Your Best Foot Forward Is Your HeadShot

You only get one chance to make a first impression. It is very important to make sure that this first impression is a positive one. First impressions can often be difficult to change. These first impressions can take place in many locations. The most obvious, of course, is the face-to-face meeting. But, other first impression could include email, faxes, telephone, and for the actor, it is the headshot. This headshot can be the most important thing in an actor’s bag of tricks. Just as when you meet someone face to face, it is important that the headshots are clear, up to date, and promote you in the best light possible. 

The headshot is the first time that the director or the casting committee sees your face. If these headshots are low quality or vastly outdated, you may be passed over before you even get a chance to enter the room. These headshots should express your personality; these pictures should immediately identify the type of acting role in which you excel. These shots should make the director or casting committee fall in love with you and remember you above all of the other people that they see.

Many people just starting out in acting, and have very little money, therefore is very difficult to invest in an expensive photo session. Do your homework. The most expensive is not always the best choice. You need a photographer that you can trust with your life, because for all intensive purposes, you are. These headshots need to express your personality. A photographer that can bring out the best of your personality will produce the best photos. The photo session needs to be as fun and upbeat as possible. True laughter and happiness will always show in photos. The final product should be high quality and exude professionalism. They should show that you take great pride in yourself and your acting career. 

It is very important that your headshots are kept very current. As said before, these headshots should immediately identify the role that you are auditioning for. An audition for a dramatic part would require a different headshot that an audition for a lighthearted comedy. Your headshot should also represent your current style. If you cut your hair, for example, you should have new headshots taken. Casting directors can become confused and dismayed if they fall in love with your long dark hair, and you walk into the room with short blond hair. The same is true with facial hair and skin tone. These headshots may seem to be a very simple thing, but they can be the most important thing to your budding acting career.

Plus Size Is The New Black

For years the fashion industry has only hired skinny models to market their clothing. The thought process being that the clothes and not the model are what are on display. Women with large breasts, stomachs and behinds would take away from the clothing. That seems like a logical argument except for the fact that the average woman is not model size and perhaps she would like to see how a particular designer's clothing would look on her. This would be a valid argument for hiring more realistic looking models.

In the modeling world a plus-sized model is any woman above a size six. However, in the real world plus-sized is anything above a size 12. Fashion designers are starting to take notice of the plus-sized market as more plus-sized models are appearing in both print and television ad as well as on the runway. Now that women are becoming more vocal about wanting to see more realistic representations on the runway as well as in print ads the fashion industry is starting to take notice and respond to those arguments. It seems only natural that the plus-sized model does not have a greater role in the fashion industry. After all, designers, retailers and department stores generally ignore the plus-sized market. However, women are becoming more educated about what a realistic body type looks like and things are starting to change.

Recently, plus- sized models were represented at London’s fashion week with their own plus-sized fashion weekend. The show came under some scrutiny because while the models were very curvy the clothing that was presented was not what most people would consider plus-sized. Many people even go as far as saying that the term plus-sized is derogatory. Only 13 designers were represented at the plus-sized fashion weekend but that is primarily because the main attraction was London fashion week where skinny girls were the norm.

There are some studies that show that having plus-sized models actually helps to boost body image. In the same manner that young girls read fashion magazines and become depressed because they do not look like the women in the magazines, girls can now see models that look like the average woman looking beautiful and that boost their self-esteem. Many agencies have started hiring more plus-sized models as the demand for advertising plus-sized clothing increases. Some of the larger agencies actually have divisions that specialize in plus-sized models. For example, Ford 12+ Division and Wilhelmina ten20 Division are offspring of other large agencies.  

It is about time that the fashion industry starts to use more plus-sized models and recognize the buying power of the plus-sized segment. Many normal sized and curvy women are turning away from the larger fashion houses and toward small boutiques and 
relatively unknown designers because they are committed to producing quality clothing at an affordable price for the average woman. These obscure fashion shows like the one during London’s fashion week will continue to spring up. Hopefully, one day we will see runways with all different body types represented and clothing that everyone can wear.

Which Came First, The Model or the Actor?

