About Organic Headshots

Michelle Kaffko is a headshot photographer and fashion/beauty/portrait photographer based in Chicago. With over 12 years of cross-functional professional experience as an independent art photographer specializing in darkroom and black and white fine art works, her background includes portraiture, promotional imaging, event coverage, and wedding/engagement photography.

About Headshots

“I don’t look like that, do I?” If that’s what you think when you pick up your headshot, you are in need of a new one. You would not put someone else’s phone number on your business card, so why put someone else’s head in your headshot? A headshot is an entertainer’s business card, and it is responsible for making a good (or bad) first impression. To minimize the risk of a bad headshot, you need to be aware of what casting agents seek. A headshot must be an accurate, professional, and inviting representation of your true image. In other words, you need a headshot that looks like you. It needs to show your current look and what kind of person you are. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Marketing yourself as an entertainer means having a headshot that speaks on your behalf. Your headshot is a communicative tool that should say, “I am a comedian,” or, “I am a theatrical actress,” or, “I work in commercials.” Casting agents notice things that may seem insignificant. For example, if you want to work commercial gigs, your headshot needs to depict you as the person you really are. If your headshot shows you with too much makeup or reveals that your freckles have been airbrushed, a casting agent will likely toss it aside. They seek consistency: someone who looks how they say they look and someone they can trust to perform the necessary work. When you hand someone a headshot, you’re saying, “This is what I look like, and here is what I can do.” If they don’t believe your headshot represents your true image, they may very well not believe that you can play the part.

Think about what kind of work you want to do and what kind of roles you want to land. If you are a theatrical or film actor, represent yourself directly through your headshot. You are not trying to get a job selling toothpaste or cosmetics, so it is best not to airbrush your teeth to make them look bleached white or touch up your chin to remove a mole. Help the casting agents picture you in the role they are casting by showing them a headshot of you as you are. If you are a comedian, you should be laughing or smiling; if you are a professional clown, you should be in full clown makeup; if you are a musician, hold the instrument you play; or if you are an ensemble, the whole troupe should be interacting with each other.

Good vs. Bad Headshots

A Good Headshot

• Depicts a relaxed, confident you
• Catches you in thought, like you didn’t even know your picture was being taken
• Is taken by a photographer who can make you relaxed and capture you at your best
• Communicates something about your style and personality

A Bad Headshot

• Looks like you prepared for a glamour shot by doing your hair and makeup for hours
• A yearbook picture or a family photograph from Christmas
• Is not taken by a professional photographer: if you won’t take the time to get professional headshots, no one will believe you are serious about your career

Dressing for Your Headshots

What to Wear

• Mid-tones in solid, neutral colors. This means no solid black or white. You should choose colors near your skin tone or that accentuate your eye or hair color. No bright colors (like neon green or lipstick red) or busy patterns that distract from your face
• If you always wear glasses, wear them in your headshot
• No patent leather or shiny fabrics
• No logos or writing on your shirt
• If you choose to wear jewelry, keep it to a minimum or refrain from it altogether. Simple stud or hoop earrings or a simple necklace chain might work, but if the jewelry you wear distracts from your face, it is not in your best interest to wear it
• Clean your clothes of any wrinkles, lint, hair, etc.

Makeup/skin blemishes

Do your makeup how you usually wear it for an average day. Do not wear heavy makeup; a close headshot will show clumps of mascara or dark lipstick. Choose light eyeliners, eye shadows, and lipsticks that are only a shade or two darker than your skin tones. This brings your features out in a subtle manner. It is also important to keep in mind that caking on your foundation is not a good idea. Skin blemishes, pimples, and even wrinkles can be retouched. It’s not cheating. I promise.