Hi. I'm new
is there a reason why i never see headshots with stern expressions? everyone always seems to look happy and smiling. I was wondering if maybe a stern expression is ill advised. thanks

It actually depends on where you're submitting your headshot.

Commercials/TV/etc, they usually like to see headshots where you're smiling... generally showing teeth.

Headshots you'll send to a theatre generally shouldn't have you smiling in them. Although, I wouldn't advise you to appear "stern", either. More like an indifference. But you still need to show off your qualities with that look.

I have several different headshots to cover a range of submissions.

quote:

Originally posted by thisisnotscot323:
Hi. I'm new
is there a reason why i never see headshots with stern expressions? everyone always seems to look happy and smiling. I was wondering if maybe a stern expression is ill advised. thanks

Your expression should be totally dependent on what roles you're going for.

For example, the first headshot would be perfect for a mob guy, a killer. The second, just the opposite. You can play or saint or a sinner, and it all depends on your photographer's ability to capture each specific look.

Gino, of Brooklyn


Jesus, of Nazareth


www.robertkim.com

Those two headshots are great, and I actually like the Jesus one, since it looks so holy.

The first one had a flashback of the Coneheads. (nothing against you though; just wow)

yea cool thanks. ill just try to vary it up as much as i can.

I've been getting a surprising amount of comments on the "Jesus" shot, most wondering if he'd gotten any work from it.

The truth is, we never planned on shooting Rob as The Son of God until he let his ponytail down and I was totally blown away with his eerie resemblance to you-know-who. I didn't have a robe laying around the studio, so I just "borrowed" a sheet from my bed, wrapped it around him and... Voila! The Prince of Peace. Oddly enough, his first look was that of a tough guy, a drug dealer. I met him in a karaoke bar, where he was the KJ of his own show. To this day, he calls himself, "The Savior of Karaoke," pun absolutely intended.

As to the previous question, he's gotten so much work from this picture that according to him, "It out-performs my normal headshot, ten to one." So far, he'd been on the Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel (where he was promoting, hilariously, "The Passion Of Christ"), "Play It To The Bone" with Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas, and is currently sought after for just about every Christmas pageant and holiday special in LA.

The most ironic thing of all is, he abjectly refused to use the headshot for YEARS after we'd done it, thinking of it as more of an "art" shot. After three years of my continual prodding, he finally submitted it for The Crystal Cathedral's televised Christmas event, and beat out hundreds of "holy hopefuls" for the job. I suppose the moral to the story is, don't limit yourself to what you think you can do. "Go with the flow." You just never know.

www.robertkim.com

This may seem like a weird question Robert, but I thnk that my mother would actually like to have a copy of the jesus shot to hang in a frame or something.
Would that be possible?
Nicole B.

Not a weird question at all.

I've actually had many people request a copy of this particular shot, even non-religious ones.

I will contact Rob tonight and ask his permission. I think he would be flattered. If it's okay with him, I would be happy to send you a hi-res jpeg of the shot for your mom. Just PM me with your email address.

www.robertkim.com