The Secrets to Getting a Great Headshot.
Lets imagine this scenario: you're at your headshot session; the photographer finishes all the lighting setups; your outfits have been chosen; you got a great night sleep; you’ve done all your homework defining what your type is … and then you get in front of the camera, start shooting, and realize you don’t know what to do! Has this ever happened to you, or does this accurately describe your fear of headshots?
First off it’s so important to note – you shouldn’t know what to do. That isn’t your job. You’ve been trained to know what to do when they say “action.” So let go of the need to be perfect – you don’t need to know what to do to get a great headshot…your photographer does!
You might have gotten this advice before a headshot session: “just be yourself,” “pretend that you have a secret,” “stay alive,” “look interesting,” “be confident - now, let’s be clear: these are just ideas. They might work to get you a good photo, or maybe even an interesting photo, but they aren’t going to consistently put you in that position where you have ‘a chance’. When I say “a chance,” I mean the kind of photo that makes that casting director go “Huh, this ones different from the others. Let's hold onto it.”
So how can you give yourself “a chance?”
Before I get into this, it’s important to note why it is so difficult, or even potentially awkward taking headshots. As an actor, you are used to having two things that help you stay alive and be spontaneous: your script and your scene partner. You don’t have either of these when getting headshots. Without them, most actors end up doing things that are not normal behavior. You run the risk of fabricated life or trying to be something interesting and fall into some headshot-land traps.
I want to first acknowledge two common mistakes actors get themselves into:
1. We don’t trust that we are enough, so we do too much. We try to show how “enough” we are. We all know what to do to look interesting and fool people into thinking we are really alive and present. We furrow the brow and squint our eyes to look intense. We pucker the lips a little and turn that head a bit to look sultry. These all might pass for an interesting shot (we will talk later about how they can help you) but used alone, they’ll never separate you from the hundreds of actors you are competing for a role with.
2. We focus just on our feelings and staying “organic.” We think things like, “I’m going to feel so much that they are going to see how talented I am” or, “I’m not going to show you anything – I don’t have to, because I’m going to be so emotionally available that you will feel my talent.” Maybe you’ve said these things to yourself before. I know I did when I was acting. The big problem with this tactic is that when you look at your photos, there is a very good chance you are going to say, “Yikes! I look so boring or dead-in-the-eyes. I thought I was so alive – why didn’t it translate?” Then you go down the all too familiar shame spiral, ending with “What am I doing with my life?”
The reason these are both traps is one just focuses on your inner life, and the other just focuses on what it looks like, or your outer life. You need them both! So let's get into what you can do to consistently take headshots that look and feel like you and will help give you ‘a chance’ with the casting directors.
While you are working, you need a stimulus that is going to keep you alive and active. We are going to assume that you’ve done your homework to define what kinds of energy you want to explore with each look. (Edgy, softer, funny, hero) Here are some tools to help activate your inner life:
Music. We are not looking for a vibe here. Choose music that compels you to action. If you had two minutes off set and needed to get somewhere emotionally, what would you listen to? Find songs that have built-in stories, ones that touch a personal place in you. Don’t be afraid to ask your photographer for help with this process.
People from your past. Who do you have unfinished business with? Who is a childhood friend that you have fun memories with? Who is a mentor that you want to say thank you to? If you have a partner, explore the moment you fell in love. A past version of you that you are proud of. A past version of you that you have compassion and empathy for. You can creatively use these relationships to activate you in front of the camera, by relating to the camera as if you are looking at one of these people.
Imagination. If it feels safer to use your imagination rather than real people, this is your tool. Know the energy you want to explore and create a scenario that will help you feel this. Get creative. If you know you want to explore softness, imagine you have a dog that gives you all the love in the world. If you need to explore your edge, what if someone was trying to hurt someone you loved? If you want to explore hopeful energy, imagine someone, somewhere, feeling hurt and down – that you get to play the role of their mentor or give them a pep talk. These are just some examples. Be daring and creative, and - once again - don’t feel weird talking to your photographer about your process. They can hold the space for you to explore some vulnerable parts.
Now that we have talked about the inner life, let's switch gears to the outer life. It doesn’t matter how much we feel, if we aren’t using our face, it’s difficult to connect and get the camera to understand our feelings. If you are not sure what I’m talking about, try this out: talk to a friend about something really important and allow yourself to be vulnerable - but don’t move the muscles in your face. It’s weird for both you and the person you are talking to, because it isn’t natural. As humans, we trust people more when the muscles in our faces correspond to the feelings inside. In terms of headshots it will also give the casting director the sense that you know how to act, because those micro muscles in your face give off thought. If your headshot does not give off thought, how else can the CDs know you are a good actor?
Below are some practical tools to help you with this. Important to note: if you just move your face without really fueling your inner life, it’s going to look hollow and one dimensional.
Activate your forehead. All those horizontal lines on your forehead that move (unless you use Botox!) will give dimension to your photo.
Activate the spot between your eyebrows. Especially when working with grounded, dramatic energy. This is going to give off thought; CDs like this!
Slightly engage the muscles around your eyes. When done correctly it will appear as if you are looking deeply at someone.
We don’t like mouth tension. All those subtle tension spots in the upper part of your face are great, but tension in the mouth has the opposite effect. It distracts us. So try to avoid pursing your lips.
I’ve talked about inner life and how to use your face. The last thing I want to mention is confidence. We all want to feel confident while taking headshots. We know how easy it can be when we feel our best, when we are in our flow – but what happens if we get in front of the camera and notice we aren’t feeling our best, or our insecurities are getting the best of us? How can we still walk away from our session knowing we got a great shot? My process for working with our insecurities is two steps.
You need to switch your focus. If you only focus on yourself and your feelings, there is no way of changing. This is the moment you need to find the courage to accept where you are. Whether you like how you are feeling or not, the only way to move forward is acceptance. Say to yourself, “This is all I am ever going to be in this moment. This is all I will ever think or feel in this moment.” You don’t have to like where you are at, but if you can accept it, you can move forward. I promise.
Once you can accept it, you must make this moment - this session - about something outside of you. To do this your mantra or intention is: “I want you (camera) to see me, and I don’t care if you like it, I don’t care if you wished it was different, I don’t even care if I wished it was different, I just want you (camera) to see me.” This can be a very powerful intention when getting your headshots. Ultimately it makes it about something else, it makes it about being seen and showing the world who you are, without caring what others think or the need to be liked. It’s a powerful place for an artist and will help you connect to the camera in a way that feels more important than just a headshot session.
I hope this all helps. Please let me know your thoughts!
Best,
Todd