Early "Studio"

Early in my career, I was working out of my one bedroom apartment on 76th Street and Columbus Ave. I turned the bedroom (all 130 square feet of it) into a studio and moved my bed into the living room on top of a raised platform. My back was literally to the wall when I shot headshots. I considered knocking down the closet wall but I wasn’t sure yet that the headshot thing would fly. We set up a make-up area in the living room. The kitchen was “reception”. And this was where I started my campaign to take the headshot world by storm. The apartment was on the top floor of a brownstone and there were exactly 76 stairs from the foyer to my “studio”. I used to joke that I was a Darwinian Headshot Photographer because only the strong could make it up the stairs to shoot with me. If a client was older or had difficulty walking, I would come down and help push them up the stairs.

Looking back it’s amazing how many high profile people made the ascent to that cramped apartment, I mean “studio”. Sean Young, right before “No Way Out” was released, came to shoot. She was lovely and playful and I still have her thank you note which was signed “Mary Sean”.

Lou Jacobi, famous for his love affair with a lamb in “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex” by Woody Allen came to shoot. A true New York icon, he was fun and sweet and sent me his reproduction for my portfolio. About a month after I received his shot he called me, “Joe…Jacobi…you know I didn’t sign that photo for you, would you like me to do that?” It must have been preying on his mind. I walked down to his apartment on Central Park South and he wrote a very complimentary note and signed his photo. He also invited me to brunch with him at The Russian Tea Room that Sunday. I was excited because he said he would introduce me to some people. When we arrived, the sea parted for him and we were led to the best table in the restaurant. He was treated like royalty and I got to draft on his star status. He suggested the blintzes and we dove in when they arrived. Every so often someone would recognize him and come over to pay their respects. It must have happened 15 times that we were interrupted and he would graciously introduce me as his “genius photographer”. I was flying high. It was a wonderful lunch. At one point a Hollywood “Suit” came over to say hello, “Lou Baby, I haven’t seen you since the party at so and so’s in Brentwood!” he gushed. He babbled on and on glad-handing Mr. Jacobi as he went. When he finally parted Mr. Jacobi leaned over to me, winked and whispered, “Who the f#^k was that?” Hilarious!

Robert Downey, Sr., a director famous for his edgy independent films in the 60’s and 70’s such as Putney Swope and Watermelon Man did a session. He was very charming and kooky. During the shoot he told me that his son was getting his feet wet in the acting world and was “doing pretty good with it”. Guess so…

Jackee, the star of “227” shot with me numerous times in that apartment. She used to love drinking champagne through a straw throughout her session. It never seemed to effect her. She was a natural in front of the camera and we always had great sessions. She even flew back from LA a few times to shoot with me. She laughed and confided in me that her manager wanted her to shoot with a $10,000 a day photographer in LA, but she told him that she would prefer to go back to her guy on 76th Street. What a love!

Definitely one of the most confusing experiences in my early headshot years came when the phone rang on weekday morning. I was watching a video I had made the night before of a comedy special on HBO called “Women of the Night”. It consisted of the stand up routines of 4 of the hottest female comics in the country. A very soft-spoken, proper brunette comic with a full head of curls was taking the mike when the phone rang. I answered “Joe Henson” and the same soft proper voice responded, “Hi Joe, my name is Rita Rudner.” At the same time on the TV the woman’s voice spoke “Hi, I’m Rita Rudner”! What was happening? Had I gone too long without a vacation? It was an amazing coincidence! Rita Rudner called me just as she started her routine on TV! I said “I’m watching you on TV right now!” and she and I marveled at the peculiarity of that. Sometimes I think the universe just likes messing with you.

