florida, I am happy to assist you in getting the best professional images.
