​It's something few actors will say out loud, but many are thinking deep down, especially if they've been in the industry a few years.

​
It makes sense though!

​Once you graduate and you're out in the real world, it's not just performance and living a character anymore.

Now you have to market yourself. You have to find your brand and type, and you need to figure out how to network.

But that's not the part that makes it so difficult - it's what all of that means and feels like.

​Someone once told me that in order to book more work, it felt like he had to "whore himself out."

Excusing the language, I think what he said makes perfect sense.

Who in their right mind wants to "sell" themselves? You didn't get into acting because you wanted to feel like some used car salesman, did you?

And on top of that, the industry keeps telling you to "figure out your type and brand."

So not only do you have to sell yourself and network, but you can't even play the roles you want anymore because the industry keeps boxing you into only one specific character type!

It's no wonder so many actors choose to perform in student films and community theater for free - in those projects, they get to make character choices they believe in and they can often run with a role however they want.

Well, if there's one thing I want you to take away from this article, it's this:

There IS another way.

There is a way to love acting again, while also getting booked solid with paid roles that you love.

How, you ask?

By finding a brand you're truly proud of. A brand that - rather than boxing you in, opens up more opportunities to you.

Read on to find out how actor Tyrone L. Robinson went through this process and reached his ultimate goal of becoming a Broadway actor... in less than four weeks.

How Tyrone L. Robinson Made His Broadway Debut
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Tyrone L. Robinson was working as a professional actor for almost 20 years. He had a long list of credits but felt stuck because he was always being offered the same, 1-2 line roles in film, TV, and theater.

At the time however, he believed he had a clear grasp on his brand because he was being called in for police officer and detective roles frequently. He told me an acting coach said his brand was: strong, burly detective.

I took him through a series of very specific questions, and after about thirty minutes we came up with this:

African American strength, compassion, and pride.

And that's when everything changed.

Well I guess you probably expected a statement like that coming from a headshot photographer.

But I mean it seriously, and I can explain!

You see, years ago when I first started City Headshots, I was afraid to show my face.

Oops, did I really just admit that?

Yes, I did.

Why was I afraid? Well, because I looked like I was 15 years old (I was actually 20 at the time – though ten years later I'm now 30 and I STILL look 15).

This is the photo I used for the first few years of running City Headshots:

Even though I used that picture, people DID still book with me for photos, but day after day I was always greeted by the same confused look:

"Wait, how old are you?"

Awkward, I know.

There was always a certain level of distrust people had because they thought I was too young to be experienced enough to take their professional headshots.

They kept saying they thought I would be older, or that I "sounded a lot older on the phone."

I always had to work hard to gain back their trust during the shoot, and even after a great session, I still had some people who felt like I did a "bait and switch" on them (probably also because I was shooting out of my apartment at the time).

It was definitely awkward, and every once in a while someone would ask why I didn't just show my picture on the website?

Well, eventually I saw the "light" so to speak, and I posted a professional headshot where you could see my face clearly:

Well, at first bookings went down.

What the heck? DOWN?

Yes, bookings dropped for the first couple of weeks. But I noticed something interesting:

The questions about how old I was stopped completely.

In fact, my clients suddenly seemed way more trusting of me, and a few people even complimented me on my headshot!

And after a few weeks, I noticed the number of referral bookings I was getting began to increase!

And guess what? After a few months, I was shooting WAY more people than I had been originally.
​

Well simply put, I learned I should take my own medicine and use a pro headshot myself.

It's truly embarrassing to admit that I was afraid to use a professional headshot and yet I constantly recommended them to my clients each day!

But that story really showed me how important it is to have a high-quality photo that shows your face clearly and lets people get a sense of who you are.

Not having a photo or using one where you don't look approachable (or can't see your face clearly) will decrease people's trust in you (even if in the short run it feels good to hide your youth, imperfections, or anything else you're self-conscious about).

But we still need to go a step further: What's the difference between using simple photos taken by a friend (where you can see yourself clearly) and modern, high-quality professional headshots taken by a professional headshot photographer?

​Does it really make that big of a difference, and if so, why?

Note: This article is primarily written for business and LinkedIn headshots. If you're an actor, read this: Actor Headshots – The Ultimate Guide.

We're excited to have the opportunity to take your new headshots!

In this guide we'll outline what you can expect and how to prepare.

Keep in mind that in order to make your final image look professional, we will be retouching your favorite shot.

In retouching, we'll change or blur the backdrop, adjust the brightness and color in the photo, and fix blemishes and flyaway hairs, plus whiten teeth.

Be aware that you'll be seeing unmodified photos at first, which will look unprofessional. This is because they have not yet been fixed up, so try to ignore the unprofessional background, etc., and choose the one you like best based on your own body position and expression.

Then we will finalize it and send it back for your approval.

​Take a look at the before and after image below so you know what can be done. As you can see, we can put any backdrop behind you and customize the lighting to ensure it looks realistic.

This is the most common option and doesn't require anyone to assist you during the shoot. We will take photos of you through your own laptop, and retouch it afterwards to ensure your final image looks highly professional.

To save time, it's important you set up properly beforehand and ensure your video chat service is set for "HD" if possible.


Positioning:

Note: Ideally, you'll need a laptop for best results – an iPad or smartphone is more difficult to hold in place without the help of someone else.

