Figuring out what to wear for headshots can feel quite stressful.

​You probably know you look good in certain things, but how do you know if they'll be OK for camera or work for your brand?

In this article, we'll be discussing 4 keys for wearing great clothing on-camera.
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​"I wonder if that houndstooth jacket I have will look good in pictures..." 

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"Will wearing a black suit jacket look too formal?"

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We've worked with people wearing ripped, dirty T-shirts (yes, really) all the way to full tuxedos (which we don't usually recommend).

​Since we've seen so much, we decided to put together a simple guide to help you out!
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If you like video feel free to watch our "What to Wear for Headshots video below and then you can scroll down to read the 4 keys to looking great on-camera!

​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.

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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.
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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?

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.

Resolution:

​The first and most important thing to be aware of is that there are limitations to image resolution and quality with these types of shoots.

We will be using your laptop camera which, if it can do HD video, will mean the final photo is close to 1080 x 1920 pixels. But if your computer can only do SD, it will be around 480 x 720 pixels.

Either resolution is high enough for a professional LinkedIn photo or usage as a small image on a website, but if you need it in a larger format, we recommend shooting a standard, in-person photo session.

Also, keep in mind that the brighter the light, the sharper your final image will be. If you're in a dimly lit room, the photos won't be as crisp.

Two options for higher resolution: if you need higher resolution photos, you can either ask a friend to assist during the shoot or re-take your headshot afterwards with a smartphone camera, using the same lighting setup and tricks we taught you during the virtual session. Simply email us the smartphone high-res photo you'd like to use, and we'll retouch that one instead.

​Related: Headshot Size & Cropping Rules

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Retouching:

In order to make your final image look extremely 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 sent original, 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.

It's important to position yourself properly and ensure your video chat service is set for "HD" if possible.


Positioning Yourself:

Note: If you're doing an outdoor shoot, you will need the assistance of a friend. This section will show you how to set up for an indoor shoot. Ideally, you'll need a laptop for best results – an iPad or smartphone is more difficult to hold in place (unless you're very creative).

1. Find a table and chair and position them in front of a bright window. Make sure the window does 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 can also 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. 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're just about to start the call and cannot get into the meeting, send an email directly to Martin at martin@cityheadshots.com and he can help or he'll call your cell phone to guide you through the process.

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, and feel free to email us if you have further questions!

What if you could get booked solid with acting work and love 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, I put my focus on figuring out how actors could stop getting "pigeonholed" by the industry.

I wound up discovering a HUGE difference in performance level between actors who loved the characters they were playing and ones who disliked the characters they played.

I knew that if an actor loved what they were auditioning for, they'd do WAY better in the audition and be WAY more likely to book the job.

And in 2019, I finally discovered a process that could do just that.

It worked repeatedly for every actor who went through it.

They'd go through my branding process and by the end of it, have a brand that could combine what the industry wanted them to play with what they LOVED playing.

And that's key: for you to do a great job on set and make the right impression to keep getting called back, you have to LOVE the characters you're playing.

So what was it that made the biggest difference?

​Adding three Pride Words into their brand.

That's the secret sauce!

I believe that every actor has three Pride Words and whether they know them or not, these words are controlling them at an unconscious level.

The key to booking more work is becoming consciously aware of what those words are.

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.