There are numerous actors who have become models, and models who have become actors. Ultimately, modeling is looks-oriented, and while acting requires talent, looks also play a major role. Modeling often requires people to emote and show expression, which is obviously what acting is all about. With this said, it is safe to assume that modeling and acting are intertwined. The rise of high-end designers has meant that red carpets are going to feature tons of actors who are adorned in designer duds. This furthers the crossover between acting and modeling. For aspiring actors or models, keeping one’s options open is important. 

Ashton Kutcher is well known for his work on “That 70s Show”, as well as lots of major motion pictures. However, he was initially known as an underwear model. It was only when he took the plunge into acting that the public saw that he had acting talent. His looks propelled him, but it was his ability to act in both humorous and dramatic roles that kept people interested. Similarly, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was known as a Victoria’s Secret model. Her acting debut in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” was the start of a new facet to her career. Her next film will be 2014’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Milla Jovovich started out as a model, but her name has become synonymous with the “Resident Evil” Franchise. Thus far, she has been in 38 movies. Angelina Jolie dabbled in modeling as a teenager, then started acting, and then had a brief stint once again modeling clothing.   

Sometimes, acting comes first, and modeling follows. Jennifer Aniston has been acting for decades, but several years ago became a model for numerous hair water. Her fit body and youthful skin (despite being well into her forties) was a magnificent way to showcase the fact that water is great for your body. Since she has a strong reputation with the public – and has been in the limelight for quite some time – people are aware that she isn’t “young”, but that she still looks fantastic for her age.

Anne Hathaway started out in kids’ movies, but in the past few years, she has posed for some top designer brands. Natalie Portman has been acting since she was a child, but has turned to modeling for Christian Dior. There have been many actresses who have embraced modeling fragrances. Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet.

Has Digital Destroyed Fashion Photography

Planning, perspective, artistry, and true depth are all features of photography, film photography that is. It is important to explore how digitalphotography has stepped over bounds of film photography in the fashion world and how by waiting a day or two for film to be developed and back to you that digital photography has become so instant (right now) it has lost the concentration true fashion photographs once had. Exploring the topic as a whole can shed light on the advantages of digital photography as compared to its predecessor, film photography.  

While the world moves faster every day, inclined to flit from one thought and visual cue to the next, true art comes through well thought out execution of inspirational ideas. The same argument can be made that just because an artist would have to wait a few days before they could develop their own film, or have a shop do it, does not mean that they made more profound fashion photographs. In some aspects, sure this is true. It could be that if they had mastered all that that technology had to offer, then they could create some fantastic pieces.

Though, really this theory needs to be expanded to encompass digital photography as well. Either way, a successful fashion photographer needs to take out the time out to learn the craft of artistic photography, whether using film or digital methods. That is the main focus here. The parts of photography that were most challenging with regard to traditional, film-loaded cameras, were related to the abilities of the individual camera and the user’s technical savvy. Understanding aperture, knowing what type of film to use say for a track event versus a time-lapsed cloud movement were all factors for those photographers.

While the present digital cameras can remove a lot of the learning curve, it still requires technical savvy to manipulate the fundamentals to work in fashion photography. What this means is that thanks to digital cameras, there are new techniques and abilities that cameras have that were not available with film. There is painting with light, for one, which is created through special features. It allows a photographer to give their work the illusion of big neon words in their photographs.

It requires a little bit of equipment, but nothing too fancy. Actually, just a camera with a super slow shutter speed, a tripod, and a light are the basics. The idea is that the light will move, which can create the look of words, lines, curves, or whatever the creative photographer imagines. This is just one way that digital photography has added to the canon of work that any photographer may create using the tools of the trade. Look to the future and fellow digital buffs the world over for more developments in the world of photography and digital film photography, more specifically. This is where further creative methods will come. Yes, the days of film photography are not dead, just tweaked to cater to the faster here and now. 

When Is Too Soon Or Too Late To Start Modeling

The right age to model can differ from person to person. There are many types of ads and marketing where models are used, so the appropriate age can vary greatly. It’s ideal to have smaller children for ads related to innocence, and likewise, it’s ideal to have a more mature person for ads for medications or to model mature clothing. No matter when you start, it takes real dedication to make it a career, and it’s a valid concern to consider just how modeling will take its toll on someone young. 
 

