5 Crucial Tips You Should Consider for Business Headshots
Your headshot can be the single most important marketing tool for your career, whether it's acting, singing, or modeling. So many performers cut a few corners and get their headshot done wrong. You might think your headshot seems like a trivial part of your career, but they are far from it. When a director or hiring agent sees your headshot pop up in front of them, it makes them think "Yes, bring that person in here!" If your headshot looks like you took it with an iPhone, chances are you aren't going to be called in for an audition. Your Washington, D.C. business headshots play the most important role in shaping a successful career. When you're beginning to get your headshots, there are some crucial tips that you should consider.
Go Professional
You might think that having a professional take your headshots will really break your pocket, but it's a service that will pay you back in the long run. It's worth it to go with a professional rather than one of your friends who owns a camera. If you do some searching around, you'll be able to find a range of prices among different professionals. Then again, keep in mind that if your headshots look cheap, then they probably are.
Make Sure It Looks Like You
You want to stick with personality rather than glamour. It's important that your headshot photos are flattering, yet actually look like you. Don't go crazy with the airbrush. Casting directors and other agents will expect to see someone who actually looks like their headshot. You don't want to show up for an interview or audition then realize they don't recognize you from your photos. Headshots aren't necessarily about looking fabulous, they're about showing off who you actually are. You don't want to make yourself look 10 years younger in your headshots then show up with wrinkles. If you have wrinkles, let them show in the headshots.
Don't Go Overboard with the Make-Up
Throwing ten pounds of make-up on your face will only make you appear unrealistic once they see you in person. You want to give people the most flattering view of you in your headshot, but not in an unrealistic way. A lot of blemishes can be fixed with airbrush and retouching during the editing process of your headshots. There is no need to put on a massive amount of foundation. The goal of a headshot is to make you look like you do on your best day, not like you tried too hard to look wonderful. A good tip is to do your hair and make-up the same way that you would before an audition or interview. That way you look nearly the same in your headshot and real life.
Decide on Natural Light or Studio Light
Different photographers like to do it different ways. Some photographers even offer both natural and studio lighting because they both offer a different effect and feel. Natural light gives you a very natural look, it is the way you usually look in the real world. Studio light gives you the appearance that you will get on stage, with a spotlight or professional lighting.
Let Them Know What You Want
Overall, when you begin to the process of taking your business headshots, you need to let the photographers know what you want. If you go into a photo shoot expecting something, you might not get it if you don't inform the photographer what that is.