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.

If you want the highest possible image quality, we highly recommend that you use a smartphone camera to take your pictures. Below we've outlined the three ways to take your picture virtually and the quality limitations with each:

1. Highest Possible Quality: If you have access to someone who can take your photo with your smartphone, this is ideal. Please make sure you have them available to help out during the shoot (or at least available afterwards so they can re-take your photo and then you can send it to us for retouching). Note: If your friend is unavailable during the time you scheduled, no worries! We have a simple solution you can read about further down.
2. Second Best Possible Quality: If you don't have someone but have a smartphone with a decent front-facing camera, you can tape your phone to your window and use it to take your photo. Don't worry - we've tested this and tape doesn't seem to leave residue unless you leave it for more than a half hour.
3. LinkedIn-Only Quality: If you only need to use your photo on LinkedIn and aren't worried about getting higher resolution, we can take your photo through your laptop camera. Be aware that your shot might look a bit blurry depending on what kind of laptop and internet connection you have, but when shrunk down to the tiny LinkedIn size, your image should look fine.

Keep in mind that the brighter the light on your face (bright windows), the sharper your final image will be. If you're in dim lighting, the photos won't be as crisp.

​Related: Headshot Size & Cropping Rules

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Retouching:

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.

It's important to position yourself properly and ensure your phone is taking photos at the highest quality setting possible.


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 image 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 is usually OK!
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 should also 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!


What if My Friend is Unavailable During the Scheduled Time?

• If your friend is unavailable, that's no problem. During your scheduled time slot, we'll walk you through the process and help you find the best place to do your shoot later on. We'll also email you a simple video guide that shows you how to take your photo with your friend (without us present).
  
• You'll take the later with your friend and then just email us your favorite shot and we'll retouch it for you.

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Scroll down to the bottom of this article for info on what to wear.

We know what you're thinking... "GROSS!!"

Well, we thought putting tape on phones and windows would be gross too... until we tested it. Something about the glass on the phone screen and windows makes it usually not leave residue unless it stays for a long time. This has been proven numerous times with our clients.

If you're still worried, put a small piece of tape on your phone and window to test it first. If it doesn't leave any stickiness behind, chances are it will be fine for the 15-minute duration of the shoot.

And if you do see residue, you can always use a warm hair dryer to make it easy to wipe right off.


Positioning:

1. Tape a small ball of tissue or paper towel to the back of your smartphone, about 3/4 of the way up. Make sure the tissue is about half an inch in diameter, because you'll be using this to tilt your camera down from the window.
2. Tape your phone to your window about 3-6 inches higher than eye-level, with the screen facing you. You should be able to see yourself in the camera (by using selfie-mode).
3. Turn your camera onto video mode. You will be recording a video of yourself, rather than doing timed-exposures. It's possible to do timed-exposures, but most people find they are too restrictive and difficult (you're welcome to try them if you want though). Video mode set to HD should be plenty-high resolution for us to take screenshots of the best moments and send them to you for review.
4. Position yourself facing towards the window, about 4-6 feet away. Make sure the window does not have direct sunlight shining on you. Your phone should be positioned so your head is near the top of the frame and we see down to about your waist.

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Take a look at the images below to get an idea of what the setup looks like (you'll be standing about 4-6 feet away from the phone).

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Technical Setup:

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

1. Set up your laptop somewhere off to the side so we can see both you AND your phone. 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.
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 should also try creating a new meeting to test and make sure your video and audio are functioning properly.
4. Try taking a test photo or video with your camera. To be sure that your smartphone is working properly and the image looks OK, try doing 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 your shoot is finished, you'll email the video file to us (you can use a free file-sharing service like WeTransfer if the video is too big to email), and we'll take screenshots for you to choose from!

Scroll down to the bottom of this article for info on what to wear.

It's important to position yourself properly 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 (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 should 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.

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!

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.