Are you camera-shy, or just a little nervous about your next photo shoot? Prep work helps, just as it does in almost everything else in life. Before your next headshot shoot, put your best tootsies forward with some tips from a top photog in the acting world. (Considering that actors tend to get shot far more often than most classical musici, they’re likely to know what’s up!)
Get started with this article from Backstage, and don’t forget to do your homework the next time you need to schedule a photo shoot:
- Check websites and Facebook feeds of colleagues and artists whose photos you admire. Who did they work with? Is this a style that might work for you?
- Check photographers in your area — you never know who might be lurking nearby.
- Gather a short list of five or six likely candidates and contact each one.
Ask about:
- Prices and packages, their general approach, availability.
- How far do they book ahead?
- Are hair and makeup included, or can they find those pros for you?
- Do they shoot inside or outside?
Have a real chat with your chosen candidates, and see if there’s a rapport with one or two in particular. The pieces are likely to fall together naturally, and you’ll know who you want to work with. If it’s not gelling with anyone, keep looking. This is an area of life where you usually get what you pay for, so make sure you’re paying someone who has a real shot at making you look and feel terrific.
Whoever you choose, they should put you at ease and make the experience easier, especially if you’re already prone to photo anxiety. Hang in there, and know that you’re well-prepared and ready to be your very own self. The more relaxed and real you are, the more fascinating your pictures will be!
(Be sure to let us know when you have a new favorite!)
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”
— Ansel Adams
BTW, thanks to Kate Conklin of Glorious Creatures for contributing some inspiration to this post!
