The perfect headshot

Oh, how we all dislike them – headshots! Am I right? They’re that crucial part of our job which limits our essence to appearance and a snapshot; a short moment in time that cannot possibly reflect all the epic characters hidden behind our facade. They seem superficial. It’s almost funny how afraid we are of this necessary tool that should simply portrait us. One reason is because it’s often hard to figure out which part of us makes us original. I sometimes look like two different people in one day, so trust me... if anyone can relate to your dilemma it’s me!



The wise guy

We all have different sides, yet, to take some of your fears off: Everyone knows that and doesn't expect to see every possible character you could pull off in your headshot. Keep it simple, focus on your true essence to come out. A headshot stands out if it’s the most relaxed, open and confident you there is. Whether that means you are upbeat, shy, funny, determined, down to earth, thoughtful or fiery – it all works as long as it represents your general personality.

The other reason is because a decent headshot has somehow developed into a myth... It's discouraging to hear that most headshots are bad! My friend Henning and I didn't want to believe that. We were determined to find the secrets to the perfect headshot and discovered amazing results - surprising, soothing and encouraging. Headshots should be an investment worth paying for and a fun experience. Not a traumatic event on the brink of a heart attack.


 Most agents and actors aren’t happy with their headshots. What’s interesting though is that neither lighting nor camera seems to make a shot great (even though a nice look of a photo can add to its appeal of course) but the setting of the shooting. I heard horror stories from actors who felt bombarded by their photographer because he tried to shoot as many pictures as possible before the next client shows up. A nightmare! The circumstances the actors are faced with, how comfortable they are and how much they trust the photographer is crucial.

The free spirit

Of course it’s not easy to open up in front of a bunch of strangers (photographer, stylist, assistant) but it can be, if you know what to focus on. A photographer that shows interest in his client before the shoot creates a relationship and makes the actor feel in a team- instead of feeling deserted and alone in front of that lens. Don't be afraid because the camera can be your friend if you know how to handle it! 

Curious about what the industry has to say about the perfect headshot, Henning and me took workshops with other photographers and casting directors. We asked them about expectations, problems, and ideals. It was interesting that everyone agreed on what a great headshot is. Here’s what we heard: “It should show YOU in the picture; charismatic, confident, and on your best day. Stay away from too much make up, colorful clothes, distracting backdrops or fake posing. The simpler, the better. It’s important to see your individual strength that makes you the right choice for the role. You make our job much easier by showing us what character we could cast you in. Embrace that and own it in your headshot the way you would on set. When you think your character and we see that behind your eyes (instead of a blank stare) your photo will stand out!”

So the mission is clear: Act the character you can play best (or are anyway), keep it simple and be natural. But the matter of fact is that photo shootings can be overwhelming and relaxing while worrying about hair & make-up seems like an art form itself. The last thing on our list is keeping a character alive when every single muscle in our body decided to strike. Actors mentioned to me that the toughest part about finding a photographer is to find someone who understands and gives feedback during the shoot (unless you have $1,000 and up to get the best). Everyone is nervous taking pictures- especially because we've seen the way we looked at those last party pictures!

In my opinion, it’s just as important to ‘work’ with the content of the picture as being concerned about lighting and focus. Actors aren’t models that learned to show different looks or hold a pose for a picture. Performers live their character’s life and need a director or at least a scene partner to function right. If we could only have a coach by our side that supports us getting into character, helps us focus, and maybe even feeds us with images - I’d probably be the solution for our confusion. Actors on a higher level usually have help for that or are used to focus by themselves. Most actors are still struggling with the situation though and are under the mercy of the photographer’s instructions.

What’s important to know is that photography is like anything else: The more you’re in the moment and patiently wait for the good stuff, the better the results. It doesn’t hurt to breathe either. Many photographers that shoot humans don’t know that it’s hard to create a life in front of a blank wall. It’s actually no secret how much actors usually despise it, but unfortunately hardly any photographer got the call to pay more attention to the object yet. They probably hope to be able to ignore it, but I honestly think it’s because they often don’t know anything about an actor’s process. Maybe they think it’s not part of their job.

The vamp

My advice would be not to take too many workshops on this, too. I’ve seen actors that looked like a deer in headlights, filled up with all this information in their head and afraid to move at all. It’s valuable to think about the character you’d like to play or a possible scene you could be in, instead of your complicated marketing plan, your crooked nose or the horrible last pictures you took. Music does wonders for some people. Focussing on ‘the thought of being on set’ can also create that spark and joy behind your eyes while manifesting this wish in your subconscious mind. You gotta believe it to be it!

