Oh sweet Jesus, if I had a quarter for every time I heard an actor freaking out about their next headshot session, I'd feed the meters for a year.
I get why this is stressful. Your headshot is the first link to you getting cast. It can make or break getting you in the room and can color your work for the year (to three) that you choose to use the shots.
And they are expensive. There are LOTS of really fantastic HS photographers who do fantastic work for under $400. But add in the cost of posting them online (honestly, LA Casting/Breakdown Services/Casting Frontier, why in god's name is this so expensive? It's free-99 to post 1,000,000 selfies on Facebook, can we please get with the program and adjust costs? We already pay a monthly fee just to have you!) *rant over*
It adds up.
So you're making big decisions and paying a ton of money for it. Yes, that isn't exactly my definition of fun.
But let's relax a minute here. You are in charge of this whole operation. You pick your clothes, makeup and hair, photographer, etc. Yes, there are a LOT of influences on this: agents, managers, coaches, some random girl from your acting class who seems to have a lot of opinions (shut up, that is totally not me....fuck, fine that is me). But this is YOUR MONEY, YOUR TIME, AND YOUR FACE!
So let's simplify this.
My top things for making headshots less stressful:
1. Sleep: It effects everything. You skin, your anxiety, your heavy under eye circles. I am the biggest proponent of sleep (probably because my boyfriend would have broken up with me by now if I didn't get 8 hours a night). I will pick sleep over a workout 3 times out of 4. I know we all have weird-ass schedules and it's hard to maintain good sleep, but the week of your headshots just to try get 8-9 hours a night. It will calm you down, clear up your skin (hello shiny eyes, haven't see you since pre-drinking age), and just make you a better person to be around.
*side note: that is a life tip in general but hey, it took me 29 years to learn this so, onward and upward!*
2. Sweat: You do not need to lose weight for your headshots. Let me say that again: YOU DO NOT NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT FOR YOUR HEADSHOTS. Unless you are trying to change your overall image and casting, you should look the same in your headshots as you look on your average healthy day in real life. This is not your wedding. Also, the bottom half of your body will never likely make it on camera in the first place. So get that idea out of your head and replace it with a self care moment: workout to feel good in your body. Much like sleep, this is a general life lesson that is just good to keep in mind. A good sweat 4-5x a week for a few weeks leading up to your photos will make you feel in control of your body and it will flush the shit out of your skin. Aiming to lose weight for a set of photos will set you up for unrealistic goals and then guess what? That is the face/body you are going to need to maintain for the next year or so (nothing is worse than an actor who doesn't look like their headshots).
3. Planning: Why do we freak out, get anxious, or generally lose our shit over pretty much anything? Because we don't feel prepared. This can be said for everything from an audition to throwing a party to your headshot session. There are layers that go into this so let's get even more specific:
-please please hire a hair and makeup person. It is so worth the extra money because that is a HUGE factor in how you look and feel, and taking that out of your hands is vital in feeling more confident. So if you wake up with a massive zit, guess what? It's not your problem to cover. Thank god.
-Know what you want, what your agents and managers want, and what style your photog shoots. Make a Pinterest board for you and your h/mu artist. Heck, you can even show this to your photographer when you get to your shoot if you like. The more direction everyone has the more likely you will be on the same page.
-have a list of the outfits you want to wear (plan A) and make an alternative option for each one (plan B). You never know for sure what the lighting or the background will be and there is only good that comes from planning options. For women, I have learned bringing 4-5 tank tops (gray, white, black, and maybe a color or two) is SO helpful regardless if I am planning to wear them or not. And accessories are not looked down upon as much anymore, just make sure it is aligned with your vision and be flexible with them. And set them all out the night before so you can SLEEP (see above) before your shoot.
-Pack your care well in advance. Know where you're headed and have a full plan of hair/makeup, travel time, arriving early (they may not be ready for you yet but you can rest at ease knowing you beat traffic and are prepped).
A few other side notes just because:
-You really only need 2-3 hours max to get this done. If you have a makeup artist with you between outfit transitions, you can easily do 4-6 looks this time.
-That being said, I personally don't like photographers who restrict you to "2 looks". If you took 100 pictures of me in this blazer, I sure hope you have gotten your shot and we can move on.
-I also encourage you to not be afraid to see the shots you're getting along the way. I hate hearing actors hated every single shoot and "wasted their money". When your photog says, "awesome! got it!" simply ask politely, "Yes! Can I see it?" with enthusiasm! No one is a mind reader and you need to make sure you like what is happening. Yes you picked your photographer because you like their work and trust their vision. But you are PAYING for this. You are in charge. Empower yourself and the whole team (makeup artist, photog, you) will feel elated that you are on the same page and doing good work.
-Just have fucking fun for god's sake. Truth bomb: if you want to do acting professionally in lots of film and TV, chances are high you will have a lot of photo shoots in your future. So find the fun in it and calm the fuck down.
*and if all else fails, I know a few people who drink a little while they shoot...while this may not be the healthiest life habit, I can't say it doesn't sound fun*
Just for fun, here is the link to my Pinterest page for may latest session, keep in mind I had VERY specific look requests via my management:
-sporty/badass
-bitchy trophy wife
-lawyer/savvy business
-trailer trash
(-we also did some other things too, between shots just for fun)
PS: all my hair and makeup was done by the fabulous Hilary Phillips, you should check her out.
And here are some of the winning shots, totally raw and not retouches (yet) what do ya think:
