Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Why Choose a Professional Headshot Photographer
Just like you wouldn’t got to a doctor to fix a legal issue or a car mechanic to build your home, you want to go to the right kind of photographer for your headshots. This is not to imply that other photographers aren’t good at their specialties, just not every photographer will give you photos appropriate for industry accepted headshots. Someone who specializes in headshot photography will be more efficient and will generally cost you less in the long run by helping you get the right photos the first time.
These are some other types of photographers who may be professionals in their specialties, but not necessarily who you want to go to for your headshots. Some photographers may overlap specialties, but if headshots aren’t listed near the top of their list, maybe you want to consider someone else.
For your reference, here are 2 types of good photographers and why these photos might not be helpful in getting you acting jobs.
Event Photographers
Wedding photographers, convention photographers, sports photographers who specialize in these and other events are experts at capturing images that portray glamour of a special occasion or capture the essence of live events or catalogue participants or capture movement and excitement of a sporting event. Each is a specific specialty. Some specialize in specific niches within different types of events. You may have a great photo of your child’s sports team. Buy lots of them for you photo album and family members. Keep one available if a casting needs that particular type of athlete, but don’t use them as headshots.
Mall Photographers
Most shopping mall photographers are franchises. Some have corporate-trained, professional photographers, some do not. They specialize in family or glamour shots. More often than not, they have a variety of backgrounds and props to help set the scene. Headshots require plain backgrounds generally without props or scenes. Some will have very reasonably priced packages for a specific number of prints. Some are very expensive including features seen with portrait photographers. 99% of these photos won’t work as headshots and if you truly want a career, you will not try to use these photos for headshots.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Kids in Front
A common magnet and resistance of most photographers are kids. Anywhere from a few months to half dozen years. Those candid poses, impromptu smiles, glances of curiosity makes any photographer smile capturing that perfect shot. The knocking over of lights, crying, whaling, temper tantrums and helicopter parents make photographers run. Yet with an equal amount of nays as yeas, something must balance since there are so many professional photographers taking pictures of kids.
I’ve put in some time as a photographer at John Robert Powers and Barbizon School of Modeling to know that kids, like adults need to have that inherent drive to become a model. This is nothing that their parents can instill, it has to and for the money makers does come naturally. There’s a certain camera presence that is triggered as soon as the cameras pointed at them. They find a certain kind if mystique from the person behind the camera. It almost becomes a hide and go seek game to them.
Kids, unlike adults have a narrow marketing range and short expiration. Child models need to update their comp cards once every 3-4 months, whereas adults maybe once a year at a good rate.
A few good tips I like to give parents before the shoot is make their kids feel as if this is a treat. After all, it’s the parents money being spent on the photo shoot. Schedule the shoot at the kids mellow time of day. Bring a few of the kids favorite toys or security items such as a blanket, doll or teddy bear. During the photo shoot, gradually make your way out of the studio so it becomes more one on one with the photographer and the kid, yet staying with in earshot with occasional glances of the shoot. Ask the photographer for references of people he/she has worked with. Lastly, keep the part about being a treat for your kid real. Make it a special day that you will have some great memories.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Fashion Forward
In a slow economy, fashion is one of the first thoughts to be lost from your what to spend my money on list. Yet, fashion magazines are still the strongest types of publications sold on newsstands. Whether you call it dreaming or planning for when you have a better financial platform to stand, fashion is still there.
Fashion designers, with the exception of the majors, have an extremely low life expectancy. One years fashion is next years so last year. Keeping up with trends, colors, styles, textures, bling, not to mention celebrity wearers of your brand can put you out of business before your clothes get shipped.
Fashion shows provide a quick fix to show your product to potential Designers produce their shows as theatrical productions with elaborate sets and added elements such as house music and dramatic lights, inclusive of the energy from the photographers rapid flashes.
