Ah, the all-important actor headshot! You may have heard the expression “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That cliche’ holds a lot of truth and is the primary reason you MUST have a professional, competitive headshot. Your headshot is your number one marketing tool for this industry. Ever since the dawn of film and television, an actor’s “look” has been paramount in casting. Your look, and more importantly, how you market that look is critical. I say all that to emphasize this point: This is not the time/area/place to get cheap on your acting career! Professional headshots are just that – professional, which means you should pay someone who does actors’ headshots for a living to do your headshots. Believe me, I’m all about saving a buck when you can, but the buck you save here will cost you role after role after role. The sad part is, many budding actors who “had a photographer friend” do their headshots don’t even realize how much it’s costing them because they aren’t even aware of the opportunities that are passing them by. Hopefully, I wasn’t unclear about that.
Actors’ headshots are a different animal in the world of photography. There are elements to it that change from time to time – much in the same way fashion does. For instance, headshots used be in black and white (until the late 90’s or so) and now they are in color. So, you need someone in that world who knows what door-openers in the industry want today. Do not confuse business “headshots” with “acting headshots”. Many photographers do “headshots” and actually mean business/corporate portraits – these are not appropriate for actors. Make sure the photographer you go with is a pro at headshots for actors. It is usually easy to tell which kind of headshot photographer they are simply by looking at their portfolio.
Great headshots are way more than a nice photo.
I could go into all the nuances of a good headshot but I’ll leave that to the pros – and you should too. Get recommendations for photographers from the agencies where you want to pursue representation. For now, here are two photographers who are excellent:
Kelsey Edwards: Kelsey’s portfolio speaks for itself. The catch is that she lives in LA but comes to Atlanta at certain times each year for sessions. Her work is incredible but also a little more in price (remember what I said above!).
Anderson Smith Photography: Smitty’s work is also excellent. He is especially good at fashion shoots if you’re also looking to put together a portfolio for modeling.
(If you are a pro headshot photographer in the Southeast and think you should be in this list, email me.)
Headshot Cost
Professional headshots are going to cost you anywhere from $200 – $600 depending on the photographer and how many “looks” you decide to shoot. That’s just ballpark range and has been my experience in the Atlanta area. If you live in LA, NYC, or Chicago, the price may be higher. Feel free to add a comment on price ranges you’ve found in your market.
Once you’ve chosen a photographer, listen to them! They will usually give you very important advice on what to wear to the shoot, how to prep, and what kinds of clothes not to bring.
Last, relax and have fun at your shoot. You want your headshot to be a representation of the best you!
Remember, don’t skimp on this part of the process and go with the pros.
Headshot photographers that are frequently used & recommended by agents & working actors in Atlanta are:
Ted Westby (Nice Shot Ted)
Meagan Dougherty
Anna Ritch
Barbara Benneville
Tracy Bosworth Page (Babycakes Studios)
These are all used the most often now.
Thanks for the great recommendations Melissa!
Hi Larry,
I’m so glad I came across your website. My kids are interested in getting into print and television, so I thought I’d check out a company currently “scouting” the area. Have you heard of iTalent? They say they’re not an agency, but a talent promotion service with professional partners such as elite, Ford Models, Wilhelmina Models, to name a few. They don’t charge a fee to join, nor require classes or training, but do require you to use and pay their photographers to create your head shots and composite cards, then also charge you to purchase those promo materials once the photo shoot is complete.
They also don’t really say who runs the company, at least not from what I could tell from their marketing materials. They charge between $595 and $5500 and shoot anywhere from 48 to 150 or more shots to help “get the best ones”.
I’ve scheduled an appointment for this week, but now I’m wondering if I should cancel? Does this sound legit to you?
Glad you found it Michele. I would run away from those people. Go find a legit agency for kids in your area. By the way, kids don’t need pro headshots. Kids change too fast. Good, well lit snapshots are usually sufficient. Find a legit agent and go from there. Where are you from?
We’re just north of Atlanta. 🙂
Hi Larry, tks for creating this website with great info. Today I took my teen daughter that wants to be a model to an agency called Nine9 in the Miami area & their inw time fee of $495 plus $40 monthly. Does this sound a scam? Do you know of any real agency in our area?
Saida,
Sorry for the late reply. I was out of town on vacation. Any agency that requires an upfront fee is not one I would recommend. Legitimate agencies do not require any fees to become represented.