New Headshots
by William Lulow
Over my many years in business, I have often gotten requests for headshots where folks have said, “I haven’t had this done in years. It’s time for me to get new headshots.” Well, in today’s world of websites, social media profiles, online meetings, purchases, chats, Zoom sessions, and just about everything else, I think headshots should be renewed on a regular basis. Most people have the idea that once they get a good one, they shouldn’t have to redo it for years. And others don’t think that investing in new headshots is really necessary at all, when they have something they like, they just stick to it or make a new “selfie.” The thing is that we all change the way we look over time. That’s just the natural way of things, and having really professional headshots done is the way to go these days. I speak of it as an “investment” because it takes time. Discussion, advance preparation, styling all comprise a big part of the process as does the shooting itself. Really good, professional headshots don’t just happen with one shot.
Since we all change EVERY DAY, the image you had done five years ago, is not necessarily the one you would want to go with today. There are also many more photographers out there today than there were even five years ago, and a lot also depends on the type of image you wish to project to the world. I have also said before, that no two photographers see the same subject the same way. Which is why I have also said that a portrait (maybe not so much a headshot) is as much a picture of the photographer as it is of his or her subject. This may sound like a crazy notion, but think about it. If you study the famous portrait photographers of the last century, you will find they often photographed the same people. They were also celebrities, many of them, so different magazines or other press outlets would commission different photographers to photograph them. So, at least a dozen photographers photographed Marilyn Monroe, J.P Morgan or Robert Redford, yet each image was different in the way the photographer approached the subject.
So, in the same way, I actually think it is a good idea for certain people to have portraits done by different photographers. One version is never the quintessential one. It just represents one photographer’s view of another person at a given point in time. And that’s exactly where the notion of getting a new headshot comes in. A portrait is really how the photographer sees the subject. A headshot, is a much more narrowly defined image altogether. If you are an actor/actress, your headshot needs to look like you, but at your best. And since, as I said, this changes with time, actors need to update their headshots much more frequently because they use them to get more work on a more constant basis. These have to show the person’s face and maybe more of his or her body (maybe a three-quarter length shot) and it has to be well lit so that casting directors can get a clear picture of exactly what the person looks like. This is needed for many reasons. They are often looking for a certain “type” person. They are looking for how the actor can be made up to fit a particular role. Or, they may just be looking to see what someone’s “look” is at a given time.
A portrait, on the other hand, can be loosely defined as an image of someone in the photographer’s or painter’s mind’s eye. Which accounts for why the same people look different to different artists. Here is an example of the same person photographed by two different photographers:
Here, you can obviously see the difference in styles. The lighting is different, the expressions are different and the entire tone of each image is different. I don’t know who shot the one on the left, but the one on the right is mine. Which one would you rather have to represent you? (Look at the person’s eyes. Which pair of eye shows some real personality?) I have always said that the key to a really great expression is in the eyes. You can always see a bit into a person’s soul by looking at their eyes. You can also tell which image maker has made a connection with his or her subject by looking closely at the eyes.
So, if you are looking to get new and different headshots, you should follow through with that intention on a semi-regular basis. I would say every three to five years or so, or in the case of those who maintain a good public presence, maybe every year or two. Few of us look the same year after year. So, choosing a photographer to do your headshots really becomes a matter of deciding the kind of image you wish to project and then finding a photographer’s portfolio of images that most closely resembles what you have in mind. Then you will know that you will be happy with the results. It’s only when you haven’t thought it through that you might not be satisfied.
Here is another example of a headshot (on the left) that was not lit properly. There are heavy shadows on one side and the background is dark. There is no detail in the hair and no highlights anywhere. The one on the right is bright looking with all information about how the person looks plainly in view. Here is another:
This one has a dark background, but look at all the facial features. They are all well-lit and show the person at her best.
Really good, professional headshots should begin with a session with a hair and makeup stylist. This is important for all actors. It’s more important for women than men, but men can benefit from it as well. It just gives a more finished and polished look to the image. Here, my stylist Jill Harth puts the extra touches on a client in my old studio in Westchester. Jill and I always try to make headshots look like the person, but at his or her best! That’s the idea we all have in mind. In the studio, the styling as well as lighting and eliciting certain responses from our subject(s) all combine to make the headshot or portrait an accurate representation of the person at that place and time and make them look as good as they can.
One other thing that can’t be overlooked is retouching in post-production. This is a delicate subject because you want the person to look like him or herself, but at their best. You don’t want to make a 50-year old look like a 20-year old, but you want that older person to look their best. So selective retouching is the answer. I usually do that with the subject sitting over my shoulder at the computer. That’s one way I know that my subjects will love their headshots when they are completed.