Rita shot with me a few times and really hit it big in the comedy world. A few years later I was out in LA doing promotional shots for my brother, John who was the host of Talk Soup at the time. After the session we flew to Vegas for a few days’ fun. In the cab ride from the airport to the hotel, I saw a big billboard with my shot of Rita Rudner who was appearing at one of the hotels. When we got to our room I called the hotel where she was appearing and left a voicemail for her. She called back and told me she would leave passes for us to see her show, one of the nicest perks of working in my field, and to be sure to come backstage after the show. That night after breaking the bank at the Black Jack table we jumped into a cab to see Rita’s show. We were seated in a VIP booth and got complimentary champagne all night. Rita was hysterical. At the end of the show, she brought out her sheepdog and did a few bits with her. Rita was really on her game. She killed, as they say. After the show, we were escorted back to her dressing room. I introduced John and we all had a nice chat. As we were talking, I absentmindedly petted her big sheepdog when it came to give me a sniff. I am extremely allergic to dogs, but I guess the endless bucket of champagne had impaired my vigilance. I rubbed my eye with the dog petting hand and my eye preceded to swell and tear immediately. Rita must have noticed that I had suddenly become Quasimodo, but she thankfully did not make my rheumy eye the butt of her jokes.

I am so appreciative of the fact that my early clients were able to overlook the decidedly un-glamorous nature of my first studio. My studio now is at least 10 times the size of that apartment on 76th Street and I thank my lucky stars everyday that my back is no longer to the wall in the Headshot business.

Close Encounter with a Lionness

Here’s a quick, fun story. I was hired to photograph Shirley MacLaine for the premiere of a new film she was starring in. I was excited about it, but also approached the entire session with a degree of trepidation, her reputation as a Hollywood lioness preceded her. Before the shoot I was contacted by her publicist who told me in no uncertain terms that I better have my act together because Shirley did not suffer fools gladly, and that I would have a certain (very short) length of time to get my shot. I was also warned that if the shoot did not go to Miss MacLaine’s liking she would bolt without hesitation. Well…ok, I’ve dealt with pressure before and I was not going to run away from this challenge, I was going to stick my head right in the lioness’s mouth.

I got my lighting set and tested it on Kerry and basically prepared for anything that might possibly go wrong. Part of being a professional is trying to predict any element of the system that might break down and having a back up for it. Murphy’s Law is always proportionate to the importance of the event it is affecting. In other words, the bigger the stakes in screwing up, the more chance it will happen. On days like the Shirley MacLaine shoot, Murphy would be working overtime, so I had to assume that and prepare accordingly. Deep into the night before the shoot I organized, tested and tried to find the answer for any breakdown in the system.

The big day came, Miss MacLaine arrived and contrary to my expectations, everything went according to plan. And the shots were great. After the shoot, I was escorted into the theater and given a seat in the front row. Miss MacLaine was in attendance and was slated to speak before the film was shown. She arrived to much hoopla and was walked down the aisle and seated right next to me! Waiting her turn at the podium set up in front of the screen, she got adjusted in her seat and then turned to catch me in the beams of her amazing blue eyes. “You’re the photographer, aren’t you?” She challenged. Well, I did have a camera with a giant zoom lens around my neck, so there was no hiding the fact. “Yes” I half whispered, not knowing what was coming next. She fixed me in her stare and in her best lioness growl roared, “You did good. And you know, I would rather have great lighting, and a great photographer…THAN A MAN!” Close encounter with a Hollywood legend and I lived to tell about it.

Memory Lane and Some Headshot Advice

When my studio phone rings I can never predict who it might be. Sometimes the caller is a household name, someone I’ve heard about all of my life or someone I saw on the news that morning. There is an ongoing joke in my studio when the phone rings; I always say, “This could be the most important phone call of my life!” And sometimes it is. “Joe Henson” I state as I answer the phone. “Hi Joe, this is Tyler Perry, I need photos and your name was given to me by a friend.” Very exciting to get a call like that! I also never truly know what the future will hold for my clients after our shoot together. I have photographed many stars but I have also photographed many stars yet to be. I remember when Adam Horowitz (King “Ad Roc” of the Beastie Boys first came to shoot with me. He was about 15 and two things stand out in my mind about him, first, he was the first person I had ever seen with a “bed head” hair style and second, he was wearing a “Def Jam Records” t-shirt. His hair was sticking straight up off his head at crazy angles. “What about your hair?” I asked. He took a glance in the mirror, “Looks alright to me.” he stated. And so my first “bed head’ headshot was committed to film. I asked him what “Def Jam” was and he said it was his record label. “Record label? Are you in a band?” I asked, and he proceeded to tell me about “The Beastie Boys” and how they were slated to tour with Madonna that summer. He was 15! I thought “Yeah…Madonna…right” and we continued shooting Well…I’ll be damned! Guess he wasn’t dreaming.