While some babies are used in ads, they are rarely repeat models until much older, if ever. Many department and clothing store use children for one catalog, and that may be the only modeling experience a child sees. However, a young teenager who is considering a modeling career can get started early on with gaining experience. A young teenager would have the best luck for their future career in learning camera presence and learning how photography works. Becoming proficient in hair, makeup, and wardrobe styling will help a young model build into an experienced model. A young teen who wants to grow into a professional model needs to understand the business more than they need pictures of themselves. 

Teenagers should begin building a portfolio and look for paid work from modeling agencies and agents as soon as they have a good portfolio put together. At this age, modeling on the side while focusing at school will show how much you like the hard work that’s behind all the glitz and glamour. This phase should continue through the college years as a young model does “Time for Pictures” shoots with photographers – an arrangement where they both get experience and pictures out of the deal, but nobody’s paying anyone else. This is invaluable experience that will give you invaluable "in front of camera" experience.
 

Naturally, early to mid-20s will be where a career either takes off or doesn’t. This can be relative to the want of the potential model or indicates a lack of knowledge in the industry. While perseverance will guide a potential model to the tools they need, if the passion hasn’t found a young model at this age, then you know that you gave it a shot and it wasn’t for you. However, as time goes on, you might enjoy modeling part-time by doing specific ads or occasional Time for Prints shoots.

The Perfect Business Portrait

There are several things you should and should not do when posting a good business portrait. These include things such as do you need a professional photographer, what you should wear for the picture and what background and location you should use in order to achieve the best picture of you. Once all of these issues are addressed and executed properly, the end result will be an excellent and professional looking picture that will be sure to attract the correct audience in the business world.

The first step in achieving a good business portrait is finding a good professional photographer who specializes in Business Portraits. Searching the Internet is going to be your best bet, however a search using words like Photography or Photographer can drudge up all kinds of photographers, most of whom don't specialize in Business Portraits. Clicking on the photographers link will usually bring up pictures of weddings and kids. This is not the kind of photographer you want to hire for a Business Portrait.  Try specific key word searches like "Business Portraits" or "Business Headshot Photographers". Avoid mall photography studios and avoid having your buddy's wife take the picture with her new Nikon Christmas present. The picture will look nice to your friends wife, but your audience (potential employers and key business contacts) will see your flaws, an unappealing pose, uneven lighting on your face, loose hairs, blemishes and less than perfect you.

The next step is to find the perfect outfit. Think above the waist since most Business Portraits are photographed from the mid-belly up. When someone looks at a picture of a person, they unfortunately do not have the ability to know more about their personality, therefore they have to make their assumptions about the person solely based on looks. This business portrait is like an interview. It's a first impression, so it is important to look as professional and put together as possible. For clothing, great choices would be neutral colors such as black, gray, brown, white, navy, and other colors that do not cause a distraction for the viewers eye including ties. Stay away from logos and loud Hawaiian type patterns. Since the picture will only be of the top portion of your body, it is important to focus on the shirt, and maybe even put on a nice sports jacket to pull the look together. Another important touch to wear is your smile, because this makes you look inviting and comfortable to work with.

A very important aspect of a good business portrait is the background. Just like the clothing, it is best to use a neutral background either in gray, black or white. Using a distracting brightly colored loud background draws attention away from "you" the subject, and brings the attention to the background. Also, choose a background that works with what outfit you are wearing. For example, if you are wearing a black sports jacket, choosing a black background would blend in with the jacket and wash you out. Choosing a white or lightly lit backgroundinstead would make you stand out, and create a feeling of confidence making for a Perfect Business Portrait.

Social Media Marketing: Photographers New Best Friend

In these days of social media, photographers have a whole new way to showcase their talents. Now, you can use Facebook, Wordpress and professional profile sites like LinkedIn and Pinterest to share your photos with the public in ways that weren’t possible before. It provides a unique opportunity in order to reach out to various segments of the community in easily managed platforms. 

