Professional headshots: the actor’s most important marketing tool

Your headshot is the first thing a casting director or agent sees.

It often sits in a grid of tiny images among hundreds, sometimes thousands, of actors. It is the first-round decider of whether your profile gets a click. It has to work hard for you, so there should be no cutting corners!

How casting directors use headshots

Most projects start with a fast visual sift. Rows of small thumbnails on Spotlight or Casting Networks are scanned in seconds. Your image has to read clearly at that size.

What helps at small scale:

• Eyes in crisp focus

• Simple, uncluttered background

• Clean, even lighting

• Head and shoulders crop

  
  

Try the thumbnail test. Shrink your photo on screen to the size you see on casting sites. If your eyes don't pop, the lighting muddies your skin tone, or the background competes, the image will struggle in a first pass!

Why agents expect professional shots

When you write to an agent you are asking them to submit you for work now. Professional headshots tell them you understand industry standards, you look like yourself, and you can be put in front of casting with confidence. Agents cannot submit a selfie or modelling shot to a casting office and expect it to carry weight. Your photos need to show you are ready.

Actor headshot vs modelling photo

They are NOT the same thing!

• Actor headshot: shows you, truthful and usable for character decisions. Natural skin, minimal retouching.

• Modelling photo: sells fashion or a brand. Can be stylised, heavily lit, and more retouched. It does not look like you on a normal day!

Why a selfie falls short

I hope by now it will go without saying, a selfie is simply not going to cut it! Phone lenses distort features at close range, indoor light mixes colour in unflattering ways, and filters remove the texture that helps casting trust what they see. It also gives of the message that you are not ready to work as a professional actor.

What a useful set of headshots look like

Aim for one primary neutral headshot that represents you most truthfully, plus a few of variations that reflect your common casting. Changes can be simple: hair up or down, glasses on or off, a different top that shifts temperature from warm to serious. Avoid costumes. Suggest character, do not dress it!

It's also useful to get a full length too, as these are often requested further into the casting process!

Preparing for your session

Work with the photographer on this. They will be able to advise you on how they like to work. In general, bring a few clean, solid tops in mid tones. Keep makeup natural so your skin looks like skin! Decide in advance about facial hair and commit (you may be able to shave mid-way!). Sleep, hydrate, and warm up your face before the session and avoid alcohol! Share with your photographer the roles you are often seen for and the ones you are targeting.

Typical UK costs

Prices vary by photographer and location. As a guide:

• Session fee: £200 to £400 (depending on package!)

• Retouched images: often 3 to 5 edits included, extras around £30 each

  
  

Check recent portfolios and make sure the shots read at thumbnail size before you book! Headshot photography is an art in itself and you should select a photographer who specialises in this field. Start following headshot photographers on Instagram to see their work!

Heavy airbrushing, eyes not sharp, dark shadows across the eyes, strong colour shifts, busy backgrounds, or crops that give you lots of empty space. Anything that makes you look unlike yourself.

And finally!

Your headshot is a working tool. It gets you through the first gate with casting and tells an agent you are ready to submit. Treat it like the core piece of your marketing, keep it truthful, and make sure it works small.

Remember, it’s just as important to update your headshots every year or two, or after a significant change in your look. This ensures you look like the actor the casting director invited to audition when you walk into the room.