Easy Mistakes to Make When Taking Your Commercial Headshots

Easy Mistakes to Make When Taking Your Commercial Headshots

Commercial headshots by a professional headshot photographer are important for helping you stand out from the crowd when applying for commercial acting work. Whether you’re applying for radio commercials, television commercials, or other advertising roles, you want your commercial headshot to be at the top of a director’s pile. However, even when you hire a photographer to assist with your shots, it’s easy to make some of the following mistakes.

Choosing the Wrong Photographer

In most situations, commercial headshots are necessary for you to be considered for various commercial acting jobs. Casting directors, agents, and managers want to know who you are without meeting you first, and your pictures can often make or break your job opportunities. Hiring the wrong photographer to take your headshots might result in you not landing the jobs you hoped for. Someone calling themselves a commercial headshot photographer doesn’t mean they will be good at what they do or right for you.

Rather than hiring the first photographer you encounter or the most affordable one you can find, take a moment to learn more about them. Check out their past work, talk to people who have utilized their services before, and meet with them for an introductory session to see if you work well with them as a person.

Not all photographers gel with all clients and relationships can matter when you want natural, professional, and high-quality headshots to be noticed by a director or producer. Don’t be afraid to meet with multiple photographers before choosing one you believe produces the type of headshot photos you’re looking for.

Not Knowing What You’re Looking for

Many headshot photographers know how to take excellent photos but need direction. They need to know who you are, what you’re trying to sell, and the jobs you’re trying to land with your commercial headshots. While there’s nothing wrong with ‘general’ headshots for jobs that don’t quite fit into one category, having some that accurately reflect the job you’re applying for is crucial.

Consider the jobs you’ll apply for and communicate your needs to the photographer. For example, you might require a serious expression for an ad on a serious topic or a laughing photo for a humorous job opportunity. Having a range of options might improve your chances of being considered for your dream roles.

Choosing Your Own Headshots

Out of the hundreds of photos your photographer might have taken during your photo shoot, you’ll likely have an idea of the ones you like the most. It’s easy to believe that the photos showing you in your best light are the ‘winners’ you’ll send to casting directors, but they aren’t necessarily the photos they want to see.

Rather than picking your own headshots, ask someone with an objective eye to assist. Your photographer or an industry expert might know the features that make a photo stand out from hundreds of other headshots.

Wearing the Wrong Clothing

You might not think your clothing matters when meeting with a photographer for headshot photos rather than body shots. While it’s true that your lower body won’t be in the pictures, there’s still room to make mistakes with the clothes and accessories you wear on the upper half of your body.

Avoid wearing patterns that distract the eye, such as stripes, spots, and waves. Logos can also be distracting, even if they’re only small or embroidered on a pocket. While photographers can touch up photos to remove logos, this can come at an added cost.

Opt for a minimalist look to keep the focus on you rather than what you’re wearing. Accessories like hats, scarves, earrings, and necklaces can draw the eye for all the wrong reasons. Many photographers also recommend avoiding loose-fitting attire, sleeveless tops that draw the eye to the skin, and shiny clothing that can be distracting.

Going Overboard With Makeup

You want to look your best for headshots, but that doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours in front of a mirror doing your makeup. You might make the mistake of having too much of a good thing and removing the focus from who you are as a person.

Rather than getting a spray tan or spending days at the beach to make yourself appear more tanned, ask your photographer to warm your photos. You can have more control over your skin tone evenness and avoid it being a distraction.

It’s also a good idea to avoid any significant beauty or grooming services the day before or the day of your appointment. Some services, like waxing, can result in redness, which can stand out in photos for all the wrong reasons. Keep your makeup plain and simple, and avoid any changes to your hair, body, or skin you might regret later. The more natural you look, the more timeless your photos might be and the fewer distractions there can be.

You might think that all photos a professional headshot photographer takes will be perfect for your needs, but that’s not always the case. The photographer you choose, the clothing and makeup you wear, and even the poses you use might all play a part in whether you’re considered for a role.

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