What’s the number one thing I keep in mind when capturing a portrait?
Children's Head Shots: what's important
The first thing you want is choice. Lots of choice. That is what your agent / your child’s agent will want to see. The worst thing you can do is spend money and end up with five poor head shots and nothing more to show for it. Why will you end up with five rubbish pictures? There are people with low to mid-range digital cameras, little experience, technical understanding or ability, trying to convince you they can ‘do’ head shots. It seems an easy way to make money. Look at their work. Then look at other people’s work, then other’s. Pretty soon you get the picture. Avoid the chancers.
Back to choice. A quality, experienced head shot photographer will know a few things. He or she will know how to technically light, frame, tease out and capture great shots. They will know how to retouch images perfectly, never too much, just enough for subtle and natural enhancement. They will own professional cameras, lenses, backdrops & lighting and know how to get the best from them. That same photographer will provide options: a variety of looks, poses, expression, lighting, mood … you know, photography stuff. Stuff that makes an image jump out at a casting director and that is your goal. That is what your agent is looking for.
What can I do for you? With 12 years experience you know you are in safe hands. From my home studio in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, your 90 minute session (give or take, we won’t rush anything) will provide a beautiful collection of professional head shots that will guarantee to make your portrait stand out. For a surcharge I can pack up my lights and equipment and travel to you. All I ask is that you have a suitable space to shoot. I have years of experience photographing young people in schools, for family portraits, for professional head shots, sports events … you name it. I also have a couple of my own so I’ve learnt some things along the way, like how to produce stunning images while patiently working through the ‘moments’, shall we say. You will feel relaxed, un-rushed and assured of the quality of work you are receiving. I work hard to produce great results and to make the experience fun, friendly and most importantly, successful.
Following our shoot you will receive a large private gallery of images from which to make the crucial final selections that will become your child’s Spotlight image. Price is where I also hope you will be surprised. At the time of writing, I still charge just £225 for a full head shot session at my base and £275 if I travel to you. I don’t agree with the overcharging practises of some photographers when it comes to head shots for actors. Charging £400, £500 or £600 pounds even for head shots?? It’s not right and do not be fooled into thinking they are worth it because they are “the best” or highly recommended by someone in the business. You can get images just as good and better, just as impactful, just as effective for a lot less and that is where I want to position my service to you.
For much more detailed information about how I shoot and what you get for your money please just get in touch. I will answer every question you may have without any commitment on your part. It may be your first set of head shots or your fifth … I can help you get precisely what you need and what a professional agent or casting director wants to see. Below are just a few shots from a recent couple of shoots.
Your Digital Profile (in a post COVID world)
Everyone’s home. At least, most people who weren’t at home are now at home. If we want to see each other, meet with each other, show the world we are here and still doing what we do, we are doing it almost exclusively online.
That’s not entirely unusual. For years people have had their online profile out there, telling people “this is me, this is how I look, this is how I want you to look at me and assess me”. Yet now, and almost certainly beyond these challenging times, your digital profile - including that incredibly important professional portrait - is paramount, critical even. Make it the best it can be. Make it sharp, professional and look like you care about your business. Invest in yourself. If you don’t look like you invest in yourself why would anyone invest in you?
There are ways to do this right and ways to do this wrong to achieve the result you want. Your profile picture is a hugely defining factor in how potential clients and business partners perceive you and many of us underestimate this to our detriment. In a digital world we lose our non-verbal communication, the little unspoken elements of interaction like body language, tone of voice and expression, small gestures that encourage or instil confidence or trust. This is why the first impression, your picture, is so important to encourage people to interact with you. People don’t like to admit it because they think it makes them appear shallow but a person’s picture makes a very large impression on them. If you need that first impression to be right, be it for a highly professional and corporate-style LinkedIn portrait or maybe the more relaxed, natural and authentic look, then I can help you and at a much smaller investment level than you would have thought.
Take a look at your picture today. What does it say about your business, your work, your project? What does it say about you? Is that picture telling people something about you that you wouldn’t want? Is it even up-to-date? Be totally honest with yourself. Could it be better … much better? If you were to make a small investment for a whole range of new pictures that present a more real ‘you’ or a vastly superior business, then shouldn’t that be the first thing you do? Contact me now for a friendly conversation or simply to find out more about how you can change and improve your appearance and your appeal to the world at large.
