Having shot a great many actor headshot sessions, the recurring mistakes are rarely technical. Almost always, it’s direction and communication.
Leaving a client to figure out what to do with themselves, rather than directing constantly and gently, is the most common one, and treating every actor headshot session the same regardless of the brief runs a close second, since it skips the one question that actually shapes a good session: what the images are actually for. Going quiet after the shoot doesn’t help either.
None of these require more skill to avoid, just more attention to the person in front of the camera.
See also: Do I need to prepare anything before my actor headshot session?.
For everything this post didn’t cover, including current pricing, the Actor Headshots page has the full picture, or reach out directly and ask.
FAQs
Straight answers below.
Do you retouch actor headshots the same way as other portraits?
Retouching stays light and natural. Casting directors want to see the real person, not a heavily edited version, so it stays to skin and stray hair rather than reshaping anything.
How fast can I get images before a deadline?
Rush turnaround is available for an audition or application deadline. Flag it at booking and it gets prioritised.
Further reading
Worth reading next.