WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
I shoot in my home studio in Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, located off of 141st street across from Saint Nicholas Park. The closest train station is the 145th street stop on the AC/BD lines.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Note: The following advice is for actors. If you are looking for a corporate headshot, wear business attire. You will only need one outfit.
The basic rules:
1. Clothing should fit well and not be too baggy. Oversized items might be fashionable right now, but they don't look good in headshots.
2. Busy patterns are distracting. Keep it simple and classic.
3. Do not wear incredibly trendy items. You want your headshot to be timeless and be able to serve you for a couple of years.
4. Layers are good. Jackets, vests, cardigans, etc. add interest.
Bringing different "looks:"
When it comes to clothing for headshots, it is my personal belief that simplicity is best. Especially if you are mainly a theater actor, you want something pretty neutral so that casting can envision you in a wide range of roles. A simple T shirt is often enough.
However, having only one versatile theatrical headshot is often not enough these days. Especially with online submissions for TV and film roles, it is essential to have a variety of headshot looks.
If you submit for the role of a lawyer using a headshot that makes you look like a frat boy or a punk or a hipster, you won't get called in.
However, instead of trying to create outfits that convey specific "types" of character (like lawyer or frat boy), I recommend thinking about what qualities you enjoy embodying as a performer. What sort of energy do you bring to characters?
Do you enjoy playing confident and in charge? Sensitive and troubled? Fragile? Damaged? Edgy? Warm and loving? Parental? Innocent? Quirky? Intellectual?
...You get the idea.
Try to bring outfits that you feel convey these qualities. That way casting will get a sense of who you are as a performer and what you bring to the table, without you pigeonholing yourself as a narrow "type."
WHAT ABOUT HAIR AND MAKEUP?
I do not work with a specific hair and makeup artist. You are welcome to bring one to your shoot. They are independent artists who you can hire separately. If you choose to use a hair and makeup artist, make sure to hire one who specifically focuses on headshots. If you would like some suggestions, just ask and I can recommend some people to you.
For hair styling, it is important that you don't style your hair in a way that you won't be able to reproduce for auditions. You need to look like your headshot, so do your hair in a way that you would typically do it for an audition.
As far as makeup goes, less is more. A headshot with full glamour makeup, contouring, fake lashes, etc. just doesn't work for acting. We want to go for a very subtle, natural look.
DO I GET ALL THE UNEDITED IMAGES FROM MY SHOOT?
No. My business and brand depends on consistent quality of the images I put out into the world. I cannot have images in circulation that have not been edited by me. You will receive an online gallery of all of the unedited images with my watermark on them. You will pick your favorites and I will retouch them and send you the final product.
Each package I offer comes with a certain number of finished, retouched shots included. You can always order more for $25 per image.
In the end, you aren't going to use 300+ images anyway. You'll only ever use a few. This is just a way for me to make sure that the images out in the world with my name attached to them are of the highest possible quality.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY PICTURES?
I will email you an online gallery of proofs within 1-2 days of your shoot. Once you order your finished images for retouching, please allow up to 72 hours for final delivery.