Is it possible to predict who will hit it big? From my point of view behind the camera, I would have to say that the headshot experience sometimes has very little to do with the acting talent of my sitters. A client who has never acted before, but has just been bitten by the bug, might have a much easier time with his/her first headshot session than a seasoned actor who might approach a headshot session with trepidation and loaded with previous bad headshot baggage!

Many actors psych themselves out with the importance of their headshots. They think their entire career is riding on this one photo and the hideous fact is…sometimes it is. I’ve had past clients call me with stories about how the shot we did got them seen for amazing projects…big roles in big films.

One of the toughest shoots I’ve done was with Annette Bening early in her career. She had already won the Tony for “Coastal Disturbances” and great things were looming for her. She was wonderful and sweet but I remember that she had a very difficult time with the shoot. She was over thinking every detail of the session, watching herself and having trouble getting into the here and now, what actors call “the moment”. She’s very smart but it was working against her, stopping her from committing to the shoot. We finally got things rolling even though you might be able to tell…it was a bad hair day!

The best way to approach a session is with confidence, energy and to be loose. Go over the top with your expressions, mug a bit and loosen up. Play. In the digital world, a bad shot is just one click away from the trash. Engage the camera, play to it, and create a relationship with the person you put inside it. Tell the viewer that you want to do something to them…threaten them, cajole them, seduce them, tell them that you feel good, feel cocky, feel funny. I would rather pull a sitter off of the ceiling than be faced with the dreaded dead stare. A great photographer can encourage you, help you, point out issues to address, but no one can get inside your face and make it happen. Take responsibility in the result. It’s collaboration and a game. Play along, you’ll get better results that way.

Dectective Magazine Mock-up

Another portfolio piece. We wanted to try our hand at creating a noirish detective magazine cover. Holly was the model and special thanks goes to Tony Marando for the fabulous Graphic Design work.

Kelilah gets masked!

We're working on some beauty shots for our portfolios now. Kerry is mastering airbrush make-up and wanted to try her hand at airbrushing on a mask. Kelilah Israel Jordan, our lovely model patiently became Kerry's human canvas and 2.5 hours later...VOILA!

How to get Great Headshots - the Inside Story

Q. What are Actor’s Headshots and how are they used?

A. Actor’s headshots are images of actors which are used as an aid in casting by Casting Directors, Agents, Managers, Directors, Producers and anyone involved in auditioning talent for the various markets in the entertainment industry. From the earliest Hollywood “Pub Shots” i.e. Publicity Shots to current Electronic Submission Digital Images, headshots have been the currency that circulates through the industry representing actors in an effort to be seen for a role. An effective headshot is a mix of esthetic value (it is pleasing to look at and makes the actor look good) and casting viability and clarity (it defines the elements of the actor’s type that are important in defining the logical characters that actor can play).

Headshots are one of the most effective elements of an actor’s arsenal in terms of “being seen for a role”. A strong headshot can be an effective entrée into the offices of the people who hold the reigns of power in the entertainment industry. A great headshot can not tell someone how talented you are, but it can define your qualities as an actor that in turn define the types of roles you should be playing. We have all heard stories of actors whose headshots have “gotten them in the door” of a big shot agent and launched a successful career.

Headshots are used in two primary forms, the reliable 8X10 reproduction and the rapidly growing Electronic Submission. The 8X10 reproduction is exactly what it sounds like, a print of the actor’s headshot reproduced on 8X10 inch paper and usually printed in large quantities. Reproduction Houses that specialize in making copies dot the landscape in most large cities that are centers for actors. Actors submit a “Master Image” either in the form of a Master Print or Master Digital File and the Reproduction House makes carefully controlled copies of that shot. These copies come in two basic forms, Photo Reproductions which use continuous tone photo paper and produce copies which are indistinguishable from the original, or Lithographs which are lower cost and lower quality reproductions of the image using a fine dot matrix process, much like the images in a newspaper. Budget and personal style determine which process an actor goes with and there is an ongoing debate concerning the best choice. Typically actors who use expensive photographers looking for high photographic quality will want to maintain the elements of that quality in their reproductions. Reproduction Houses have price points throughout the spectrum with Photo Reproduction Houses charging around $115 for 100 Photo Reproductions to Lithographic Houses charging $50 for 500 lithographs.