Other people (especially insecure photographers) assume our essence will automatically come out by shooting away and changing the angle a bit- while we, the actor, only have a single thought in our brain: What does he expect me to do right now? The results are stale, lifeless pictures and a collection of empty or insecure expressions. What we want though is a shot that radiates strength, evokes thoughts in the person looking at it - attracts attention!

Many agencies have a ‘best of’ list of their favourite photographers which often goes back to a long relationship. This list can be a fabulous group of talented photographers, but it can also be a ‘who is who’ of your agent’s golf buddies. Go with your guts, get recommendations from other actors or look at their page when picking your photographer. Henning and I, who both have been taking photos for a while, decided, it would actually be awesome to take headshots ourselves. We aren’t afraid of creating personal relationships, have the ability to take photos and understand actors.  We called our company HPF Photography. We’re working on getting in some agency roosters right now too.

There’s no guarantee (with any photographer) you’ll always have a perfect shot from one session, but the chances are much higher with knowing what you want from your photos. The most important thing you can do is making sure you know who you are. The photographer won’t have time to investigate that on the day of shooting. If you have no idea what that means or aren’t sure who you are, ask people that are close to you: Family, friends, agents, partners, even neighbours. Ask them what kind of person they think you are or could be. What do they love about you? Do they like a certain outfit best? Create your own focus group! If you're a loner and don't have enough friends: Take workshops about marketing for actors. It’ll help you seeing yourself through others and will confirm or straighten out your own beliefs. Actors have to know their strength to be effective.

Below is a helpful list of archetypes where your focus group can mark the ones you fit into. The category you got the most votes for, is your strongest bet for being booked. A general audience is much smarter than you think. You can also add the category ‘lead or supporting?’ on the bottom. It’s a crucial question, but helpful! Many actors have made fabulous careers with playing side characters.

Professional (business), athletic, college, teacher, best friend, next door, parent, blue collar, nerd, rebel, cop, wise, lower class, beauty queen, bohemian, sophisticated, funny, homeless, young, evil, quirky, etc... There’re plenty of sub-categories of course, but this is a brief summary of types that are usually cast. Genres can be interesting too (period, horror, comedy, thriller, love story, drama, action, fantasy, etc.) and should be on your list if you’re a pure romantic etc. The more passion you bring the better. Please don’t come in with an outrageous list of epic film characters you would love to play. Especially not, if you’d be a fantastic sidekick but would never be cast for a leading role. We’re all born with our unique, individual strength that defines us. The sooner you accept what you got, the faster you’ll succeed.

A few other, practical tips can improve your photos too. Some examples from the HPF photography bag of tricks: Lower your chin (looks more flattering), straighten up your spine (shows confidence) and breathe consciously (relaxes and grounds the energy). A small step for actors, a big one for headshots!

What I would like to stress out is that this industry, especially with all its glamour and glory, often seems to want us a certain way. But what filmmakers actually want are normal, down to earth, interesting, hard working, dedicated and relaxed human beings that act naturally. Keep this in mind and you’ll be surprised how much easier it actually is! Realize that we all love those actors that are comfortable being themselves, without acting or trying to be someone they are not. The ones that struggle with it usually stop being cast.

Our photography business can now be found at:
 www.hpfphotography.com

We already have a first portfolio which shows you what we do. We work in a team to focus on the technical aspects and guide you at the same time (so you get double the power). A few actors already got representation through our pictures, booked auditions and reported back from happy agents. You can email us at hpfphotography@gmail.com or call (213) 986-8048 if you want to book a session.

We love headshots now.

Your HeadshotNista.

The priority trap

It’s challenging to be an entrepreneur- no matter what business you’re in. Yet actors are faced with the additional struggle to set their priorities right. The seemingly overwhelming amount of work actors are supposed to put in (and the little actual time they have for that) as well as last minute schedules appear to make it almost impossible to lead a successful business... Wrong! Let’s look at how to distinguish between a real opportunity and a waste of your precious time.

The problem starts with the endless struggle to make money - which pushes almost ever actor right into the arms of gastronomy. The sad truth is: Serving also burns you out, gets you quickly comfortable or, even worse, lowers your confidence in becoming a working actor. Deciding to work as a waiter is especially difficult when you don’t have a plan and catch yourself dropping the whole acting thing since that would cost the same energy to do it right (which you don’t have since you're hiding in a diner). I wonder why actors don’t think bigger and rule creative financial solutions out before even giving them a try?! Why not producing your own projects, working in the business, doing extra work (an excellent way to meet people) or finding ways to make more money in less time? Do your job of being a creative person and get creative with that too! Open up for better possibilities.

