It’s been an open debate since the beginning: do headshots give you any sort of advantage in the casting room? We know a thing or two about the industry, and our answer starts off with a big fat YES. When it comes down to what’s most important, it’s about making an investment in yourself. This is your career we’re talking about! Our friends at Backstage compiled a list of tips for better headshots. CLICK HERE to check it out.  Here are some of our favorite points from the article:

Go pro. It’s worth it. Go to a professional who is trained, understands lighting, and takes headshots for a living – not some friend who happens to have a decent camera who “sorta knows a little about photography.” Save those pictures for Instagram, and leave the headshots to the pros. Good headshots range from $400-$1200, and to get them professionally duplicated (not at CVS) will cost you another $100. Anything less is just a glorified passport photo. If the headshots look cheap, they probably are. And you look like you don’t care about your career. INVEST IN YOURSELF.

Find a photographer that gets you. You have to vibe with the photographer, and that person has to make you feel very comfortable, as you will hopefully be using these headshots for a couple of years and sending it to everyone in town. Research photographers online, go to Reproductions and look through their portfolio books, ask for a consultation, get a feel for how they photograph your type, your ethnicity, your gender, etc.

And most importantly, don’t cut corners.

As you compare photographers, explore our actor headshot portfolio to see the expressions, lighting and range of looks you might want from your session.