A good headshot is one of a singer’s most important marketing tools.
How do you get a good headshot, one that delivers the impression you want it to deliver? Find the right photographer. When you interview prospective photographers, here are the elements every singer should look for;
1. Talent (See his or her book of headshots)
2. Knowledge of makeup, hair and styling
3. Backdrop creativity
4. Knowledge of how to bring out a variety of attitudes in a subject
5. Touch-up ability
6. Photo reproduction referrals
7. The ability to assist you through the entire process, from the shoot to making sure you get an amazing reproduction
Here are the elements needed to achieve that great shot!
Makeup: Every great headshot starts with good make-up. In the course of a shoot, especially with women, I believe in beginning with very natural looking makeup. After the first series of shots, I add more make up to achieve a still natural, but more extreme look. Then I add more until I have completed four very different looks, ending with a very glamorous look that still doesn’t obscure the identity of the singer. (This is very important. No matter how good you look you still want to be recognizable in your photo.)
For men, I apply a very natural make-up and groom their eyebrows and facial hair, if necessary. It is a good idea to start photographing with facial hair and then shave to achieve more dramatic and different looks.
If your photographer doesn’t believe in make-up, this isn’t a good sign. Make-up is a key element to looking professional in a shot.
All those celebrities whose images you admire are always made up and touched-up in their photos. This is necessary because the light it takes to expose an image is very strong. What the normal eye sees is not as discriminating as what this intensity of light can reveal on film if you’re not properly made-up.
If your photographer sends you to another location for makeup, you’ve got a problem. By the time you get to the location to be photographed, the effect of your make-up will have diminished due to weathering. Also, it is important to be touched up constantly as the shoot progresses, to guarantee a fresh look throughout the shoot. To achieve different looks as the shoot progresses, you want a make-up artist there at all times.
Hair: I often say that hair is like sculpture: If it isn’t good it can make your photos look off-balance and flat. Make sure before you have your headshots done that you like your hairstyle. If a photographer doesn’t know hair and doesn’t have someone on staff, this can be fatal to your headshot. You can have your hair done before the photo session, but make sure someone is there to tend to it during the shoot.
Hair is constantly changing for the worst. To achieve amazing shots, your hair has to be attended to throughout the entire shoot. Also, you want to have different variations of hair as you change your makeup for different looks.
Styling: Every great photographer should also have good styling sensibility.
Clothes can make or break a shot, as well as enhance your appearance.
A good photographer should be able to help you make these often mind-boggling decisions. He or she should know how to coordinate, or at least have knowledge of what makeup, hair, and clothing is needed to achieve a natural look, a semi-natural look, an exotic look and a very glamorous look.
If your photographer doesn’t have this ability, you can expect a very one-dimensional session that yields maybe one decent shot, if that.
Backdrops: Another important element to look for when selecting a photographer is how they deal with backdrops.
Backdrops can add a lot of drama and interest to a photo, but the photographer should make sure the backdrop doesn’t overpower you. You should always be the main focus.
A photographer should choose backdrops in accordance with what you’re wearing and the mood you are trying to achieve.
Attitude: Another thing to ask photographers: How do they work with their clients while shooting, as far as bringing out attitude? Ask to look at proofs of some of their clients to see how many good shots the clients had to choose from.
After my clients are camera-ready, and sitting at the set, I start to look for their best angles. Once I have found their best angles, I shoot many variations of those angles, with many different attitudes, to give my clients many great shots to choose from. I help bring out attitude by asking them to breathe and telling them to feel sexy, alluring or friendly. (It is very important to breathe throughout the shoot, to keep all your expressions fresh and alive.)
I have switched to digital photography, which allows clients to see the photos as the sessions progress. I find that once clients see that they are looking great, it stimulates them and gives them ideas on how to pose. They get even better photos because of how they feel about the way they are looking.
If you are wondering if digital is better than film, I am here to tell you it is as good, if not better, so I would suggest using photographers that shoot digital.
The benefits of digital photography:
• You get to see the photo session in progress to confirm you are looking your best, which relaxes you.
• You have the choice to have every shot in black-and-white or color.
• You get a proof disc, which allows you to view your photos in a large format on your computer, instead of on small proof sheets with a magnifying loop.
With the proof disc, you can e-mail some of your choices to your friends or agents for final approval.
Touch-up: Good touch-up is the most important element of a professional looking shot. If a photographer doesn’t do touch-up, you should wonder.
Doing all my own touch-up work allows me to provide the same quality for every client. If a photographer uses a touch-up artist, make sure you like the artist’s work, since this is the last part of the process of getting that great headshot.
Touch-up can make or break your headshot. If it is overdone and draws attention to itself, it takes away from the shot looking natural, and looking like you.
Reproduction: I can’t say enough about this important part of your headshot process. Do not skimp on reproductions.
Your photographer can give you beautiful shots—and a bad repro house can destroy all of your efforts by giving you bad repros.
Remember, agents and casting people see hundreds of headshots daily, and the ones they are most drawn to have more than personality, they have a professional quality as well. If your headshot looks unprofessional because of bad reproductions, you increase the chance that it will be thrown in the trash. You have one chance to wow an agent, so your headshot should look as professional as the image your photographer gives you.
Attention to every detail of the process: In my 18 years of business one of the most frustrating questions clients ask is whether they get to retain their negatives or digital files. This is one of the most important things to look for in determining a photographer’s business ethic. If a photographer surrenders the negatives or digital files to you after the session, beware!
Here are three reasons good photographers keep negatives:
1. Getting the best shot possible entails the care and attention to detail from the photographer of every element I have mentioned above. After all, the photographer is the expert. If he or she just gives you the negatives and expects you to make vital decisions concerning the photography process, without any suggestion from the professional, you should definitely take another look at that photographer’s business policy.
2. Many times, clients take it upon themselves to have photos printed—and sometimes, to save money, don’t have them retouched. Photos without retouching can look unprofessional. This can be fatal to your first impression on an agent or casting person.
3. The photo has my name on it and can be detrimental to my reputation as a photographer if it doesn’t look its best.
Yes, you have paid the photographer—but he or she still owns the copyright to the photographs and can use them, for publicity purposes only. So even if he or she gives you the negatives, you still have to get a signed release allowing you to use the photographs for anything that will be sold, such as a CD, book cover, poster or T-shirt. If you fail to get this release, you can be sued.
Every time you give someone a bad headshot, it reflects on you and your professionalism. That is why it is so important that you never skimp on your publicity shots.
