I was having a conversation with my webmaster, Wordman, about the importance of a girl’s photos. And, it got me thinking about how it would make a great blog topic.
My current clients all have professional, high quality photos–if new or potential clients don’t understand the importance of having great photos, I always explain it to them. It’s worth it to pay a professional photographer $300 and up for stellar photos. Why? You’re investing in your future and your ability to get work. Your photos on your agency’s website are what directors and studios are looking at and are the most important thing in getting you hired.
Make sure you actually resemble your photos. If you show up on set looking nothing like your photos, you could use the job. Some photographers do retouching, so you and the photographer should decide what is the right amount of retouching and/or of it is really needed.
It’s also a good idea to have at least a few different looks with your photos to show your versatility and that you can lend yourself to other looks and play a variety of roles on camera. And with the explosion of parodies, this has become increasingly important.
Hiring a make-up artist is also important–you might want to save money and do your own make-up but it’s really worth it to spend $100 (or a bit more) to look your best. Find one who makes you look and feel amazing and uses just the right amount of make-up. I personally recommend Angie Peek, who also does some truly awesome things with hair. Check out her website here: http://officialangiepeek.com
Show up to your photo shoot feeling good about yourself. It will definitely show through in your photos. Make sure to find a photographer that you vibe with and gets you. Some photographers can only connect with some subjects–find one that connects with you and can capture the best you in every frame. There are a lot of really great photographers in the industry and even more in mainstream. I’m not going to recommend any photographers because there are so many and it’s a personal preference. If you see another girl’s photos that you like, ask her who did them. Recommendations go a long way.
Seriously, take a look at your photos. Are you happy with them? Are your photos dated or older? It might be time to invest in some new ones.