A headshot is the first glimpse of an actor that a casting director ever sees. It’s a photograph of an actor that reveals who she is in many ways. It enables a director to imagine an actor for a particular role. It’s sort of a combination of what a business card and sales pitch are to business professionals.
One thing is for sure, if you want to be a working actor, a headshot is a necessity. Getting headshots is the step an aspiring actor usually takes when she is ready to truly pursue her dreams of acting.

Types of Headshot

The standard headshot in 8 by 10 inches in print. While black and white headshots were the industry standard only a few years ago, most actors now opt for color headshots. Casting directors, agents and producers now pretty much expect them. If you have an acting website (as you should), you can have some black and white photos made for artistic value and place them on the site. However, for your main headshot, keep to the current industry standard.

Showcasing Your Range

The constrictions of a headshot does mean that you are unable to showcase the diverse range of roles that you are able to play as an actor. If you are sending in your own headshot, you can control which ones get sent for a particular role. Also, since sending a photograph of yourself in a cop costume for a potential role in a law drama would be frowned upon, you don’t want to worry too much about taking a headshot for one type of role. You should, however, talk with your headshot photographer about the types of roles you want. Go for three main headshots that showcase different aspects of you that would fit types of roles.

The Importance of the “You” Factor

Make sure that all of the things you love the most about yourself shine through in your headshot. You want to genuinely be yourself in a headshot. It’s very tempting to ensure that your headshot are edited so that you look flawless. If you have immediately plans for self-improvement, do the work on yourself before you take your headshot. Your headshot should look like you’ll appear when you walk through the casting office door. Sadly, sometimes the call you get to appear at an audition does have something to do with appearance. You may miss out on roles that would be just right if your headshot does not look like you. Also, you could get called in for roles that the casting director would not consider you for with an inaccurate headshot, and that would only waste your time. Trust me, the casting director will not be happy if you wasted his time as well by misrepresenting yourself.

Other Factors

It’s vitally important to hire a professional photographer to take your headshot. Yes, it seems so simple at first. You just need a picture of your head; perhaps you can ask a friend to take it. There are many things that go into creating a headshot, and you need a professional who has proven experience with taking actor’s headshot. Do not go with a photographer who is used to taking photos for a yearbook, for example, no matter how great he is. A headshot photographer knows the industry standards and is a crucial factor in the creation of your professional headshot.