Electronic submissions involve emailing a low resolution JPEG to the appropriate party. It’s important for every actor to learn how to resize their digital headshot file so that it will sail swiftly through cyberspace and land gently in the queue of the target’s email. Currently there are no established standards for image size but most offices prefer that the image be sized under 1 Megabyte and be converted to 72 dpi. If that sounds like gibberish to you, you can learn to resize your photos fairly easily through many of the photo software programs out there. Typically the programs that are packages with your digital camera will explain the process and allow you to resize your image “for the web”.

Headshots are submitted to industry people who are involved in the casting process. Depending on the level of professionalism, this could mean sending them to an agent as a means of making contact or sending them as a response to an ad for a Student Film Casting in a local actor’s newsletter or giving them to an uncle who knows someone who knows Steven Spielberg. They carry the hopes and dreams of many actors in getting discovered.


Q. What makes a great headshot?

A. A great headshot is the perfect balance of quality, individuality, and effectiveness. A great headshot works on two levels, first esthetically – it looks good to the eye, even upside down. It grabs the attention of the viewer and pulls him/her in. Agents receive thousands of headshots a month. Your headshot has to stand out from the group and grab that agent by the lapels and say, “Look at me!” Secondly, it has to place the actor within a context that makes it easy for the industry professional to mentally cast that actor. They should be able to picture the actor in specific types of roles. This actor would make a great Romantic Lead, that one would make a great Villain. The headshot should be specific enough to define elements of a “type” but not so specific that it limits the actor to only one note. No one headshot can represent all of the possible roles that a talented actor could play, but an effective headshot can represent qualities that logically give a perspective for casting that actor.


Q. How do I go about getting a great headshot?

A. The search begins by sifting through the maze of avenues available to get a photograph that can represent you as an actor. Yes, it’s possible that your Uncle Charlie who works at the DMV could take your picture and it will be in focus and will look like you to a certain extent but in the competitive world of Acting, better headshots present the actor as a professional who takes pride in his/her presentation and understands that the first line of offense is “penetration “. A Casting Agent receives a headshot (with a resume attached to or printed on the back) and decides whether that actor is worth a look or whether that headshot goes into the circular file (we all know what that is). Take a look through the dumpster behind a Casting Agent's office and cry for the lost opportunities tossed in there.

If you decide that the best approach is find a professional photographer (obviously my choice) and not to rely on a lucky accident by a friend, then you are faced with the prospect of figuring out what your budget will be and who is the best qualified photographer you can find for that budget. Professional Headshot Photographers come at all price points from the $99 special to the $1500 Hot Shot. Is more expensive better? Can you get a great headshot for $99? The bottom line is that as in real life – quality usually costs something. It comes down to this: A professional who has pride in his/her work, makes a living doing that work, and has tons of experience is invested in the result that they create, and has a sense of the market and current styles. Lower prices depend on volume for profit and must then cut back on personal attention and care. Yes, it’s theoretically possible to get a great shot for $99, but it’s also theoretically possible to pay $99 seven times to come up with something that could have come the first time from a trained qualified professional who knows the value of their work and depends on positive word of mouth to stay in business.

It’s a cutthroat world out there for Actors. There are a myriad of businesses specifically designed to separate an aspiring actor from their money. Modeling schools that make empty promises for hefty sums, Casting Agents who charge for meetings, Agents who receive kickbacks from unscrupulous photographers, Acting Teachers who put the moves on students or take advantage of naivety. You’ve definitely got to listen to your gut, but forewarned is for-armed and it’s certainly a buyer beware situation. But all is not lost and actors do get their money’s worth by finding the photographers who deliver great results for reasonable prices.

