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.

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One of the best ways to be sure you get all the shots you need on your shoot is to be super-prepared. This encompasses making sure you’ve taken care of your skin and hair the night before, choosing the right wardrobe, and having each look you’ll want to be shot in ready-to-go before the shoot even starts.

But even though you should prepare ahead of time, you should also be ready to improvise and go with the flow.

Many of the best headshots come from an easy-going collaborative relationship between the photographer and the subject. Click here to get headshots with me in NYC today!

If you’re prepared with an idea of what you want, the photographer will be able to focus on making you look your best (that way, he or she doesn’t have to play the role of stylist as well).

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Choose the right photographer: Okay, so you need new headshots. Those black-and-white film shots that were taken when you were 14 and 100 pounds heavier (or lighter) really don’t look like you – and though they may get you an audition, if you show up looking ten years older with a different hair color, the casting agent will feel duped, and you won’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting cast. The most important part of your headshot is that it looks like YOU!

A headshot should look like the best version of you… the you that will show up to the audition, the you that a casting agent or director will want to spend time with – whether it’s a single-day commercial shoot, or a three-year run on Broadway. So – point number one in this list is all about picking the right photographer to bring out that very best “you.”

Now, there are headshot photographers in every corner of New York and you can find a photographer in any price range… from the too-cheap to the oh-my-god-I-can’t-believe-anyone-would-pay-that-much-for-pictures. So how do you choose? The first thing to look at is a photographer’s samples. Read the rest of this entry »