How do you pick a theme for your headshot?

There really is no need to pick a theme. Everyone needs a basic honest picture with good personality and energy that looks like them. You want to capture a real person on their best day.

Depending on the character you play, most people do three looks. First, you need a nice, honest, commercial shot that is friendly and approachable with lighter colors. Commercial photos are used for commercials as well as TV and sitcoms. Second, theatrical photos are used for TV and TV movies. Then, third, depending on the character that the person could play, I might do a leading lady or leading man shot with an upscale look. This is the working actor shot. It’s not the outfit that’s as important; it’s the way I light them. I bring more drama into those photos. Fourth, for people in their mid-30’s and up, I might do a business look. I have people smile and not smile in the business photos. Sometimes, I can also get a commercial and theatrical photo from the same look. So, the basic headshots involve a commercial casual shot, a theatrical shot, and a dramatic upscale shot, and maybe a business shot. For an edgy look, dramatic lighting helps with someone who might have tattoos or a muscular body or may play characters like a cop, detective, or gangster.

The phrase film noir conjures up images from shadowy 1940s cinematic melodramas like Double Indemnity and This Gun for Hire. The dark and mysterious world of film noir also recalls those glossy Hollywood glamour shots of screen divas like Bette Davis and Rita Hayworth, shown draped over fainting sofas in the diabolical pose of the scheming femme fatale.

“I’ve always loved the film noir look,” said Los Angeles photographer Alan Weissman, whose portraits garnered quick popularity among the celebrity set. Weissman achieves that classic ‘40s style with an assortment of lighting techniques that recall the high-contrast mystique of film noire. “When I started doing these portraits, I had just discovered a book on George Hurrell, and I tried to figure out his lighting style,” said Weissman, who didn’t own professional lighting at the time. “I used clamp-on spotlights from the hardware store, which are hard, hot light, and really the kind of lighting they used back then.”

With more experience under his belt and a wider range of equipment, now Weissman uses a mix of Mole Richardson lights, including a 200-watt Midget Solarspot and a 1,000-watt Baby Solarspot. Still, the high intensity of these lights can make clients uncomfortable. “I much prefer to use the older style hot lights,” said Weissman, “but I have learned to work with newer equipment when people are sensitive.” In such cases, Weissman uses a wide range of Norman lighting equipment, including a 2,000-watt-second flash, the FS10 Fresnel Spotlight, based on the popular Bardwell McAlister hot light. Weissman eschews flash because he can’t always see what he’s getting. But with the spots, he said, “I can see what I’m doing and really refine my Polaroids. I like to get really dramatic shadows, which help define the face.”

When you step into Alan Weissman’s studio on North La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, you find yourself in a funky little showroom that’s crammed with antique chandeliers, furniture, and collectibles. The décor isn’t based on market research—it’s simply Alan’s own style. “With all the junk I collect, my studio feels like a home, but with higher ceilings,” he says. “I have curtains and old chairs and it doesn’t look like a studio. People walk in and say how relaxing it feels.”

Looking down at you from one wall is a giant picture, a 30x40 print in a big gold frame, or Alan’s dog Rex, who comes to work with him every day. Rex is holding a camera in his mouth and has film draped all over his body; his eyeballs are rolling—“People love that!”

All around you, you’re surrounded with samples of Alan’s three portrait styles—a wall of actors’ headshots, a wall of celebrity photos, and a wall full of his special “film noir” portraits that look as if they jumped off the screen of a ‘40s black-and-white Hollywood thriller.

The entire studio is about 850 square feet in size. When you enter the actual shooting area, you realize it’s a former clothing store with lots of shelves. The top shelves hold equipment, and the other shelves are filled with 11x14 prints of Alan’s work, with 30x40 prints hanging up near the ceiling.

Studio Photography & Design

Most of us remember watching “The Sound of Music” as a child or maybe even as an adult. While I worshipped the musical, one of Julie Andrews’ lines always stood out for me. She said that whenever a door is closed on someone, a window always opens. Portraitist Alan Weissman reminds me of this childhood favorite. For 16 years, he made his living as a freelance window decorator. The doors slammed shut on that business in the 1980s, when The Gap and other retail stores did away with store front showcases. Then a different “window” of opportunity flew open for the 40-something, shy, Brooklyn-born, California native.

