Get Acting Headshot In City In Which You Want To Act

One of the biggest issues that comes up with new actors is how to choose the right headshot photographer. Use of the word "right" means that a guy is looking for the "perfect" headshot so he can get the most acting roles. The trouble is, you won't know which headshot generates the most roles until you actually start getting turned down or chosen for roles. Often pursuing jobs happens when you have an agent, because that agent submits an actor for roles. It is very common for an agent to demand that you shoot a new headshot that with a photographer that he finds works best.

Accurate Headshots

So, until you have an agent, you simply need to obtain a headshot that "looks" like you. This means if you pose for a headshot in March and later decide to grown your hair differently, you need a new headshot. The old one is useless.

If there is one piece of advice we could highly encourage actors and models to follow when pursuing acting roles and modeling jobs, it would be to not show up at an audition looking different from your headshot.

Models and actors are more interested in obtaining a professional looking headshot that look "nice" than understanding how those headshots will be used. Industry professionals are making decisions on whether they want to work with you based on your headshot. When you show up looking totally different than how the casting director imagined you, you basically misrepresented yourself. This would be like trying to sell a TV on ebay with a photo, and then painting the TV red. Yes, the photo shows the actual TV the buyer would receive, but the photo is out of date because you changed it appearance.

Often Need a New Headshot

So, if you change your appearance, you need to shoot a new headshot. It is not uncommon for working actors to get a new headshot every six months because of a variety of reasons. Perhaps they have been trying out for roles and learning that people want to cast them because of a certain look or image they can aim for.

Since you often need a new headshot, you don't want to spend too much money. Someone spending $650 is not likely to want to spend that large amount again. However, a guy who spent $125 won't mind as much if he must spend another $125 seven months later because he changed his hairstyle.

Headshot in Hometown vs. Big City

Often new college guys know a photographer in their hometown and go to that photographer before heading to LA or New York to act. Totally waste of time. There is a unique look in headshots based on the city you are in. If you submit a headshot created in Wichita for an LA acting role, it will look very "small time" - even if you spent loads on it. If you want to act in Chicago, get a Chicago" headshot created by a Chicago photographer. If you want to move to LA, get a headshot done in LA. These photographers in these cities re constantly shooting and know what casting directors in their city want.

Once you are in Chicago or LA or New York, there is no trick to choosing the right photographer. If you have an agent in a big city, go to the photographer they tell you to go to. Otherwise, look through actor's resume pages on site such as ActorsAccess or LACasting or IMDB to find a young male who looks similar to you and for which you like the look of his headshot. Go to the photographer who shot his headshot if his rates are reasonable, but expect that you are going to need a headshot later in the year!

Don't shoot with your sister or buddy who is an amateur photographer unless you are very very new and simply need a piece of crap headshot just to tide you over until you find a photographer. By going to an amateur photographer, you save money, but miss out on potential roles because your headshot is not up to par.

If you are a student, Qualifying as a Campus Man is the perfect opportunity for a guy who wants to become an actor. It is your first step in getting the recognition you want. Building a fanbase of followers shows that you have something that other guys do not have.

You receive a special page dedicated to your acting profession. You can add photo examples to this page to show your involvement or just explan how you got started in acting and roles you have secured. Professionals (and your "Fans" visit your acting page to read how you qualify as a "male model."

If you are not a student, but know of a student who should be an actor, you can help put his name up into lights! Just Nominate him to become a Campus Man. The guy you nominate will be grateful someone "nominated" him for his "celebrity" potential!