I'm in the OC working on a project that takes up most of my day/night for the next 2 weeks and need to get headshots done asap. Are there any recommendations?? I'm not interested in paying huge money for huge ego...just decent price for a quality product. Any help will be appreciated.

Posted by Don Quixote
April 24, 2008:

"I really appreciate all the content that my thread started. I'm currently in Orange County work-shopping a new musical (I have the lead role) that opens in 2 weeks in Palm Springs (then it's potentially Broadway bound.

A good friend (amature photog and their posted on BSW, I'd attach one but can't figure out how!!!) took my current headshot, is it studio quality...NO....am I getting a lot of work from it...YES. (I also use a comp of several stage and film character shots, and have had a lot of positive feedback about them)"


Dear Don Quixote,

I enjoy your posts. I reprinted your message from a previous thread because you had some pertinent info in it.

Even though I’m a professional photographer and make my living doing headshots, when an actor already has a headshot that is working well, I rarely recommend that they replace it, even if it’s technically not great. Actors spend thousands of dollars trying to get a headshot that will get them more auditions, but it sounds as though your current headshot is accomplishing that quite well. That’s why I always close my posts with: “WHATEVER WORKS.” Even if it goes against the conventional wisdom, if what you’re doing is working, you’re obviously doing something right. Another way of expressing the same sentiment is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Naturally, if your headshot is not getting rave reviews and your career is suffering as a result, that’s another story. You’ve heard me say on this forum that a headshot’s primary purpose is to book you work, period. If it succeeds at this single factor, you’ve got a winning headshot.

I make the case that, “Talent follows the money.” Just as you will rarely see any famous stars living and working in Orange County (where my entire family lives), you won’t find many top photographers working there, either. This isn’t a matter of snobbery or fame, it’s a matter of pure economics. Hollywood is, and shall remain the most important hub of the entire entertainment industry. Not to say that there aren’t any great photographers in Orange County, I just don’t happen to know of anyone.

In the interim, try the Reproductions Headshot Directory, maybe they’ll have someone decent in your area. By now, nearly everyone knows that I'm a strong advocate of indoor studio lighting. Even if you only have time to shoot at night, any qualified studio shooter should be able to accommodate you in an emergency. O.C. is only an hour commute from LA -- perhaps you can make the drive for something as important as a new headshot.

Good luck in your new show, and break a leg.

“Whatever works.”

www.robertkim.com