Weissman decided to lean on his hobby, photography, for income. Up to this point, his photographic pursuits had gone no further than the walls of his garage. He took pictures of his wife, a clothing designer modeling her latest fashions.

“I always loved to play with the lighting. I would use spotlights and clamp-on bulbs in different areas of the garage. The pictures began to take on a 1940s film-noir look,” said Weissman.

Claiming lack of courage as the reason he hadn’t followed his dream earlier, gradually his career began moving toward photography. He first placed an ad in a local industry magazine and started doing headshots for aspiring, “starving” actors at $75 per roll.

Corporate headshots are becoming more and more necessary in today’s market place. The saying, “A picture paints a thousand words”, is always true, so making the decision to invest in corporate headshots is one that you will not regret. The finished product will help you to send your vision and message out to the public. That being said, below you will find helpful step-by-step tips on how to organize the process for yourself and your company. Let’s get started to make this process easy and efficient for you!

DETERMINE YOUR BUDGET:

The first thing you need to decide on is how much money you want to spend on photos. If you plan to use the photos as part of your web design, then you definitely need to have professional high-resolution photos taken. Photos for this purpose need to be good quality so they send a professional impression to your potential customers. Photos that are taken on your cell phone will portray a home-made selfie look. These pictures should send a more corporate, business-like, and professional feeling to viewers. Decide ahead of time how much money you can allocate to this investment. If you work with a professional you will get it right the first time. With over 30 years of experience Alan knows exactly how to capture the essence and personality of your business. Keep in mind that these photos will most likely be used for the next 5 years.

In this digital and online age, corporate headshots have become more important than ever for businesses. Studies show that a website is more appealing and trustworthy to consumers if it contains photos of yourself and your business partners. Therefore, you want to make the most of your look in your portrait photo. With that in mind, here is a list of important tips you should keep in mind when having your corporate headshot taken.

#1 – YOUR CLOTHES

Choosing the clothes that you plan to wear in your corporate headshot should be your starting point. What you wear in your photo will help establish the message you want your business to portray. Obviously, you want to look professional. T-shirts with funny sayings or pictures are not a good idea. While they may be funny in person, they will get cut off or look silly in a professional photo. Also steer away from brand logos. You want to look like your own individual brand, instead of somebody else’s. Patterns and thin stripes don’t work well on camera or computer screens either because they can create a rippling pattern. You can wear stripe shirt under your suit or sport coat. You also can wear subtle striped suits just as long as they are not too bold. You don’t want your clothes to be too busy on camera. The simpler the wardrobe, the better it will appear on camera. You are trying to look like someone who is successful and approachable.

Are you thinking about getting corporate headshots taken of yourself or your employees? If so, there are specific things you need to keep in mind for success. Once you understand these things, you will wonder why you never had corporate portraits taken sooner.

You know that your first impression with a potential business customer needs to be strong. You probably also know that potential clients decide very quickly when they see you, if you are approachable, professional, and confident. With these two things in mind, it’s obviously important to be careful with the headshot you share with your future customers.

There is only one way to assure that your corporate photo looks professional. That way is to use an image taken by a professional photographer, specializing in headshot photography for business and corporate use.

You wouldn’t hire a freshman pre-med student to perform brain surgery on yourself or a loved one. You also wouldn’t want to hire someone to build your house who had played with blocks and Lincoln Logs, but had never built an actual full-sized strong and sturdy dwelling. So why would you use an amateur photographer to take your important corporate photos when your business depends on their success? The answer is, you wouldn’t! If you want to look professional, you will need to hire a professional photographer.

The industry standard for actor’s headshots is usually every 1 – 2 years. However, it is important to note that there are a number of exceptions to this rule. Most importantly, you need to make sure you look like your headshot all of the time. Character breakdowns can be very specific. They are written with certain details in mind that casting directors are looking for to fill roles. When you show up to your audition, looking different than the headshot that your agent has submitted, it is annoying to casting directors and may be considered a waste of their time. Casting directors often call back actors and actresses that they know they can rely on. You need to make sure you still look like your photos. There is nothing wrong with changing your look. Just make sure you get new headshots taken each time you undergo a significant change.

