The most obvious answer is this: come to your shoot rested and relaxed. If you have booked a head shot session the next day you will not want to drink alcohol or stay up late the night before. You want to look your best. This means well rested and fresh faced. I always recommend plenty of sleep the night before a shoot, no matter what time of day it’s scheduled. Drink plenty of water the day/night before and wear a good moisturizer under any makeup ladies. Men need to wear moisturizer too and maybe chap stick. Prepare solid-colored tops as they are the most flattering, especially for actor head shots. Bring a few extra looks in case one or two doesn’t photograph well. Sometimes people bring lint rolls and makeup for touch ups as well as hair spray for fly away hairs. Wear comfortable shoes as we will be moving around and I will most likely not shoot your feet, unless you request full body shots. Remember we want to capture the “real” you and that’s what casting directors want to see when you walk in the door. Think of it as if you’re going for an audition and how you would look for that.
Ladies, I always recommend you do your own makeup if you normally do it yourself for auditions and castings. The key is having the photograph look like “you” I have a few makeup artists I can recommend if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself but just want a natural enhancement. The danger of too much makeup is the pictures can look glamour shots and will not look like you. I lived in NYC for several years and my agent would always complain about meeting new talent that looked nothing like their picture, and it was usually because of professional makeup jobs that were too heavy on makeup. So, if you do want to get it done professionally, make sure it enhances your natural features and compliments you. Go with an artist that understands this.
I shoot at my home studio as well as all over Kansas City. On location shoots include The Crossroads district, Union Hill and The West Bottoms to name a few. I never shoot in the direct Sun and am open to any location as long as it has access to shade. For family shoots I love to shoot at Antioch Park but again, I am open to new locations and suggestions.
Everyone says this, and I mean about 90% of every person I’ve ever photographed. So, you’re not alone if you feel this way. The good news is you are going to have a $2000 lens photographing you, so that alone makes up for probably most of the unflattering pictures you have had in your life with cameras that are not professional grade. The great thing about professional camera and lens is that it captures the best color, clarity, shape and form of subject. I have never had an unhappy client, and that’s just the truth. I love being able to change a person’s mind about their own photo. I will change yours too if you give me a chance. Lastly, there will be some photos that you will not love, but the beauty of professional camera and lens and a high-count exposure number is that there will be hundreds to choose form.
Retouching is just an extension of my work and is very important in the process. After a shoot is done the work doesn’t end. After you pick out your favorite pictures, it’s standard to do slight retouching to make the photo stand out beautifully. Sometimes blemishes need to be gotten rid of or stray hairs that are distracting, or perhaps you want your teeth a tad whiter or even a color boost. Small adjustments in photos can make a HUGE difference in the finished product. See below for an example of a before and after. You will notice in the retouched photo on the right that her blemishes are gone, and her skin tone and eyes are a bit brighter. Also, her bra strap is no longer showing in the photograph.
