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.