The Wow Factor – Headshots It’s All in The Eyes!!
The Wow Factor – Headshots It’s All in The Eyes!!If you take a good look at a few different casting shots you’ll notice one thing in common with all the good ones (that’s the ones that work and ones you like). www.nickgregan.com for a great selection of really good headshots.
Without realising it you’ll be drawn towards the eyes. This is because they are the focal point of the whole shot, it’s not the ears or the kind of clothes you’re wearing nor is it the background. It’s the eyes.
So if they are the focal point how do we make sure they are at their very best?
Easy, we start by having the eyes look in the correct place. For me that’s always directly into the camera, trying to make contact with the viewer. This may seem as though I’m trying to teach you how to suck eggs but I’m not. I’m deadly serious. If you look at some shots you’ll see the actors looking over the shoulder of the photographer or even worse staring off into the distance with the kind of glazed eyes you’re more likely to see on a dead fish.
We don’t want to do that, do we?
We want your eyes to be focused in the right place, looking in the correct direction and much more importantly, to show emotion in them. Let’s make sure that whoever is looking at your shot sees the fact that you’ve got depth to your personality. This is where choosing the right photographer is incredibly important, as they will help you express the emotion that gives depth to them. It’s much like a good director giving you inspiration and drawing out of you your very best performance. To be honest I’ve had many actors liken the way I work to that of a good director, which I’ve always found to be a great compliment indeed. 
I know lots of actors hate having their headshots done, they can’t stand the thought of peering into the lens, and it makes many, many actors uncomfortable. I understand the reasons for this and luckily I have my techniques for getting around this, as I’m sure many other photographers do too.
So there we are. In a nutshell, it’s that little bit of attention to detail that’ll give your actor’s headshot an edge, to make it stand out from the crowd.
I hope this is of some use to you please feel free to leave comments or post a question and I’ll do my best to answer it.