The first step is to put your ear to the ground. Find a network of actors who are happy with their headshots and the rate they were charged. I mention the rate they were charged because the trick is not to break the bank, but to pay a reasonable rate to get a satisfying product. What is the going rate? What is enough to spend? Logic dictates that people who do something well get compensated for it. That goes for Doctors, Lawyers and Headshot Photographers. So, if the $99 deal seems too good to be true, yes, it probably is. Most New York Headshot Photographers fall within a range from $350 to $850. Does paying $850 guarantee a great shot? No. And beware of the “flavor-of-the-month” photographer who makes a big splash but can’t deliver consistent results over time. New York City is the land of hype and Lemmings form a line at every cliff face along the Hudson River. Most photographers in the range from $350 to $850 would probably do a fairly competent job, but the best shots come from a collaboration between a great professional that you connect with personally and feel comfortable with, and an actor who accepts some responsibility in the process.

Q. What then is the actor’s responsibility in the headshot process?

A. An actor should be clear on the markets he/she wants to work in first of all. Do you want to get TV commercials? Well, you need shots that target those markets and present your type in a strong clear way. Are you a Business Person, a Mom, a Dad, an All-American Boy/Girl Next Door, A Pop-Culture GAP/MTV Kid? That’s what should be evident in your commercial shot, and you might be more than one type. You need to cover all of your types. You might have an 8X10 of your strongest type and then a postcard with a shot of you as a different type on it. How about Film or TV or Theater? That’s called a Legit Shot. A Legit shot defines the qualities that an actor projects and that fall into broad categories in the acting world. Are you more on the intense, edgy side or the loose, light, comic side? Are you going to be hired as the love interest or the best friend? Are you strongest as a more specific type like a thug or a general type like a romantic lead? And within those categories, where do you fall. Are you Ross or Joey or Chandler? Are you Monica, Phoebe or Rachel? Actors need to define themselves so that others can see it. A great photographer has the perspective to help you project your type so that Casting People are goosed in the right direction for casting you. If they understand the roles you would be good for, and your shot accurately and powerfully defines those elements, you’ll get called in for parts that you are right for, a big important step in getting a role.

Q. When I look at most Headshot Photographer’s work, it all looks the same to me. What differentiates a great Headshot Photographer from a good one?

A. It’s difficult if you don’t know much about photography to differentiate levels of quality in photography. This is where in this interview I have to speak personally, based on my experience and what I do to make my work stand out. One aspect of portfolios that is fairly evident is whether the photographer has a limited formula, which is stamped out on each client. It’s not too difficult over time to master the technical elements in portrait photography. With enough experimentation any photographer can hit on a combination of lighting and lens that makes a pretty picture. What separates the greats from the rest is a photographer who generates the style of the headshot from the style of the client, who has a deep bag of tricks and has mastered many forms of lighting and shooting so that the headshot tells about the actor and not what photographer took the photo. Many agents pride themselves on being able to pick out the photographer who took your headshot, and while there are just a limited amount of photographers out there, the goal should be to sell you, not the photographer and their style. It’s helpful to look through magazines that profile actors. The best photographers in the world shoot the actors for those magazines and you can learn a lot about quality photography, taking in those images.

On the most basic human level a great headshot makes a connection with the viewer. The actor and the photographer work together to make that happen. You need to look through the lens and see the person behind the glass. Bring it to them; create an emotion, intensity, and a statement that is defined in your mind. I encourage my clients to feed me emotions or intent. Some have an easier time with that than others. For those that find it difficult, we play games to loosen the flow. I don’t commit to shooting until something is happening. I look for the moments when I feel the connection and BANG – there is a headshot!

The sitter is creating the role and the photographer is directing the action, choosing angles, and lighting, backgrounds that enhance the overall statement of the headshot. There is powerful magic in a great headshot. It commands attention and makes the viewer want to meet that person. As human beings we are drawn to truth and beauty, and those are the elements that make an outstanding headshot. A great photographer is excited by the search for those elements in all of his/her clients.

- Joe Henson 2009
©Joe Henson 2009, All Rights Reserved