When it comes to headshots, you need to make sure that you have a variety in your arsenal. This can be approached effectively 2 different ways: EMOTIONS or CHARACTERS.
EMOTIONS
The variety in your headshots come from the variety of emotions portrayed in your gallery, thus giving you multiple options to be pitched with. Of course each emotion will have it’s own “look” being a “costume change” as I’m sure you don’t want to have 6 different shots with different faces but with the same background and clothes on.
At the very least, you want to have the following emotions portrayed:
Neutral
Happy
Sad
Bitchy/Mean
Silly/Funny/“Personality Shot”
Having this minimum range will allow you to have some sort of connection with a role’s description.
It’s important that when you’re taking these shots, that you have practised in the mirror so you know what they look like, how it feels to pull that face and it’s REALLY important that you can recreate it without the mirror as you won’t have one to rely on.
CHARACTERS
Taking the character approach is helping the casting director by suggesting what roles you could play without being in costume and still allowing the shots to represent you as a person.
It’s almost a literal preview to how you’ll rock up to the audition if these roles were called up for.
These shots are based on your types/branding. Thus you really need to spend time with your team to figure out what your brands/types are as these will dictate your wardrobe, background, lighting, emotion, pose, hair, makeup, etc for the shoot.
EXAMPLE
This headshot of me looks like me. It also looks like me as a doctor, an lawyer, a corporate intern or just a guy dressed up. You can see that this headshot represented multiple “types” but still represents me as a person and that’s what matters most. That this is a person in this photo. I would generally rock up to an audition dressed just like this as this shot would specifically be used for any of the above roles which is what I would be called in for.
When you’re taking these shots, make sure you have a catch phrase going on in your head for each type. This will allow you to be in character and have something for your headshot to be communicating at the time of the shot which will translate through the camera.
CHECKLIST:
Do my current headshots fit in EMOTIONS or CHARACTERS?
What will serve me better - EMOTIONS OR CHARACTERS?
What will serve my team better in submissions - EMOTIONS OR CHARACTERS?
EMOTIONS CHECKLIST
Have a practised all my emotions in front of the mirror so I know what it looks like?
Do I know what it FEELS like when I pull certain emotions?
Can I recreate each emotion without the mirror?
Have I practised enough?
CHARACTERS CHECKLIST
Do I know my types?
Do I have a clear understanding on how to communicate these types visually?
Does my photographer know how to communicate these types visually?
Do I have a catchphrase for each type for when I shoot?