So now you have 500 photos and you have to pick that one, single photo that’s going to be your calling-card in the industry. Usually, your photographer will choose some of his or her favorites for you to narrow it down.

It is rare that you’ll get the whole session to review – but if you want that, don’t hesitate to ask. Your photographer should be able to pick a variety of shots that he or she thinks shows you at your best.

With several choices in-hand (a few of your best from each set-up), you should get a second (or third, or fourth) opinion on which shot you should get printed. Feel free to ask friends, your agent, your family, etc.; on many levels, their favorite shot may be based on gut reaction rather than carefully weighing the options, but this is valid!

Many casting directors may not spend more than a few seconds looking at your photo. You want it to jump off the page and grab their attention.

Do your eyes shine? Do you look approachable? Is the photo technically good (for instance, is it cropped well and does the lighting flatter you)? Take all these into account when you are choosing the photo to print.

If you have a few that you simply cannot choose between, it might be a good idea to get them retouched and print them up at 8” by 10” to really see what they look like at that size. Are there any flaws that can’t be easily fixed by retouching? Does the larger size make the close-up a little too close? It’s hard to tell exactly what you’re looking at until it’s been retouched and you’re seeing a hard-copy of the photo rather than looking at it on a computer screen. Retouching is an essential part of any photo – which brings us to my next headshot tip…stayed tuned to my next blog!

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By: JM Spafford, Headshot Photographer

Tags: headshot tips, JM Spafford