Hey everybody,

I got a couple of preliminary headshots done a few weeks ago by a friend and I was wondering as to everybodys thoughts. I have a specific headshot photographer in mind for future, but until I get the money to do so (which is coming up very very soon), I wanted to at least get some done 1) to audition with in the meantime, and 2) for the experience of doing so before the official shoot.

The photographer who did them for me gave me a CD to look at before he did any work/Photoshop stuff on them. I picked out four of what I thought were the top ones to fix up, and I was wondering what everybody thought....if they were good enough to get work with, etc....

Let me know your HONEST opinion!

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Dont know why that one in the middle is so much larger.....sorry bout that...

You're a slacker McFly!! Just kidding, I couldn't resist a line from one of my all time favorite movies.

A few things about these shots. You have a good look and a pretty nice energy in the shots, the problem is they feel more like snapshots than pro headshots.

In the first shot, I feel like you're posing for your junior football league photo, being on one knee.

My biggest problem with the photo's against the wall is that your skin tone is matching the background. The photographer needs to create a contrast between the subject and the background so that you pop, not blend with it..

I'm never a fan of shrubbery (in this case Ivy) in the background because it reeks of "look at what a family member took of my in the backyard"

Overall the lighting is not good, it's flat and you could do much better. In your next session, I would go with some richer colors for your shirt, instead of the light blue, however it would have worked better with better light and backgrounds.

As David indicates, the problem with these shots is not you -- it's the photography. You have a good look, a great energy, but the photos are not properly lit and your photographer chose some pretty uninspired backgrounds.

Re-reading your post, I see that your friend took the shots. I don't think they will help you; but, if you must use them ... as a TEMP solution ... you could use the second to last shot, but crop it tighter.

Good luck. I think you will get a great shot with a competent photographer.

Best,

Ron

Thanks a bunch, guys, for both of your opinions. It is a relief to know that while the headshtos aren't the best, two very respected photographers in the business are saying that my energy and look are good.

And David....Back to the Future is my all-time favorite movie and trilogy. No one has ever been able to stump me on a piece of trivia....and I'm proud of that!

I agree with the above. The ones with the green ivy behind you are terribly lit, definitely do not use any of those. As for the others, use them until you get new ones, but I don't think they'll do too much for you.

Thanks Dennis...

Also, one other question....after looking around the different headshot sites, I'm a little confused about some of the headshot packages.

Ex: if someone says that you could have 3 or 4 looks, they only give one or two fully edited pics from the shoot? If you want to use some others, could you get the rest on CD and do it yourself? And for reproductions...would you be able to do any of that yourself at home, too?

Some photographers limit the number of looks, others don't. You need to check out what they offer carefully. Similarly, some offer expert retouching, others don't -- which can add to the expense.

Regarding your finished shots, again you need to compare, but if they are offering two finished shots for the session fee, most will also have a price for additional finished shots.

I hope that helps.

Good luck.

Ron

FIRST:I think you were smart in getting your friend to do your shots, it's a very rare actor who shoots really well on their first HS shoot. The more you shoot the better you will get at just relaxing and letting your personality reach the lense.

Ok. Now for the hard part.
Look online at good headshots. Check out the headshots that cost a grand and see if there is something in them that strikes them as different than what you've got.

If you could get your friend to take you outside and do another shoot- where there is some good light, have him fire off a thousand and keep the frame close- with 1000 to pick from, you're bound get something decent. Perhaps even try to find a pic of a guy who you think you A) look like, B) Feel you have the same energy as- and see if you can duplicate it.

However, despite all this jaw flappery, I would say that your best bet is to get to know a few Casting directors and get some feedback from them; Everyone will have an opinion and advice, (I am amoung this group) but ultimately it's only a small group of people who can pick up your headshot and change the course of your life- so that said: Make sure it is a shot that Casting Directors, Agents and Directors like!!!

"could you get the rest on CD and do it yourself? And for reproductions...would you be able to do any of that yourself at home, too?"
You should get all full size images from a shoot on CD or DVD, if you have the skills and software, yes you could do additional retouching yourself. (Reproductions, Printing) yes if you have a decent printer, understand color icc profiles, color space and use good photo paper. To get good printing results at home may cost you more. Also if you are interested in post processing your own shots some photographers will include the raw files. These digital negatives can be used to birth a different post processing perspective result but be warned this learning can consume many valuable hours of time that could be better spent on your acting craft.
JD