I know this headshot isn't great, but it's all I have at the moment. I've lost about 30 lbs since this was taken (thank you jogging,)and the hair sucks but what should i specifically correct for next time? Does anyone think this is too crappy to use in the meantime?

It's not a terrible photograph.

The hand and striped garment are a little distracting perhaps and there are several changes I would make, but it's O.K. for now until you can get down to your fighting weight.

Good luck.

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well thank you for your opinion.

The hand was the idea of the photographer, and while i agree that it might be somewhat distracting, i was hoping it also creates a warm, comfortable look.

As far as the shirt goes, i agree that it wasn't the best choice given the background, but my theatre professor told me that my smile helped to balance it out.

Anyway, i'm quite sure that i've reached my fighting weight at 179 currently, as opposed to the 207 the picture was taken at, so i'm hoping that newer shots with less weight and longer hair would provide me with a more universal look.

But another one of my questions about the current headshot was about the background. I personally find the generic black background boring, but does it matter? will a casting director find an exterior, more varied background more interesting?

One thing I noticed were your eyes.

They aren't very alive. And you have big eyelids.

The photographer is higher than you are in the picture, that shows your eyelids more, and it looks like a weight is on your eyes. It makes you look a bit tired.

But your smile is fine, and you don't look as if you needed to lose weight.

The hand gives your right face side more weight. It looks a bit unsymmetrical.

But, again, this just because you asked. I think it's a useable shot.

To answer your question about the background ... the black is not a good choice because your hair blends into it.

I also agree with the previous comments about the hand and your shirt.

The hand would be less distracting if we could see your fingers, but the way it is positioned it looks like a stump and it looks like your head is impaled on that stump.

Is there absolutely nothing else from your shoot that you can use?

Well, none that have been touched up by a printer, but there's a few other decent ones.

This one was more of an outtake. But is there any use I could still put it to? At the very least, it should prove that I have fingers.

These two pictures are both very nice, but they're sort of character-y because of the clothes. Personally though, I do like the feel of them better than the first one you put up here.

I do like this last one that you posted.

The thing is, like you said, its an "outtake" shot.

Although I will say, I read an article once written by a working actress (I don't remember which website I read it on) who said that she had a photo like this (she called it "the laugh") from her headshot session.

Apparently, against everyone's advice not to use it, she started to mail it out and it landed her a very good agent.

If I can find the article, I will post it up here.

Count me in as loving the outtake the most. A little retouching and it would sing!