Should I Wear Glasses for My Acting Headshots?

If you are an actor for film, TV, or commercial, you should definitely consider wearing glasses for your acting headshots.

Wearing glasses for acting headshots can be one of the best ways to open up new opportunities and showcase your range as an actor.

Glasses can add a lot of character to your actor headshots! They can help sell your look instantly, almost like a prop, but without the distraction that sometimes goes along with props. If you want your look to be somewhat (or very) specific, you will want to consider wearing glasses to enhance types like:

• Book nerd

• Scientist

• Grandma / Grandpa

• Comedic relief

• Quirky / artist

• Shy / vulnerable characters

• Know-it-all types

• Teacher / professor

If you are a more seasoned actor and have a wide range of types, or are looking to expand your opportunities for auditions and roles, definitely wear a set of glasses for one of your looks. Choose the look that best represents your personality and point of view as an actor, and toss on a set of frames for that look.

Both child actors and adult actors can benefit from having a glasses option in their portfolio if they are going for roles in film and TV. For commercial work, glasses may or may not be needed, unless you wear glasses naturally.

If you wear glasses regularly, they are an important part of your identity and can help create a recognizable headshot. You want your headshots to fully represent you! So if you are a glasses-person, then definitely wear them in at least some, if not all, of your headshots.

Glasses can cause glare and reflection issues in headshots, however! Here is something you need to keep in mind if you want to use your own glasses for your headshots:

Glasses often reflect lighting, and can even give your eyes a purple, blue, or green hue if they have any tint on them whatsoever (like blue-blockers or transition glasses).

Does this mean you can’t use your own glasses? Not necessarily…

If you have a very specific looks to your glasses that you would like to keep in your headshots, you will likely need to have the lenses popped out for the session. On rare occasions, we can get away with glasses that still have the lenses in and avoid glare or lighting reflections, but often have to compromise our posing to get the right tilt in the glasses. And - this is only an option when your glasses have the most extensive lens glare removal applied.

If you are unwilling to have your optometrist pop your lenses out for the session, consider ordering a set of costume glasses online and popping the plastic out. These glasses can actually be very affordable, and this way you can determine what look the frames have.

Here at my Acting Headshot Studio in Orlando Florida, we have several glasses you can choose from during your acting headshot session. These glasses are fairly simple, however, so if you would like something with a strong character, bring a set of frames we can use with no lenses.

You may not be sure if you should use one of your looks to have glasses - ask your coach and agency if wearing a pair of glasses is right for your career goals and submissions.

Let’s take a look now at how effective glasses can be at adding personality and specificity to your actor headshots!

Examples of acting headshots with glasses:

So, if you are an actor who wants to pursue a career in film or TV, I recommend adding a look that includes glasses! It shouldn’t be your main look, unless you wear glasses already, but usually the third or fourth look where you can start to get more type-specific.

Are you looking for a photographer who specializes in acting headshots in the Orlando area?

Get in touch to learn more about your acting headshot session, or, book directly online! Let’s get you a set of headshots that casting directors will stop on and want to know more!