Brendan

I photographed Brendan a while back.  If you don’t know, I normally retouch 1 image for every client, for free.  I didn’t realize that Brendan was using his image, unretouched, until I saw him on LinkedIn.  Quite naturally, I asked him which frame it was.

This is it with very minor retouching.

Brendan Stallings

Brendan Stallings

This picture made me happy for a lot of different reasons. But mostly because I thought that Brendan was a great guy, and I think I did him justice with this picture.
I also think he looks like he could be a future Dr. Who. But that’s just me.

Akilah’s Entry

(If you’re interested in entering the “Worst” photo-that-you-turned-in-as-a-headshot contest, click on the link in the banner, above.)

Akilah:

Akilah Perry

Akilah Perry

Took these as a college freshman and used it for any email submissions.

Thanks, Akilah, for sharing!
We’re now at the halfway point. Voting ends at the end of June.

Two new entries

The entries in the “Worst Headshot” contest continue to roll in.

If you want to enter (or just want to know what its all about) click on the link in the banner, above.

Candace

Candace Taylor Snapp

Candace Taylor Snapp

I visited my sister over a long weekend, dyed my hair from blonde to dark brown, and suddenly received a few auditions for the following Monday.
In a quick effort to have head shots ready with my new hair color, I had my sister take this photo on a cheap camera and then I printed the images at AB Photo when I got back to the city. It was really sunny outside so my eyes look freaky—and one of them is smaller than the  other—and the image is obviously blurry. I used this HS for about a month and then paid for some good ones.

Becky:

Becky Simo

Becky Simo

Yes, I did actually take this to an audition. No, I do not know what I was thinking. It was taken with my cell phone camera, I’m wearing a t-shirt and I don’t know what you’d call that facial expression.

Again, I’d like to thank everyone who’s shared their images with everyone, not to mention their reasoning.
You are clearly not alone.

A cautionary tale, for models

As if the modeling world didn’t have enough scammers? Here’s one that you probably haven’t heard of yet.  Its a doozy, and its easy to see why someone would fall for the set-up.

Dara; a friend who poses for me, but is not the person in this story.

Dara; a friend who poses for me, but is not the person in this story.

A friend of mine (not included in the pictures in this post) put her profile up on a modeling website.  An agency contacted her, said that they loved her photos, and that they wanted to hire her.
She’s a smart women, so she asked for details. They told her that it was nothing scandalous. It was a new company who needed a catalog, and they weren’t in town.  But they were shooting in her city.  No nudity.
When she agreed, this was the e-mail they sent her.  See if you can spot the red flags.

 

Dear xxxx,

After our review we think you are can fit in for the job. Hence, We congratulate you on this job as it has been awarded to you. I have located a studio agent and I think he is capable of locating a good studio for the project.

I spoke with my client and she confirmed to me she will be mailing out the sum of $2500  after which you get the payment you will deduct $400 as your part payment and the rest balance of $2,100 will be transfered to the studio agent via western union for booking of shooting space and registering of your name with the studio. I hope you understand.

She included that Make-up, hair etc would be taken care of at the shooting studio so you don’t need to come with any make-up. Remember you can come along with anyone of your choice to the shooting location. You have 12 different fashion outfits to cover (no nudity) which would be provided by our client on the day of the shooting. Most type of clothing will be Jeans and Jackets (No nudity).

Kindly forward the below information to me if you agree with the terms of the contract. These information will be used to mail out payment to you, so ensure the validity of the Information :

* FULL NAME (AS TO BE WRITTEN ON CHECK)

* PHYSICAL ADDRESS * CITY, STATE AND ZIP CODE

* VALID TELEPHONE NUMBER (Make sure your Cell number is included)

* AGE

*HEIGHT

*ONE PHOTOGRAPH OF YOURSELF

*CLOTHING SIZE

* WORKING EXPERIENCE

* EMAIL ADDRESS

I hope all is well stated, make sure you get back in touch with
the required payment details asap.

Thanks. James

Every model wants to work.  And even though there is a handful of flags in this e-mail, there are so many women who want to model, and so many who are willing to suspend disbelief, that I’m sure this scam has netted “James” tens of thousands of dollars.
After all – if you’re the woman who’s the target of this – you would probably think to yourself:
“Okay… I think its a scam.  But what’s the harm in letting him send me a check for $2,500, and seeing where it goes to from there?”

Which is what my friend did.