True dedication requires maintenance. You can only act with self esteem and a true hunger for it - which you are responsible for. Not many actors maintain a balance between their job and pursuing a career. Sometimes it’s even more useful to truly commit to being a waiter for a while, distant yourself from acting, pick a different life you can gain confidence in and then come back to it. It’s hard to perform well, if your constant state of mind is stress, unhappiness or feeling like you’ve enslaved yourself to the money machine.

If you're a beginner actor, you probably still have the spark that it takes to be an actor. You glow from positivity, enthusiasm and thinking about your big dreams! Yet be aware you're not ready to work until your first successes have settled in and you had time to get used to the glory. Otherwise you might end up blowing your success out of proportion, believing every tiny success is a major step, and ending up with a head that's too big to carry. I know being in this industry often seems like a long dry spell without water, but if you catch yourself being desperate for success, you’ve fallen into the rabbit hole. Even worse is when you can’t pass for being a beginner any more, but still convince yourself this no budget music video you just booked will be your breakthrough. Knowing where you stand will be your first step.

Of course it’s not easy to stay objective in a business that promises an exciting life, but is extremely hard to get into. You want to belong so badly. I understand. I also understand that, just to stay sane in a city that produces selfish people with no time to connect with others, you need to get away once in a while. But I'd suggest you only do so, if you’ve deserved it by actually working hard to become a serious actor! Not if you’re stuck in an endless string of self inflicted struggles, got sucked into a state of misery or too afraid to face the truth - then it might be time to take a step back and face facts instead of running away. It’ll humble you and probably change your route for the better! Don’t be afraid to suffer- it heals.

Actors tend to burn themselves out instead of deciding to be effective. They get overwhelmed by responsibility; forget what they’re fighting for in the first place. The common 'denial' is simply an excuse not to take action, which will eventually catch up with them anyway. That's why keeping the focus is crucial! If you lose what you’re trying to achieve it’ll only take a few days until things get difficult and you, probably even unnoticeable, get frustrated. A bestselling book I can highly recommend is: http://www.theartistsway.com/

The next important step is to learn to say NO. "Nope", "nah, "I don’t think so" works too. How often do we have to make a decision between making money, shooting a short film, reading a ninety pages script, going grocery shopping, submitting to more projects, attending three birthday parties and taking the dog to the vet? It’s a matter of deciding what’s most important plus learning to navigate; maybe even asking others to help out.

Regarding projects it’s helpful to turn a project down that's plastered with red flags and will cause more headaches than possibilities to show your best. Stay critical! Be aware of the level you’re at and turn down projects that are still figuring how to light a shot, while you’re ready to try yourself at serious parts for your first demo reel. It might take some time to find those jewels, but they’re worth looking for and prevent you from falling back by selling yourself under value. Nobody cares if you had a gap between projects if you only do quality work. Everyone will respect you for that! Don’t forget it’s always an option to shoot something yourself that’s rich and designed for the exact part you’d like to go out for. Sometimes it’s even more advised to invest a few hundred dollars into that instead of running after other projects. 

I myself have shot this really promising short film last year - awesome script, perfectly shot and a truly great first edit - which never got finished! Can you believe it? The project failed, because one lead actor obviously was so overwhelmed on set he messed up his part and had to be cut out of the project… A fact that disappointed the director that much, he never finished the film. A sad story (and more reason to appeal to actors to be ready!) and something I’m still mourning over on a weekly basis, but writing it off as ‘depending on other people which is, and sadly always will be, part of the business’. So be smart, be proactive.

Next: How to spot a project that actually has potential to go somewhere or at least challenges you as a performer? Of course it’s not easy, but there’re indications. You can train your eye for a good script by simply reading famous scripts you can download online, talking to writers or filmmakers, reading genius books like ‘Save the cat’ and analyzing your favourite films! This will benefit you in the long run and school you in filmmaking – which is important for any actor since understanding the process of filmmaking helps them being supportive on set! I love actors who offer their help instead of complaining, because they’re in the know of the challenges in filming. Be prepared to wait sometimes and bring a book.

