Your Acting Headshot Checklist

A headshot is a professionally taken portrait photograph that captures the essence of you as an actor. It is tightly framed on your head and shoulders and should be an accurate representation of what you are like without too much makeup or retouching. Casting directors want to see what you will look like when you walk into the room, so your headshots should always be up-to-date and changed if you have a dramatic haircut, weight loss or gain, or have aged significantly. Casting directors and agents use headshots to get an initial sense of your look and type, and it is often the first impression they have of you.

A headshot should give a good showcase of the types of roles you're suited to, whether that's the hero, the villain, or the quirky best friend. Many actors like to turn up to a headshot shoot with a range of outfits that indicate their casting types and include period and contemporary looks. Remember, you can often reflect your casting type just with your facial expression: a narrowing of the eyes and an intense look for a villain, for example, and an open, bright smile for the best friend.

Although a professional shoot can feel like a considerable expense when you are starting out, having a high-quality headshot demonstrates your seriousness about your acting career.

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If you’re forking out on professional headshots, you’ll want to ensure they’re the best they can be. Here’s a checklist to bear in mind beforehand and on the day. 

Do:

• Plan your clothes and hair changes carefully. Bring outfits that reflect the different casting looks you wish to achieve, but beware that big changes during the shoot, such as shaving your beard or curling your hair, will eat into studio time.
• Wear simple, solid colours. Avoid busy patterns that can distract from your face. Solid colours help keep the focus on you.
• Use natural makeup. Aim for a look that enhances your features without looking overdone. Photographer Jennie Scott recommends women decide whether to highlight either their eyes or their lips but not both. Beware that overly dark lipstick or heavy eye makeup can change your playing age. 
• Choose a simple background. A neutral background helps keep the focus on you. Avoid overly busy or colourful backgrounds. Most headshot photographers will shoot against either a painted backdrop in a studio or outdoors against a wall or foliage. As the sitter, it’s fine to make suggestions for what you want. 
• Choose a relaxed pose. Aim for a pose that feels natural and relaxed. Forced or stiff poses can make you appear less approachable.

Don’t:

• Make any drastic changes to your look just before your shoot. It’s a good idea to leave two weeks between the salon and studio if you want to cut or colour your hair, trim or colour your eyebrows, bleach your upper lip, or tan your skin. You want to minimise the risk of disasters on the day of the shoot – and save enough time for correction if need be.
• Heavily retouch the images. Most photographers will do minor touch-ups to the images you choose, like removing blemishes and making subtle shifts in exposure and colour. However, heavy retouching can make you look unnatural and different from your real-life appearance.
• Over-accessorize. Keep jewellery and accessories to a minimum. The focus should be on your face, not what you're wearing.
• Be overly optimistic about what you can achieve in the studio time. Basic package photo shoots usually last an hour, increasing to three or four hours for premium packages. If you want to change your look mid-shoot, don’t expect to also have 10 changes of outfit. Prioritise what’s important to you and be clear about the looks you are trying to achieve.

When it comes to the technical aspects of acting headshots, there are several industry standards to follow:

Size and format

In the old days, when headshots for acting were black and white and always printed and mailed in hard-backed envelopes, the established dimensions for an actor’s headshot were 8-by-10 inches. The size has remained standard for printed headshots brought to auditions.

However, digital formats are the norm these days. Casting directors and agents commonly request high-resolution JPEGs for casting directories. Ensure your image has a resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) and is 1200x1800 pixels or larger. This ensures the image is high-resolution and can be printed at 8x10 inches without loss of quality.

JPEG is the preferred file format for digital submissions. Ensure the quality setting is high to maintain clarity and detail while keeping the file size between 1MB and 5MB for easy digital sharing. Include your name and possibly the date or role in the file name, for example, John_Dove_Headshot.jpg, to help casting directors keep track of submissions.

Colour

Colour headshots are now the industry standard, and you should always use a colour headshot unless specifically asked for black and white. Colour images are more vibrant and realistic and better represent skin tone.

Taken by popular London headshot photographer YellowBelly, this photograph of British actor Ezra Faroque Kahn helped him secure roles in Damsel (Netflix) and Under the Bridge (Hulu). His eyes are in the upper third of the image and his expression is active, as though he might be about to speak. The steely background complements his top, preventing distraction and keeping our focus on his face. 

This photograph of British theatre actor Ian Harris, taken by London headshot photographer Harry Livingstone, is well-lit with no shadow on the face. The plain-coloured top and background make Harris’s face the focus of the picture, and his trimmed beard, coupled with a confident expression, suits the Shakespearean roles he is often cast in. 

This photograph of The Inbetweeners star Lydia Rose Bewley is striking because photographer Rob Daly has chosen a colour that complements her red hair and brings out the colour of her eyes. The crop is close on the face and the neutral expression makes it a photograph suitable for multiple casting types.

It's essential to keep your headshots up-to-date. Aim to update them every two years, if possible, so they provide an accurate representation of how you look. If your appearance changes dramatically – for example, if you dye your hair or shave off your curls – you’ll need to update your headshots sooner to reflect this.

The casting directory Spotlight suggests you have a maximum of four good-quality headshots. These should span your casting types and could include: a commercial headshot, showing a friendly, approachable look suitable for commercial auditions; a theatrical headshot, depicting a more serious, dramatic look for film and theatre roles; and a couple of character headshots that show a period look or depict you as a baddie or the comic sidekick, depending on the types of roles you wish to be considered for.

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The cost of headshots can vary widely depending on the photographer’s experience and location. Here’s a rough breakdown:

Most of the high-end, in-demand headshot photographers have packages starting from about £300. YellowBelly and Kim Hardy both charge £315 for a one-hour session and three retouched high-resolution images, with longer sessions and more retouched images available for a higher cost. Jennie Scott charges £380 for a two-hour session and three digitally retouched images. 

If you are looking for a quick update session, Melanie Gail offers a one-hour session with one high-resolution image for £160, and John Clark offers a one-hour session with one high-resolution retouched image for £120.

Investing in professional acting headshots is a crucial step in launching your acting career. With the right preparation and understanding of what makes a good headshot, you can ensure your photos make a lasting impression on casting directors and agents.