But here’s the thing.  My friend is wise, and she listened to that little voice in her head.  She called me and told me the story.  The more she told me, the more red flags were raised in my head.  So let me go through this e-mail with you, and tell you what I thought:

Dear xxxx,

After our review we think you are can fit in for the job. Hence, We congratulate you on this job as it has been awarded to you. I have located a studio agent and I think he is capable of locating a good studio for the project.

Bad syntax in an e-mail is a red flag, esp. with the use of the word “hence”.  If you notice that that the sentence is reversed (a.k.a.- Yoda speech), then its someone who is not speaking in their native language.

I highlighted the words “studio agent.”

My friend Brooke, who has never been asked to work with a studio agent.

My friend Brooke, who has never been asked to work with a studio agent.

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of the term.  Photographers don’t hire agents to look for their studios. We call the studios up directly.  Or, better yet, we farm that out to our photography assistant.

I spoke with my client and she confirmed to me she will be mailing out the sum of $2500  after which you get the payment you will deduct $400 as your part payment and the rest balance of $2,100 will be transfered to the studio agent via western union for booking of shooting space and registering of your name with the studio. I hope you understand.

Okay… so… why are you sending the money to the model?  The model that you never hired before, and have never met? And not directly to the agent?
This is not an indictment of all models, but certainly some models: why on earth would you trust the model with your financial arrangements?
Quick;  make a list of people that you would trust to take care of your finances.  Accountants, lawyers, and even photographers… Where does a model fall on that list?
I hope you get my point.
The part that I highlighted in that last section spoke about taking a check, cashing it, and then wiring some of the money via Western Union. I know someone who works with the Treasury department, and this is how some scams work.  You cash the check.  You think that you’re in the clear, because you’ve waited two days, and the bank says that the money is available.  But here’s the thing: the check has not actually cleared.  It will be a few more weeks before it actually clears.
In the meantime, you’ve sent cash to a stranger via Western Union.  If that check bounces?  You’re out the money you sent via Western Union, plus the fee for the bounced check, plus whatever it costs you to get yourself out of hock for the $2100 that you didn’t have in your checking account.
“I hope you understand.”

The last part of that section mentioned registering the model with the studio.  Models don’t have to register with a studio.  They can register with an agency, or test with a photographer.  There is no such thing as registering with a studio.

She included that Make-up, hair etc would be taken care of at the shooting studio so you don’t need to come with any make-up. Remember you can come along with anyone of your choice to the shooting location. You have 12 different fashion outfits to cover (no nudity) which would be provided by our client on the day of the shooting. Most type of clothing will be Jeans and Jackets (No nudity).

This part is pure genius.  It puts the model at ease that they aren’t being asked to do anything scandalous. “No nudity”.  But there goes the strange syntax again: “Most type of clothing will be.” Its obvious that English is not this person’s native language.
Does this mean that they are not a photographer?  Not at all.  But it has the same syntax as many other Nigerian scams.

Kindly forward the below information to me if you agree with the terms of the contract. These information will be used to mail out payment to you, so ensure the validity of the Information :

Again, outside of the bad syntax, this part is pretty smart. It makes it sound like the scammer just wants to know how to get the money to you.

* FULL NAME (AS TO BE WRITTEN ON CHECK)
* PHYSICAL ADDRESS * CITY, STATE AND ZIP CODE
* VALID TELEPHONE NUMBER (Make sure your Cell number is included)
* AGE
*HEIGHT
*ONE PHOTOGRAPH OF YOURSELF
*CLOTHING SIZE
* WORKING EXPERIENCE
* EMAIL ADDRESS

Again, all stuff to make it sound legit.  And – at the same time – they are collecting more information on you.  Presumably to be able to threaten you, if you make waves.

My friend took my advice, and threw away the FedEx envelope that was sent to her.  She ignored all other messages from the scammer.  As my friend who is connected with the treasury assured me, there was no way that this was legit.  It had all of the earmarks of a scam.

If this post saves one person money, then this was well worth it. While part of me is struck by the innovation, you can’t help but come to the conclusion that these folks are scum.  They’re taking advantage of women who just want to be discovered.  And the vast majority of them do not have $2,100 lying around to cover this kind of loss.

What you should bring to a headshot

Danielle

Danielle

A while back, I wrote an FAQ for my website.  It included a downloadable PDF document of things that you might want to bring to a headshot shoot.

I thought I’d share a few of the items that performers might not think about.
Keep in mind, this is by no means a complete list.