Rather than having to submit to get your photos published, take out costly ads in magazines or newspapers, social media is often free and just waiting for content.

Facebook allows you to connect with people and load up your sites with images that can catch someone’s eye as they scroll through their news feeds. Blogs such as Blogger and Wordpress provide the opportunity to share photos and share larger blocks of textual information that can often be overlooked on Facebook. A profile such as LinkedIn can give you a professional edge allowing you to advertise your resume and give links out to your other social media connections. Each type of social media reaches different segments of the population and allows you to hone in your time and effort to reach the greatest amount of people that might use your services.

However, just having social media sites isn’t enough. No matter how creative, unique and spectacular your photos might be, if no one sees them then how are you going to get anyone's attention? So, you can post as many photos as you like, keep your blog updated on a weekly basis with interesting shots or insightful information, but if no one is looking then you are wasting your time. To be successful in the social media world, you have to make sure you are visible on search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. The best way to make yourself searchable is by having key words that can bring your sites to the forefront and give all those viewing eyes a reason to come see what you have to offer. If you are a photographer that does weddings, you need to be sure to have plenty of content on your sites that come up when anyone searches for "wedding photographers". The more key words you have connected to your site the better traffic you can generate.

While being on the searches are important, it is also important to make sure that you have updated content on a regular basis to keep people coming back. It is necessary to show off your work, but just posting tons of random shots without some specific direction won’t get you anywhere. Twitter is perfect for this since you can Tweet then re-Tweet new Blog and Portfolio updates.

 

Be sure to include something more than just pages of photos such as photography tips, perhaps host contests to encourage others to join in with their own shots and above all provide creative and unique photos that only you can bring to the populace to bring in the customers. It is all well and good to get someone to come to your Facebook page or blog once, but by keeping content fresh and updated and having ways for the public to interact with your site can keep them coming back for more. The more often they come to your site the better the chance that you will receive business from them.

Dot Com: The New Era of Family Albums

Photos are a way of capturing memories so that they can be cherished and easily recalled in the future. They can also be a means of capturing emotions or sharing art/history with future generations. 

Ever since the creation of photography people have been saving photos of their important family memories in family photo albums, however the digital age has led to certain changes in the way people approach photography. Specifically, most people no longer purchase difficult to find film and instead take high quality digital pictures. Likewise, they no longer print out copies of these pictures and instead share them on the new online versions of family photo albums such as Facebook and Instagram.

While film cameras were once the choice instrument of professional photographers, they could prove to be a pain for those not adept in their use. Digital cameras have eliminated this issue, reducing risks of damage to film due to light or X-ray exposure and allowing people to take hundreds of photos at a time without worrying about needing to run to a store to buy more film. As a result of the rise of digital photography, film is now hard to find and is very expensive, whereas digital photographs with cameras and smart phones are very durable and affordable.

Creative Director JW

Likewise, people used to keep printed copies of their cherished family photos. While this made it easy to pull out a family picture album, the advent of computers allows people to keep thousands of photos just a mouse click away, and it enables them to create infinite copies which they can share with the world. As a  result, almost no one ever prints out photos any more as there is little (if any) need to do so, because the online world can view these photos easily whether they are at home or far away.

The primary way people share their new family pictures is using Facebook photo sharing options and/or using the photography smart phone app Instagram. These applications let people easily take quick pictures and share them with ease, thus supplanting the expensive hassle that is film-based photography. As a result of all of these trends, it is no surprise that few people bother with film cameras and printed photo albums in this day and age. Instead, the internet has become the greatest tool for sharing family memories for generations to come turning Instagram and Facebook into the new family photo albums.

Family Christmas Portraits, Not From The Mall

When it’s time to have the family Christmas Portrait taken, there are several things to keep in mind. The first is where to have the portrait taken. There are several options such as hiring a professional photographer or finding a chain studio that is located in a crowded mall. 

A Professional Photographer does this for a living and has a sincere passion for photography. They are guaranteed to work with your budget, help with things like wardrobe, sizing, poses, expressions and promise you’ll avoid the hassle of loading up the kids to head to an over-packed mall where even if you do have an appointment, you get to wait, wait, wait and then wait some more. Professional Photographers provide their own professional equipment and the family is guaranteed to get a professional quality family portrait. The professional photographer will shoot the portrait in any manner desired by the family and has far more flexibility when it comes to different types of shots, timing and locations to ensure that all involved are happy.

