Your headshot should not be a glamour photo because it’s used as a sorting tool. Casting teams are scrolling through hundreds, or maybe thousands, of thumbnail pictures looking for someone who might fit a particular role.
They will do this quickly and your job is to make it as obvious as possible to their quick glance that you might be a good fit for their specific role. When you show up, you want to show up looking just like your photo, not having them guessing who you are. They can do their magic later with Hair and Makeup.
If you’re prepping for your first professional headshot session, here are some tips to help you to get it right.
1) First Off: Think of Yourself & Your Casting Identity
Before you even book a photographer, figure out who you are, or who you want to play, as an actor. For me, because of my age, I’m more likely to play someone’s dad, even though I have no kids.
Try to finish this sentence in a way you think would feel genuine to you and that you think you could pull off and probably convince others of:
“I read as [this type] in [a certain market], for [these roles]”
Maybe that’s “I read as an approachable young professional in commercials for co-star Television roles” or “with warm, chill dad energy for commercial and guest star work” or “as an edgy, intense, authority-adjacent for crime procedurals.”
You’re not putting yourself in a box here, you are giving a casting team a reason to maybe pick you and maybe pick up the phone and call you. Industry platform Casting Networks puts it this way: that your headshot should tell casting how they should cast you. This means that you study what’s in demand and align your look according to that demand, especially for commercial work.
2) Build a Shot List, Not Just a Bunch of Varying Looks
You don’t need a dozen different looks to choose from. Actors generally do better with 2-4 solid shots that feel different but still totally like you.
A good starting point might be:
Commercial friendly: A look that is bright, open, and approachable where there is no filler, or no fuss, and just a natural smile.
Theatrically grounded: A neutral, present, serious look that doesn’t go over the top.
Professional authority: a simple sports coat or jacket. Or, maybe donning some serious, role specific gear.
Also Optional: a slightly edgier version of the look, but only if it fits within your acting niche.
It’s probably best to think of your shot list as different perspectives of the same you.
3) Your Eyes Can Be a Real Knockout Shot
Your eyes are the key to a killer headshot. Backstage said, “emote with your peepers.” I believe the eyes in your shoot could be a total show stopper or complete game changer.
You don’t want your eyes to look blank or checked out because then the whole photo’s going to miss the mark.
Practical tip: Try to get into the right mindset a few seconds before your shot. It may be telling yourself something simple like “I’m feeling pretty warm and fuzzy” or “I’m a bit iffy about being here”, or maybe just a solid “I’m calm and confident and I’ve got this”. The important thing is to really connect with the feeling and then take the shot.
Don’t forget to take breaks when you need to. If you have faked smiles and tired eyes, they are going to be a total giveaway and they aren’t going to convince anyone.
4) Wardrobe: Forget About Runway Looks, Go for Your Role Cues
When picking out your clothes, you should think about the roles you’re auditioning for. Make sure are going to work for these roles, and they’re not working against you. Backstage’s wardrobe advice is pretty simple: skip anything that’ll draw attention away from your face & stick with looks that let your physical features be the star. Plus, loud patterns just don’t translate well to film & tv sometimes.
Here are a few simple rules to keep in mind:
In general, solid colors will win out over anything that’s too busy or distracting.
Logos are a total no-go.
Do not underestimate the power of your neckline. It can totally shift the vibe of the whole outfit.
Bring a few backup options to the shoot, but be picky about what you end up taking pictures of. You should stick to the looks that are proven to really work for your niche.
5) Retouching: Figure Out What Makes You Look Like Yourself
This is where a lot of beginners get tripped up. You want to look like the best version of yourself in a headshot. That is to say, someone who’s rested, looks well put together, and is confident. You don’t want to walk into an audition and have casting directors look at your headshot, then at you, and wonder who they actually called in for the audition.
Some edits are totally fine:
That one-off pimple that showed up the day of your shoot. It’s not part of your overall vibe.
A few flyaway hairs that are doing their own thing.
Minor tweaks to color or brightness to get the lighting right. That’s okay.
But take a step back on anything that starts to morph you into someone you’re not:
Slimming down your face or changing the shape of your jawline. Don’t do it.
Making your skin look so perfect it looks like plastic.
Whitening your teeth and eyes to the point where you look like you’re trying out for a job with a toothpaste company (and not in a good way).
Backstage says the exact same thing: a little bit of retouching is totally fine, but if you start to look like a completely different then you’ve gone too far. The whole point is that your headshot and your real face should be pretty similar.
6) Digital Specs: Get Your Files in Order
Every single casting platform compresses images differently, which means that a sharp photo on your computer can end up looking all blurry once it’s on their website. You’d do well to know this before you start uploading all over the place and then wondering why you look terrible.
Actors Access says that 500 x 700 pixels is a pretty good benchmark to go by. Other platforms vary, but I think this is a decent starting point.
A few other things that’ll make your life a lot easier:
Name your files in a way that makes sense like Firstname_Lastname_Headshot1.jpg, that kind of thing. Casting assistants handle hundreds of submissions at a time. You want to make life easy for them.
Keep a high-res master file, and a smaller web version. You’ll need both at some point, trust us.
Stay organized – you’ll be uploading these things to a lot of places, and hunting through folders for hours on end is really a drag.
7) Print Still Has a Place in the World
Everything’s digital now, and that’s great, but there are still places where they’ll ask for a physical headshot with your resume stuck to the back. It happens less often now, but when it does you don’t want to be the one who’s all like “Oh, I forgot to bring one.”
Standard format is 8×10, with your resume stapled to the back. And every acting class ever will drill into you that your resume should only one page long, so that it fits cleanly on the back of the photo. Nobody wants to unfold a lot of paper.
Have a stack of these ready to go. You might not use them for months on end. But then, you’ll suddenly need them and you’ll be grateful you’re prepared.
8) Update When You’ve Changed, Not Exactly on a Schedule
How often should you reshoot your headshot? Honestly, the answer is there’s no fixed answer. What you really need to think about is whether you still look like your photos.
If you’ve gone and changed your hair a lot, or gone up or down a few sizes, or grown a beard you’re keeping (or shaved one you had), then it’s time to get a new headshot. A photo from two years ago might still be fine. Or it might be way off. It really depends on you.
The Performer’s Academy puts it simply: your headshot should look like the person who walks into that audition room today. If there’s a big gap between the photo and reality, then close it.
9) A Quick Pre-Shoot Checklist
Before you head out to get your headshot taken, take ten minutes to run through this little checklist:
Get a handle on your brands. What are your top two casting types? Commercial, theatre, something in between? Get specific, or don’t bother.
Pick a wardrobe. Two to four outfits that actually support those types you just worked out. Don’t go too wild. Keep it simple and on-point.
Sort out your grooming. Whatever you think you’re going to look like at auditions, that’s how you should show up for the shoot. Same hair, same facial hair, same everything.
Bring some references. A few headshots from other actors that you think are great and be ready to explain what you like about them.
Plan your breaks. Get some rest. Tired eyes make for a rubbish photo. Make time to take a break.
Have a chat about retouching. Get this sorted out with your photographer before you start shooting, not after. It’s way easier for everyone.
In Conclusion
The best headshots will do three things quickly: (1) they will look like you, (2) they tell casting what roles you’re good for, and (3) they’ve got an emotional presence to them. If your photos are doing all that, then casting doesn’t have to do a lot of work to figure you out. They’ll just move on to the next task.
You’re not trying to be everyone’s cup of tea, you’re trying to be the person who’s perfect for a specific role. Start from this place and the rest will follow.
