One of the most important aspects to a portfolio is the professional headshot. This is the go shot to for castings, gigs, and showcases to show off your natural and in-character looks. Since your headshot is the first image a creative director will look to when filling roles, we wanted to give you a few tips to help you on your way!
Know What Roles You Want
When planning out a headshot, you need to consider what kind of roles you are looking for. Do you want high fashion photoshoots or to play a detective in a crime series. Knowing what your end goal is will give you a big help when it comes to planning and executing your headshot session. These next tips fall closely in line to dialing in your look.
Consider Your Expressions and Emotions
The key to a great headshot is the art of the expression. Knowing how to control your expressions to portray different emotions will show those looking to hire that you are a true pro. Falling back to the last point, use expressions to carefully niche yourself into the roles you are looking to fill. Having all euphoric expressions generally won’t land you in the shoes of a police officer role.
“Plain Jane” Shots
Have headshots that are straight out of camera, with bare minimum editing, if any. This will show your all natural look and give some insight to who you are as a regular person. If you have every headshot fully retouched and cleaned up, hiring directors are going to have a hard time determining what you actually look like. Stick to a simple, clean look for these shots. A head on shot and side profiles will go a long way for this category.
Dress The Part
Wardrobe is key to portraying roles. Consider bringing multiple outfits, and have them pre-planned to fit certain looks. Your portfolio should show how you can switch from one role to another, so dedicate some time to this step. Don’t skip out on changing the hair style either!
Focus On Quality Over Quantity
Your portfolio doesn’t need 50+ images of the same look and feel. Pick the absolute best version of each look to put on your portfolio page. Be decisive in this process, pay attention to your expressions and determine what each image should represent. If you can pull off an early 20’s college student and a mid-30’s career professional, show the best of both options.
Your modeling or acting portfolio needs to represent you much like a resume does for a standard job. Hiring directors should be able to tell a lot about you without speaking to you based on your image selection and looks. The right headshots in the right place will make all of the difference when you go to make your way in the acting and modeling world.