In addition to the pros of having an independent professional take the family portrait there are several negative parts of having a mall photography chain provide a few snap shots. The first is the fact that it requires a trip to a very busy location full of people frantically trying to find the best deals on holiday gifts or frantically trying to find a gift for the one person they forgot to add to their list. Most retailers do the majority of their sales during the busy holiday season. Being part of this crowd will add unneeded stress to the photo shoot and give you a blistering headache. Another negative side is the fact that these mall studios often do not have the best in equipment or the equipment may simply be very outdated. This will result in a poor quality portrait since it is one camera setting for every customer no matter how many people in the shot. Mall photography studios fail to provide any kind of decent re-touching or Photoshop enhancements of the picture.  No one should have to remember a Christmas because of a blurry, stiff-posed Christmas Portrait. A grainy pixilated picture is not something that should be sent out in a Christmas card.

Another downside is the mall photographers themselves. They are usually High School kids who have no formal photography training. They are told to greet the customer, have the customer stand on the X and push this button on the camera (literally nothing else).  Anyone will lose the friendly smile and personable charm when having to deal with rushed holiday shoppers, crying babies, belligerent customers and frustrated parents all day. They are often subjected to long hours with low pay and often resulting in substandard performance and crappy pictures. For most mall photographers it's a part-time job so they can get a new iPhone or Android and will often treat it as such where as a professional photographer does this for a living and is very passionate about their work. 

The worst part about a family portrait at the mall studio is the up sale. Since the photographers often work on commission as well as minimum wage, they will try to get the family to purchase the largest package possible. They will relentlessly hound you to get the biggest package that has literally hundreds of photos, out dated picture frames and a jacked-up price for a CD, when all that is desired is a few quality photographs. The family is often conned into buying a larger package then desired because it is the only way to get the desired photographs of the right size due to the fact buying individual photos has an exorbitant cost attached to it. With all these things against it, the mall studio is simple not a good option. It is well worth it to spend a little time searching and a few extra dollars to pay for a beautiful family portrait, photographed with professionalism, care and a genuine concern to meet your families needs. 

Find a local, reputable, professional photographer. Start with asking friends and family. If you have no luck, try Google, AngiesList or ASMP. These are filled with reputable family and portrait photographers who specialize in making your family look their best.

Couples Ads, Twice The Marketing Power

The media today influences us in many ways. Objects, colors, and every detail of an ad we see are analyzed and edited to appeal the consumer. Most of the time there are hidden messages and meanings that affect your mind subliminally. Companies will do anything to have the advantage and make you want to buy their product. There are times when what we see actually triggers certain emotions and gives us a standard, an opinion, perception of what is normal or even change our moral values.

When someone is in a relationship and sees a billboard or magazine ad picturing a couple, they often picture themselves and their significant other. They pay attention to what that picture is trying to sell and often this picture will influence someone who is in a relationship to purchase that item. Going a little deeper into it, a person might also get the perception of what a couple is supposed to look like, or how a couple should act. They will, in a sense, picture themselves as that couple.

If someone is single and they see a picture of a couple on an ad, it might trigger negative emotions. It might make them feel lonely or It might influence them to go out and try to find someone. It really varies by person. The message being delivered has the same goal but can affect the person in various ways. Either way, by publishing these ads, companies will influence people to spend money or want to spend money. It is surprising to see how much money companies spend on advertising and studying the effects of every little detail that goes into a billboard or magazine ad including everything from gender demographics to age and longevity.

 Having two people in the same ad or picture is beneficial to companies. Humans aren’t meant to be alone, we are made to interact and form relationships. That being said, having a male and female upon a billboard is more likely to catch people of both genders attention. We are always more attentive to things we can identify with. Though it might surface negative emotions to someone that is single, humans generally all want the same thing and that is not to be alone. This plays a major part in what we pay attention to and how we feel about relationships.