Actor Headshots Tips: What To Wear

Apart from a show reel, a headshot is actors’ key marketing and branding tool around the industry. Your audition starts when you walk into the room, but it’s your headshot that determines whether you get to your audition in the first place or not. Your headshot is the first thing casting directors look at, hence it’s crucial to have a headshot that will get you noticed and remembered before an audition. Let’s talk about how to choose what to wear for your actor headshots in order to make the most out of your photoshoot.

Figure out your ‘TYPE’

Avoid choosing outfits for your actor headshots simply because you look great wearing them. Instead, think about your ‘type’. Which roles are you, or will you be auditioning for? Is it a girl next door, a mad scientist, a Russian spy?

A perfect headshot communicates who you are as an actor and the characters you might portray.

For an actor, a type is how others perceive you. For producers and casting directors it’s a way to categorise names and faces to keep it organised. If you already know your actor type and prepared to play a specific type of roles, you can aim your headshots toward that type. This way you will be more successful than someone with no clear vision: it will be easier for casting directors to envision you in the role if you portray it in your headshot.

Are you at the beginning of your acting career and haven’t determined your actor type yet? Then here’s a great resource that will help you get started. If you’re in acting school, and not sure which roles you will be doing in the future – the more neutral your headshot is, the better. Show the real, authentic YOU.

When you are clear on the type of roles you want to audition for, you can portray the character with your outfit choices. You can always create multiple different characters/looks: they will give you an opportunity to audition for a wider range of roles.

So, let’s talk about do’s and don’t and best practices for choosing what to wear for your upcoming actor headshots session.

WHAT TO WEAR FOR ACTOR HEADSHOTS

FUNDAMENTALS

Variety

Think different colours, styles and types. I always encourage my clients to bring several outfit options to their headshot session. The more options, the better! Sometimes an outfit looks great in real life, but when you look on a photo something feels off. Have your headshot taken in various outfits so you can make a decision post-photoshoot on which looks the best and conveys your character most effectively.

Solid colour

You want a timeless image, so simplicity is the key. Keep clear of big brand logos and bold patterns in your outfits. While having brand logos in your outfit will only appeal to the brand you’re wearing, bold patterns will simply distract from your face. The focus of a headshots should always be your face.

Ironed, neat clothes

That’s a no-brainer! Before your photoshoot, make sure all your clothes are clean, ironed and in the best condition possible, unless the character you want to audition for doesn’t care about their presentability.

Comfort

If you’re not comfortable or restricted in any way in your choice of clothes – it will show, even in an image that only displays your head and shoulders. Your body language will be awkward, let alone getting a relaxed and natural facial expression.

Accessories

Only choose accessories that suit your character type. Something minimal that dose not distract from your face will be acceptable.

COLOURS

As I have mentioned earlier, solid colour tops are perfect for your actor headshots. Now, which colour to choose?

As a rule of thumb, choose colours that compliment your eyes and skin colour. For instance, avoid ghost-white if you have pale skin. It will be a good idea to look in the mirror and determine your skin tone. Is it warm or cold? Then if your skin tone is warm, try colours and shades that are warm, and vice verse.

A black or a white top, whether it’s a shirt, t-shirt, dress, you name it, is a safe go-to – neutral but elegant, and suits almost everyone. Have at least one simple outfit, so one of your headshots is ready to go for any audition.

Vivid colour tops will help your headshot ‘pop’ and stand out from the rest. Extra points if it matches your eyes and complexion!

NECKLINES

There are so many tops’ and dresses’ necklines available! How do you choose the most flattering one? Start with understanding your body, specifically your neck. Do you have a beautiful long neck, or do you feel like you want to make your neck appear longer? Let’s look at neckline types and what they do for your body type:

V-neck

V-cut cleavage is a go-to if you want to make your neck look longer. The size of the cleavage makes a difference: the deeper the plunge, the longer your neck will appear. So be careful not to overdo it. Make sure everything is in proportion.

U-neck

U-neck will make your neck look shorter if it’s close to your neck. The further the neckline is from your neck, the longer your neck will appear.

Turtle-neck

Be careful with a turtle-neck as it tends to shorten your neck. Also, sometimes it might result in a ‘floating head’ look, if the colour of your top matches the background.

Off-shoulder

Off-shoulder look is very feminine, showing off your neck and shoulders in the most natural way

LAYERS

A layered look is a great addition to the variety in your actor headshots. It will also help your portray your type better as layers add more detail. For example a denim jacket with a t-shirt is generally a casual young look; a blazer with a shirt looks more like a corporate or business type roles.

That is all for today. I hope this blog was helpful! If you still have any questions regarding what to wear for actor headshots, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.

Are you looking for a headshot photographer in Birmingham and West Midlands? Drop me a line and let’s chat!