1. Find a table and chair and position them in front of a bright window. Make sure the window will not have direct sunlight shining on you.
2. Find some books and pile them up. Balance your laptop on top of them so the laptop is about three inches higher than eye level. If you don't have books, you can use a cardboard box or anything else you find.
3. Tilt the laptop down so your head is towards the top of the frame. We want to see some of your body in the shot (while also making sure your hair is not cut off).

Take a look at the image below to get an idea of what the setup looks like (note - the laptop should have been a few inches higher):

Technical Setup:

Now that you've positioned yourself, you need to make sure that your computer is ready for our video chat, on the highest possible video quality setting.

1. Install Zoom by using the link that was provided to you or clicking here. You should definitely do this before the start of the photoshoot because sometimes it can take a few minutes.
2. Make sure everything is working properly. Try joining the meeting link that was sent to you. It might say "Waiting for the host to start the meeting." If that's the case, you know you have the right link. You could try creating a new meeting to test and make sure your video and audio are functioning properly.
3. Ensure HD video is enabled. If your computer can do HD, you should because it will allow us to take higher quality pictures of you. But even if your computer can't do HD, your image will still look fine and work well on LinkedIn. Open up Zoom settings (towards the top of the screen), go to the "Video" tab, and check "Enable HD."

If you have trouble with any of these steps, feel free to email us at info@cityheadshots.com and we'll help you out.

If you have some available to assist during the shoot, you can get more body positions and a higher-resolution photo. This means you can use your final photo as more than just a small LinkedIn profile shot.

Positioning:

1. Position yourself facing towards a bright window, about 6 feet away. Make sure the window does not have direct sunlight shining on you.
2. Your friend should be standing with his/her back to the window, holding your smartphone. Make sure the smartphone is about 2-3 inches above your eye height. They should zoom in a bit by pinching so that you fill up most of the frame – but are NOT cropping off the sides of your body.
3. Tilt the smartphone down so your head is towards the top of the frame. We want to see some of your body in the shot (while also making sure your hair is not cut off). The image can be cropped at about your waist.

Take a look at the video below to get an idea of what the setup looks like:

Technical Setup:

Now that you've positioned yourself, you need to make sure that we are able to see you properly to guide both you and your friend during the shoot.

1. Set up your laptop somewhere off to the side so we can see both of you (similar to the position of the person who took the picture of the photographer and client above). You should have a place in mind to leave your laptop before the start of the photoshoot because sometimes it can take a few minutes to figure out where to put it. Note: putting it on the floor works just fine!
2. Install Zoom by using the link that was provided to you or clicking here. You should definitely do this before the start of the photoshoot because sometimes it can take a few minutes.
3. Make sure your Zoom link is working properly. Try joining the meeting link that was sent to you. It might say "Waiting for the host to start the meeting." If that's the case, you know you have the right link. You can try creating a new meeting to test and make sure your video and audio are functioning properly.
4. Try taking a test photo with your camera. To be sure that your smartphone is working properly and the image looks OK, try having your friend take a couple quick test shots so you can see what they look like. We'll guide you through the process when the shoot begins, but over-preparing is always helpful!

If you have trouble with any of these steps, feel free to email us at info@cityheadshots.com and we'll help you out.

After the shoot is finished, you'll email your favorite photo to us to retouch!

The only other thing to think about is what you'll be wearing for the shoot.

Here is a great guide on what colors and clothing work best for headshots.

​We're looking forward to your shoot! Feel free to email us if you have further questions :)

Strength...

Compassion...

Pride...

These three simple (but powerful) words helped my client Tyrone L. Robinson book his first ever Broadway role as King Agnarr in Disney's Frozen.

Imagine getting booked solid with acting work, and loving every character you played.

What if you no longer felt pigeonholed in the industry – but instead had a brand that opened up MORE opportunities to you?

​That's what Pride Words are all about.

For years, actors would email me asking how to find their brand without getting boxed in or typecast.

I was always at a loss because the more specific you are, the fewer roles you'd be able to play, right?

Well, whenever I would cast my own films, I noticed HUGE differences in performance level between actors who LOVED the characters they were auditioning for and ones who DISLIKED their characters.

I realized that the only way to do well in an audition was to love your character.

But how do you do that when the industry sometimes forces you to play characters you don't enjoy?

Well, in 2019 I finally discovered a process that could do just that: help actors LOVE the characters they were auditioning for, even if there were playing a character they'd normally dislike.

The process worked repeatedly for every actor I took through it.

So what was it that made the biggest difference?

​Adding three Pride Words into their brand.

We'll get into how to find your Pride Words in a bit, but first...

Want to know how to get acting work when it seems like no one is hiring actors? There are a few key strategies to use, and they all involve being more effective online.

​Scroll down to continue reading.

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A couple weeks ago I got tested for Coronavirus at a drive-through site.

And it was definitely an experience.

I remember driving to the testing site and it felt like a war zone. There were huge signs everywhere warning you to keep your windows closed, military people coming up to your car and yelling to keep moving...

I actually had to show my phone screen to someone when they were taking down my information because it was so hard to hear with the car windows closed.

Finally we got to the place where they were going to do the test and these people in full hazmat gear came up to the window and allowed me to open it just a crack.

She reached her arm in and shoved something up my nose – WAY up there – and it hurt pretty bad.