Here is a list of changes that should prompt you to have a new headshot taken:

• Haircut

A trim or slightly different style is okay, but a drastic new style like sudden bangs or a significantly shorter “do” definitely calls for a new headshot.

• Hair color

The same goes for your hair color. Dying your hair different colors is trendy and expresses your fun personality. However, walking into an audition with a different color of hair than your headshot is a big no-no.

First of all, it is important to realize that photographers don’t label themselves as theatrical headshot photographers vs. commercial headshot photographers. You should want to accomplish both types of photos from one photo session. A good headshot photographer should be easily able to provide you with both. The question you should ask is, “Can this photographer bring out both my commercial essence and my theatrical essence?” With Alan Weissman, the answer is a solid, “YES!” Because Alan uses studio lights as well as natural lights, he is able to produce different moods with his advanced lighting techniques. He can produce a dramatic, fun-loving, or sexy look simply by changing his lighting. This is one of the many benefits of working with studio lights vs natural light. In addition, Alan always does an extra look for his clients!

Here are some of the elements that define commercial vs. theatrical headshots.

• Smile or No Smile:

One way to define a commercial shot is by the smile and facial expression. The line between the two can be blurry because the in-between smirk can be used for both commercial and theatrical pictures. However, in general, the traditional definition of a commercial shot includes a big, bright smile that shows joy and happiness, while no smile or a dramatic look translates best to a theatrical shot.

To understand what agents and managers are looking for in a headshot, it is first important to understand the purpose of a headshot. Let’s break down the journey that your headshot will go on.

First, your photos will be taken by a photographer. Next, you will show your pictures to your agents and managers. They will give you input on their favorites. After they give you input, you will upload your choice photos to casting sites and also have 8 x 10 copies printed. Once they are uploaded, your agents and managers will begin submitting them to breakdowns. Casting directors then look through 1000’s of submissions for each of the roles they are trying to cast. The closer an actor’s shot is to the type of character they are looking for, the better your chance is to be brought in for an audition. Casting directors have so many small thumbnails to look at, so it is very important that your shot be clear and crisp and pop off the page. Listed below are some things your headshot should reflect:

•You should not have a busy background that distracts from your face. Instead of focusing on a palm tree or an out of focus building, Alan prefers to use solid backgrounds. With his technique, there is no doubt that your face will be the focal point of your headshot.

Congratulations on the fact that you are expecting a new baby! Maternity is a special experience in any woman’s life. Many women regret missing out on their maternity portraits and not having these beautiful images to remind them of the love they had for their babies before their birth. There are so many new things to decide on in preparation for your new little bundle. Why not have a professional photographer take pictures of you and/or your partner to capture this very special moment. We are here to pamper and assist you in creating a gorgeous variety of images from your pregnancy.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TAKE YOUR MATERNITY PHOTOS?

Women often want to know when is the best time during pregnancy to have a professional photoshoot scheduled. This decision is obviously an individual choice, depending on your life circumstances, however, we find that during the end of your second trimester may be the most comfortable time. You will have a beautiful belly to show, while not feeling overly big yet. During this time, you will also have a good amount of energy to get dressed, move around the studio, and enjoy yourself. Keep in mind, that we are flexible and can take your maternity pictures during whatever time period works best for you.

Congratulations on choosing one of the best photographers for headshots in the Los Angeles area. Now it’s time to decide what clothes you should bring to your headshot photo session. There are a lot of resources out there, giving you advice on what type of clothing works best in photos. It is important to realize that advice is just one person’s opinion. It isn’t the end all and be all because opinions vary from one person to the next. However, there are definitely some consistent guidelines you should follow to assure your headshots represent the best and most bookable version of you.

DRESS FOR YOUR TYPE

First of all, it is important that you realize that you have to be fluid in this business. There is a difference between what you may want to play vs. what you look like you can play. Always choose what your look supports. When you are first building a resume, you have to rely on who you are naturally, not who you can push yourself to be. That will come after you’ve built a career. You can accomplish this by doing your homework. Watch episodes of the top shows on Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and more. Figure out the characters that match your list of looks and make sure you truly look like those characters, both visually and in your essence. Be honest with yourself. Are you the edgy bad guy or the barbeque dad? The girl next door or the urban hipster? Embrace your look and dress to your strongest types.