Having great headshots is incredibly important to an actor’s career.

What makes a great headshot? It’s actually pretty simple (though maybe not so simple to create — make sure you get a professional photographer who knows the industry standards).

Your acting headshots need to be:

Accurate to your appearance
Highly professional (lighting, editing, backdrop, etc)
Type-specific
Specific to acting (not a modeling shot!)
And, while not a requirement, you may want to consider keeping your headshots fresh so that casting directors (who can sometimes see many actors’ headshots more than once) have a new image to consider if they’ve passed on the opportunity of working with you previously.

So, how often should you update your headshots as an actor?

In short - any time you can’t check one of those 3 boxes!

Professional acting headshots should be taken every 1-2 years for adults

… assuming you have not had any notable changes in your appearance.

This frequency is recommended as not only will your looks change, but so will your casting type as your abilities as an actor grow! As you age in (or out of) new character types, you will want headshots that reflect your range as an actor.

Let’s drill into each point and see why each is so important for your career.

Your acting headshots need to be accurate to your appearance.

When your physical look changes, it’s time to schedule new headshots. Casting directors like nothing less than seeing an actor in person that looks different than their headshots led them to believe. As you know, directors choose who they want to see auditions from because they can envision an actor in the role — this has to do with your appearance! Casting directors do typecast, and that’s a good thing in this industry (and why we photograph types and different looks in acting headshots).

If you’ve aged in a way that is noticeable compared to your headshots, you are mis-representing yourself to casting directors.

Sometimes, I have clients who want me to smooth out all their wrinkles (Well-earned, by the way! Be proud of those laugh lines!), take away scars or moles, and shave off a few pounds. While this photoshop work may be desired, it will not give you headshots that work for your career. Business headshots may be a slightly different story with editing, but for actors, minimal editing is required for headshots that work.

Your age should be accurately (and beautifully!) represented in your headshots.

If your appearance has changed, you need new acting headshots.

If your hair has changed (at all), your weight has fluctuated (been there!!!), or your appearance has changed in any way, you need to update your acting headshots. Images that don’t represent your current look cannot be used in this industry and are a major turn-off to casting directors who picked you to audition because of your look.

Some people ask, “how much change is too much?” Well, there are tiny discrepancies that may not be noticed, like a trim of your hair or 10 pounds, but if we’re talking a few inches of hair adjustment - you need new headshots. 20 pounds tends to be significant enough to warrant new headshots as well.

2. Your headshots need to be taken professionally by a photographer who understands actor headshot requirements and industry standards.

One of the biggest mistakes actors make is thinking that any old headshot will do.

If your headshot is:

taken by a friend or yourself
taken by a photographer who doesn’t know how to use lighting effectively
too busy of a background, or has an unprofessional background (such as bushes or trees)
over-edited (or sometimes under-edited!)
dim or flat in appearance and exposure
balanced improperly with lighting

..then it’s time for an update!

The goal of your headshots is to get you auditions and work. This is an investment that is necessary to get going! Investments are a strategic way to make money. That is the goal with these images - a great headshot can be your foot in the door where you can show directors what you can do and book jobs.

Without a great headshot that looks highly professional, casting directors may not take your seriously right from the get-go, no matter how talented you are. If you think about it, why would a casting director feel they could trust to you to do your job professionally and take it seriously, if you don’t even take your professional image seriously?

Below are two examples of the same teen actor. The first was an image taken by a friend, which in the world of acting, does not qualify as a good headshot. The first image doesn’t have lighting that allows her to shine, the background is too busy, and her hands are a distraction. This young actress ended up having to get a full new set of headshots so an agency would be able to market her effectively.

It is important to choose a professional headshot photographer instead of an amateur.

For your career to take off, you need a photographer who can light you, pose you, and choose the best backdrops/environments to help your true self shine — right out of the camera!

If your headshot photographer doesn’t know how to use lighting (whether studio lighting, natural light, or a combination of both, which I do here at the Orlando Photography Studio :), your headshots will not be a good, attractive representation of you. Bad headshots can even prevent you from being called in for an audition. Make sure that whoever you go with for your new headshots, it is clear that they understand photography lighting and can produce beautiful light consistently.

Beautiful, expertly-crafted lighting helps us get accurate actor headshots, no matter what your age is!

I tend to use three different, professional lighting techniques depending on what look we’re going for in your headshots. From soft and naturally captivating to crisp, bold, and punchy, we use several techniques here that support the look and showcase the range of every actor.

3. Your headshots should be specific to your types

Update your headshots when you start noticing a pattern of a type of character you get sent out for, such as the girl next door, the bad guy, the lead man, or the modern mom.

Often, actors also benefit from having a headshot that represents being an extra in movies or tv series. A simple barista outfit, nurse, etc., are good options when you are going for background roles.

Here are more examples of different types for acting headshots:

Before you invest in headshots that represent types, make sure to also have a neutral headshot that will work for your market.

The headshot market in Orlando, Florida is geared toward commercial. Here in Central Florida, it is very important to have an excellent and professional commercial headshot.

As the country’s third largest commercial market, this headshot will yield lots of results for an actor here, and hopefully pay for itself many times over in the course of a year, as long as you are getting out there and auditioning!

Make sure you have an excellent commercial headshot to get started acting in Florida. Commercial headshots are friendly, bright, and simple. Lighting should be brighter (no dark shadows), and the background should be on the lighter side. Your photographer can opt for a flat background, or one with a bit of texture / environment (as long as it’s not too busy!).

Neutral headshots for film actors can carry a bit more weight and drama.

If you would like to audition for film and TV roles, your neutral headshot should have some gravitas. Shadows are ok, more intense expressions, but always keep in mind that you need to appear approachable for your neutral film headshot.

These headshots can also qualify for theater, and are often even called “theatrical headshots.”

Tell your photographer your main goals before you go through your headshot session. If you need theatrical headshots, lighting, background, outfit, and expression will all be different than your commercial neutral headshot.

How often should you update headshots for children and teens?

For children and teens, headshots should be taken at least once every year, assuming there are no other physical changes like hair style or color. Many children opt to get headshots taken every 6-8 months during their “sprouting” years, and every 8-9 months for teenagers.

If you think it’s time to update your look, and you are in the Orlando area, get in touch to schedule your acting headshot session with Eldeen!

How often should you update your acting headshots?