This is super important whether you are in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. There are many types of headshots, from acting, corporate, and even residency headshots for doctors. Your headshot is the first point of contact with a potential employer. Actor or Theatrical Headshots are meant to be a real-life representation of your face, features, and personality. Since it is your calling card and the first step in the casting process, it should be done with a professional photographer who is familiar with the headshot nuances.

HOW TO LOCATE A LOS ANGELES HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER

Finding a competent Los Angeles Headshot photographer is not difficult if you use the right tools. The first place to start is search engines including Google, Bing and Yahoo search. These search engines index headshot photographers, their ratings, and consumer reviews. You can see view each photographer by looking at their Google My Business Place. Typically these Google Map locations will have the photographer profile. They should have previous sample headshots, reviews that are left for them by previous clients, and all their contact info. The information can be of great value when zeroing and narrowing down on your Los Angeles headshot photographers' selection.

Google Maps & Google My Business

Figure 1: Google Map Of A Los Angeles Headshot Photographer

When you go to Google.com search engine and type in the keyword "Los Angeles Headshot photographer, you should get what they call the Google 3 Pack. The Google 3-Pack is the method Google uses to display the top three results for your "search result page" or SERP results. It uses the user's location to make the search relevant to the location where the user submitted the query. I'm sure you are familiar with this when you did other search queries on Google.

Figure 2: Google 3 Packs

The listing that you see is Google My Business Place Ad. The following 3 is the natural search result from the Google 3 Pack. Once you click on any of the listings, it takes you their Google My Business Place and it should look like the image below. Here you can do everything you need to learn more about the headshot photographer. One should see their website, their location on Google map, directions, hours of operation, telephone number, and most importantly their reviews and sample headshots from previous clients. If the photographer is really savvy they probably integrated reviews from other platforms like Facebook. As you can see in the example below, this headshot photographer has his Facebook reviews integrated into his Google My Business Place. It's very important to see the headshot photographer reviews from other platforms like Yelp and Facebook. This will give you a broader scope of all their reviews instead of just using Google My Business Place. They might have some bad reviews on Yelp or Facebook, but none on Google, and this will help you determine which professional headshot photographer to choose.

Figure 3: Example of Google My Business Place

It is important for you to do your due diligence when you are sourcing that photographer that will take the best headshot and make you feel the most comfortable during the headshot session. Remember your theatrical or corporate headshot is your calling card to get casted, to get a job, or internship. You also are investing between $200-$500 to headshots so you have to choose wisely when it comes to finding the best headshot photographer for you.

Once you have done with your searches. Make sure to take notes of the top 5 photographers that you think their quality of work and that they meet your budget. Take the list and send it to your friends, coworkers, and ask them they used the photographers on your list. Ask them for their opinions on the photographer's work and who they think you should go with.

It is worth noting that search engines index this data according to keywords or keyword phrases. Include variations of Los Angeles' in your search phrases in order to locate photographers residing in Los Angeles. Instead of using the full spelled version of the city like Los Angeles, one can use the abbreviation like "Headshot photographer LA. Widen your search by visiting as many sites as you can. Some great photographers can be found in less famous niche sites.

Like we mentioned above, One of the best ways to find quality photographers is actually asking for recommendations from fellow actors, especially those who have success in the industry. It is highly likely that they know a number of photographers from their networks. Most likely one of the photographers is on the list that you have created from your search.

Go on to actors platforms like backstage.com, actorsaccess.com and other websites that have forums where you can some feedbacks and this can help you narrow down on the best headshots Los Angeles photographer from other actors' points of view.

Once you have collected the information on your chosen photographer set, categorize the photographers based on their charges. Determine what you are comfortable with spending for the professional headshot. Note that an expensive photographer does not always mean high quality. On the other hand, a very cheap photographer may not be very skilled. If your budget is on the lower end, you always have the option of upgrading the headshots later.

THE HEADSHOT PHOTO SESSION

There are several things you can do ahead of time to ensure your headshot session goes well.

Meet the Photographer in Person

Always meet with the chosen photographer in person ahead of time. Discuss your needs and find out if you are comfortable with the photographer. A headshot session can be quite a revealing process during which you may feel vulnerable. Keep looking if you are not comfortable with spending time with the photographer.

Plan out The Outfits

Plan out your outfits according to the various distinct looks you are going to shoot. Bring a variety of wardrobe to the shoot. It is much better to have too many clothes than not enough. Employ layering to create depth and incorporate bold colors and neutral tones.

Always avoid turtlenecks, patterned shirts, and branded shirts. While there are no concrete rules on what you wear for the headshot, it is advisable to avoid clothing that is distracting. A great photographer will go through your wardrobe with you and advise you on the best options for the headshot.

Arrival and the Actual Shoot

The photoshoot can be conducted in a studio or a chosen location outdoors. Some people depending on the skin tone and colors will do better with outside headshots with natural lighting versus being in a studio. Ask your chosen photographer this very important question. Do you think my headshots would look better in a studio or outside with natural lighting?

Some photographers include hair and make-up in their packages if you request. It is important to note that acting headshots requirements are quite different from modeling headshots and corporate headshots. Makeup, if any, should be minimal. Casting agencies need you to look like yourself and not like a glamor model. Do not conceal any scars or major blemishes.

Depending on your financial commitments, the photoshoot can take place in various locations. Outdoor locations generally produce diverse headshots and are there recommendable over studio shoots. However, a skilled photographer can work wonders regardless of the location.

The headshot photographer will maintain a conversation throughout the shoot in order to make you feel comfortable. They will also guide you on the poses necessary for a perfect headshot. The typical headshot photography session can take anywhere between thirty minutes to two hours. Oftentimes, more complicated photoshoots can take more than 2 hours.

After the photo session, the photographer should provide you with a contact sheet'. This is basically a composite collection of all the photos taken during the session. You can ask for the photographer's advice on which shots are the best. You should also seek advice from other people, although the final decision should be yours. Depending on the photographer, they will either send you your photos via Dropbox, Google Drive, or some online gallery service for you to view and select the best look headshots.

Summing it up

Your headshot is part of your resume and you need to invest in it. Whether it's for medical residency application, corporate headshots for an executive team (for large or small businesses), or acting/theatrical headshots for casting in film or commercials. A great headshot is a marketing tool and can separate you from other candidates for any occupation! If two candidates are applying for medical residency and they have the skill sets, the tiebreaker is a headshot that you submitted for the application.