  • Floss.  Remember how you ate a Subway sandwich right before dropping into the studio, so you wouldn’t be hungry?  I always have those one-use plackers on hand for just such an occasion.  Not every photographer does.
  • Toothbrush.  See above.
  • Mostly for women: a straw.  Why do you want a straw, you ask?  Because you spent 10 minutes putting on that lipstick, and roughly 1/3rd of it is going to end up on the water bottle you bought with you. (Again, I keep straws on hand.)
  • Music on your phone or Ipod.  In my studio space, I always have a way for you to plug your music in.  It helps you relax.  If you’re relaxed, taking your photo is a cinch! Make your playlist for the shoot ahead of time.  HINT:  If you’re trying to keep upbeat, don’t make it the Les Misérables mix.  Unless music about “the depressed” is what makes you happy.
  • A light snack. Fruit is awesome; it packs a bunch of energy, and it won’t leave you crashing.  Although you’ll want to keep away from anything that will stain your tongue or teeth.  Blueberries are a bad idea.  Same for coffee.
  • Matching underwear.  It seems like a given, right?  But you’d be amazed at how many times I hear something along the lines of, “oh… I bought this white shirt to wear… but I only have a black bra.”
  • Lipstick and makeup that you’d normally wear, even if you’ve hired a stylist.
    The first question that any good stylist will ask you is:  are you allergic to any type of make-up?  The second question is: what do you normally wear?
    It gives them a jumping off point.  It also makes them aware of what you’re used to wearing, and what you can use to make yourself look like you do in your headshot.
  • For men, lip balm.  We get chapped lips too.
  • For women:  Heels.  And comfortable shoes.  I have to admit, I didn’t know this until a woman explained this to me.  We were just photographing her face. She wanted to feel classy.  So she put on her heels, and it made her “feel different.”
    The same thing applies to thigh high boots, sneakers, or anything you wear that makes you feel different.
  • For women, again: Nail polish.  You just know that you’re going to chip your color on the way here.
  • For men: a sharp razor.  Just in case you were in a rush, and missed a spot.
  • And most importantly: Your playfulness, and ideas.
    I get my best ideas from my clients.  I take my best photos when you are just having fun. Come and have fun.  Taking headshots can be a blast!

Michelle and Margie’s entry

If you came here to enter the contest for the “worst” headshot, click on the link in the banner.  Otherwise…

Marge:

Margie Gustafson

Margie Gustafson

My excuse is I had just gotten out of the hospital.

Michelle:

Michelle McBrien

Michelle McBrien

Obviously, this was a do-it-yourself. I asked my boss to take some pictures because I had an addition that night. Needless to say, after printing it off at Walgreens the crop version wasn’t any better. I totally didn’t know what I was doing. This is why there are professional who do this.
No call backs, no nothing.

Lynn and John’s entries…

If you want to enter the “worst” picture-you-ever-turned-in-as-a-headshot, contest, click on the link on the banner (above) for details.

Lynn:

Lynn Sciaraffa

Lynn Sciaraffa

Here is the worst headshot I ever sent in. It was for a Nutrisystem spokesperson spot. Needless to say I never even received a call to audition!

John:

John Mobley

John Mobley

This was taken for the programs for a community college show. It was at an actual studio. I can’t recall the photographer’s name, nor would I want to, because as you know John, my hair is not red.

(Disclaimer: I know John, but will not be voting for him, in order to remain fair.)

Please vote for your favorite. And as always, I appreciate everyone who’s entered just to admit that it wasn’t their best day.

Richard’s entry…

If you want to enter the headshot contest, click on the link in the banner, above.

Richard:

Richard Esteras

Richard Esteras

I actually used this as a headshot a couple of times. Couldn’t afford headshots so I took this picture at Millenium Park with my cell phone at night and had it printed out at Walgreens. I felt embarrassed each time as I watched people turn in their nice professional headshots while I submitted this….lol

What I love most about this, is that Richard is verbalizing what I think a lot of actors have done. Thanks for admitting it, Richard. Best of luck!

Scott’s entry…

Another entry into the “worst” headshot contest.  This one, by Scott.

If you’re interested in entering, go here to read the backstory and how to enter.
If you want to vote, click  “VOTE” on your favorite.

Scott:

Scott Merchant

Scott Merchant

…I thought I’d throw in my awful headshot prior to 2007. This was what I used auditioning for community theatre in Colorado.

There is still time to enter.  The contest ends at the end of June.