A project that has a great script is usually a clear indication that the filmmakers are talented and experienced. Screenwriting is much harder than it looks, so it takes time to be good. If you found one, it’s time to find a character that gives you plenty of room to show your skills. Make sure you have a few lines and, ideally, an arc in the scene to make it valuable for your demo reel. Production wise it’s usually good to look at the experience, communication and ambition of the team. When they work professionally from the start, they’ll most likely take it seriously all the way. Otherwise you have given it your all, got your hopes up and are left behind empty handed.

The next thing worth mentioning: Be grateful to work!! Actors always complain about the stage of their career, yet it seems common they don’t give it their full attention once they get the chance. Flaky behavior, coming unprepared or showing ‘attitude’ often stems from insecurities of course, but I suggest you don’t let those get into your way of becoming a professional. Ungrateful behaviour (when others would kill for the same chance) is simply wrong and a lame excuse to not give it your best. You booked the gig? Make it priority. Even if you have a lot of other things going on: Show respect and don’t bother the director with your busy day. It will do miracles if you give his project your full attention!

Then you're ready to do the work because you have a chance. Actors often forget to do that, even when a good project finally comes their way, because they’re so used to constantly looking for the next one. What’s important to understand is that one great role can make a career; a list of flops often destroys one. If you’re doing as many projects as you can to get approval, you might consider therapy instead. So be alarmed not to pass on a fabulous opportunity. One of my acting coaches once said: ‘Imagine you’re standing in front of a jury and, based on your true factual evidence, they’ll decide whether you’re an successful actor or not.’ A crucial thing to say, but probably the best advice I ever got.

Once you know you have landed a project that’s worth fighting for, act professionally! Make sure you’re always on time, work the script, prepare your scenes, rehearse or work with a coach, spend enough time with the character and come fully prepared - no matter what’s going on that day (even if that means to sacrifice sleep or ditching your friend from NY). You never know when and how your next career lapse will happen in this business, so be ready! If your friends don’t understand that, you might need to find new ones. Actors often seem to have an issue with being on time so be the exception!


It should go without saying, but don’t try to get away with things by blaming it on your overbearing emotions. If you’re a slave to your feelings, you’re unpredictable and will probably explode or act upon them in the least appropriate moments. Being able to feel doesn’t make you a good actor – if that’s what you’re thinking. Being able to show them in your work will. If you can’t control them: Seek help, acknowledge your triggers and use them in your work in front of the camera instead of behind. You can have a bad day but nobody has to know that. Filmmakers want to see passion - not the necessity to ground or babysit you. Some directors might not even notice or care, but be aware that your uncontrolled emotions can quickly distract you from the scene. Mostly it’s fear, so see it as that and pick yourself up.

Another part of acting professionally is to make it possible for people to reach you. Everyone has five minutes to return a call (unless you’re on vacation without a functioning phone or on set). If you don’t call back, nor answer your phone, you demonstrate something else is more important. That’s never a good way to treat a production. This is what you’ve been waiting for so don’t blow it because you think you’re suddenly in charge. Be considerate, think out of your own schedule and realize that your actions affect other people. If you had an emergency or were truly wrapped up with something important, at least apologize for it and try to make it up next time by being overly professional.

Communication is one of the main tools actors underestimate, even get intimidated by. Yet shooting films means being part of a team you need to communicate with. If you lie, cheat or pretend to be very busy when someone would like you to be part of a promising project, you scream 'attention' instead of 'I'm here and ready!'. That also makes you a master of self sabotage and will plaster your path with failures all by yourself. Marketing is an art form which creates the opposite effect when you’re trying to imitate success, but get caught faking it. Don’t be difficult by demanding certain time slots for your private problems or appointments that you could actually reschedule to accommodate the production. If ten people complain about the same things with you, they’re probably true. Be smart and learn.

Everyone has their reasons to do things a certain way, yet that doesn’t always make it right. It’s actually necessary to create a framework for our job that enables you to focus on being an actor. Not just by getting help from an agent, but living a certain lifestyle yourself. Much of that has to do with your principles, consideration of other people and ability to learn. Asking for help with whatever you have troubles with, is often the key! Great ways for that are friends, therapy, group meetings or acting communities. There're plenty in this town.

You’re ready to work as soon as you have the right attitude, knowledge and rhythm to navigate your business to the top. Learn where you have a tendency to set your priorities wrong and change it. Be in the moment, compare the current decision with your overall plan and make the right decision! You owe it to your dreams.

Your PriorNista