Headshot Trends – Color Headshots in New York City

When I came to New York City over ten years ago, it was nearly unheard of to see an actor with a color headshot. If someone did have a color photo, it was most likely because they were also doing modeling work. Then, shortly after the turn of the millennium, color headshots started popping up at castings all over the city.

Why? Well there are two primary reasons. First, the color headshot had increased in popularity in Los Angeles because casting directors wanted to see what actors would actually look like on camera (this was also the reason for an increasing number of “landscape” format headshots that showed the actor in the same orientation as a television or movie screen). Casting people don’t have time to use their imagination to wonder what your hair is or how your eyes will look in a close up when they are going through thousands of photos.

The second reason for this development was the rapid advancement of digital photography technology. Professional quality digital SLR cameras, while expensive, were beginning to enter the market at higher numbers and lower prices. I switched over to digital in the Spring of 2000. At that time, the camera I was using did not have an option to shoot in black & white so I had no choice but to shoot all of my headshot sessions in color. After each shoot, I would show my clients all of their photos, both in color and in black & white. While they saw the greater potential of their color photos, they also understood that reproducing color 8×10’s was considerably more expensive.

New York was slow to follow LA’s lead into the color age since it has always been more of a theatre town, and there is just something more theatrical about a black and white photo. But as film and television production increased here in NYC, more and more casting directors and agents began asking for color photos. In turn, the price of reproducing in color went down and more actors began asking photographers for color headshots.

While digital photography and printing technology have made it easier for actors to get color headshots and reproductions, there are still some things to look out for when getting your headshots taken:

1. Lighting

It is very difficult to mask bad lighting in a black and white photo. That was one reason that New York casting directors and agents were slow to switch over to color. You can’t “hide” in black and white. More colors in a photo, while making it more lifelike and giving greater detail, mask many small imperfections.

As the number of amateur and semi-professional headshot photographers has increased, so has the number of poorly lit color headshots. Heavy shadows on parts of the face, though dramatic, detract from your overall look. A casting director or agent wants to see what you look like, not how dramatic your photographer’s artistic vision is.

When choosing a headshot photographer, look for photos in their portfolio that are evenly lit across the subject’s face. Save the moody, shadow filled shots for when you are a star!

2. Color Correction

Have you ever seen a photo with a blue or greenish hue to it? I still see many actor’s headshots that look like there is a blue filter over their picture. This happens because the digital image was not color corrected to ensure accurate, life-like color.

Depending on the light source that is illuminating you during your headshot session, your photos will have a slightly different color to them, ranging from cool blues and greens to very warm golds and reds. When photographing with film negatives, photographers would choose a type of film that was “corrected” to a certain temperature of light. With digital photography, this process is either done in the camera or in post-production using Adobe Photoshop or a similar image editing program.

Your headshots need to have accurate color! A casting director will be upset if you come in to an audition and have green eyes that looked blue in your photo. Talk to your photographer and don’t send out a photo (or post it on the internet) that is not color corrected. It makes you look unprofessional.

3. Clothing Choice

That maroon sweater you wore during your black and white headshot session ended up looking black in the final picture. Now that it is in color, it can have a major effect on how your photo is viewed. The color of your wardrobe can distract from the main purpose of your headshot – YOU! Avoid brilliant, distracting colors or patterns. Also, keep away from colors that are too similar to your own skin tone, these will cause you to look “washed out” in your pictures.

Remember, color is your friend! Use it as a tool to take you further towards your acting goals. But use it wisely!

If you have any questions regarding color headshots, please feel free to contact me or visit my website at www.fatchett.com