Headshot prep doesn’t start with clothes.
It starts with clarity.
Most headshot mistakes don’t happen during the shoot. They happen before an actor ever books the session. Not because actors don’t care. Because they’re often reacting instead of orienting.
“I just need new headshots.”
I hear that all the time. And I get it. That sentence usually shows up after a stretch of silence. Fewer callbacks. A sense that something isn’t clicking the way it used to. Saying “I just need new shots” feels active. Like you’re doing something.
But that instinct is a feeling, not a plan.
This post is about slowing that moment down just enough to make smarter choices. Not to overthink. Not to make things harder. Just to get oriented before you step in front of a camera.
First Things First: What Looks Are You Actually Covering?
The very first challenge in headshot prep is figuring out what looks you want to cover in your session.
Not what looks you like.
Not what looks cool on Instagram.
What looks actually help casting place you.
If you have representation, this is where to start. Ask them how they’re marketing you. What kinds of roles are they submitting you for? What roles do they almost submit you for, but hesitate because the shot doesn’t quite exist?
That’s not a scary question. That’s literally their job.
If you can, ask for a submission report. Organize it. Look for patterns. That alone can clarify more than a mood board ever will.
For kids, this part is easy. Your headshot should reflect “kid” or “student.” Clean. Present. Accurate.
For everyone else, it helps to zoom out.
Where You Live Matters More Than You Think
Are you in a theatre-only market?
NYC? LA? Atlanta? Somewhere else?
What’s filming where you live matters. A lot.
Before you decide what your headshots should be, take a look at what’s actually casting in your area. Film. Television. Commercials. Theatre. Union and non-union. Patterns show up quickly when you’re paying attention.
One of my favorite hacks is simple: watch TV with purpose. Don’t skip the commercials. Keep your phone nearby. When you see an actor who feels close to you in age, coloring, energy, or type, take a quick photo of the screen.
Not to copy them. To notice what’s working.
What are they wearing?
How dressed up or dressed down are they?
How neutral or specific does it feel?
Hack: if it works on TV, it almost always works on a still camera.
Once you’ve collected a few references, raid your own closet. Not to recreate costumes, but to find your version of what you’re already seeing cast.
A Helpful Shortcut: The Worlds Casting Uses Again and Again
I don’t believe actors need to force themselves into categories. You don’t. And you shouldn’t.
That said, for film and television actors in markets like NYC, there are a handful of casting worlds that show up over and over again. Having these covered goes a long way.
Think of them as environments casting moves through quickly. Not boxes. Patterns.
Here are the big ones I see again and again:
Authority / Procedural / Corporate
Lawyers. Detectives. Doctors. People who wear suits and are taken seriously.
(Yes, Law & Order. It’s a rite of passage.)
Blue Collar / Grit
Working class. NYC realism. Normal people with something interesting going on.
This look often overlaps with post-apocalyptic worlds more than people realize.
Family / Commercial / Academia
Parents. Teachers. Coaches. Therapists. The cool aunt. The no-nonsense gramps.
Commercial work often lives here too.
Sci-Fi / Post-Apocalyptic
There will always be a Walking Dead. There will always be the future.
This is where physicality, texture, and restraint matter.
Most actors live clearly in one or two of these. Some overlap. Occasionally someone sits at a really interesting intersection.
Take that shot, also. The one that is human. The one that is you.
I say it again and again…If you don’t shoot it, you can’t use it.
Wardrobe: Edit, Don’t Panic
Prep doesn’t mean shopping immediately. It means editing.
Raid your closet and do you your versions of the roles you want to cover.
If you DO need to pick up a piece or two, leave the tags on and return it when you’re done. I won’t tell.
Try everything on before your shoot and if possible share selfies with your photog so they know what they’re getting into.
Look in the mirror and ask:
Does it fit?
Do I actually love the way this looks on me?
If not, try something else.
A few steady truths:
Classic cuts last longer than trends.
Tailored tops are slimming.
Layers finish a look.
Keep patterns minimal.
Same goes for graphics, logos and words. (It’s easy to edit smaller logos but maybe skip the full width graphics.
Pick colors that love your skin tone.
If you think it might wash you out, it probably will.
And please… iron your stuff. Bring clothes on hangers. It can make or break a photo and photoshopping wrinkles sucks.
Prep Is Also Physical (But Not Obsessive)
You don’t need to reinvent yourself. Just take care of the basics.
Hydrate in the days leading up.
Go easy on alcohol, and salty snacks.
Don’t get a haircut the day before. Let it settle. Rarely will you get an audition just after you’re freshly cut. Somewhere in the middle is usually good. Unless of course you’re always buzzed or whatever then line it up!
If you shave your face on the day, use a fresh razor and hot water. Go slow.
If you wake up with a pimple, don’t touch it. Seriously.
Makeup should look like you’re not wearing any. Fresh. Clean. Even. Not Shiny. Skip the glossy lipsticks or anything that’ll be dolphin skin or “dewey”. It can look like sweat or saliva and I don’t wanna see that in a shot of a confident actor.
A little drama on the eyes is fine. Lashes? Easy does it. If you want beautiful catch lights in your eyes, don’t do LONG lashes.
Details matter. Panic doesn’t help.
Talk to Your Photographer
This part matters more than most people realize.
If you hate your double chin.
If your eye goes lazy when you’re tired or when your head is at a certain angle.
If you never like your teeth in photos.
Tell your photographer.
Think of your photographer as your coach. The way I see it, my job is to worry about angles, light, framing, and what reads. Let me carry that so you don’t have to.
Confiding isn’t weakness. It saves time. And it makes better work.
The Mental Game (This Is the Hard Part)
Headshots are weird. They’re the most artificial thing actors do.
No dialogue.
No scene partner.
No costume except your own clothes.
An audience of one.
Of course nerves show up.
Hack: Embrace the weirdness. Think of it as an improv where it’s impossible to fail. We’re not limited by film anymore. There’s always the delete button.
And here’s the thing about working with me. I never leave ya hanging. I’ll give ya scenarios and situations to consider as we shoot, so you can play through the intention as an actor (in your mind - non verbally).
Connection matters. Breathing matters. The camera sees everything.
If I’m coaching adjustments in your face angle or body positioning, move slowly so we can do subtle adjustments and I can keep tack sharp focus on your eyes.
You don’t need to pose. You don’t need to vogue. You don’t need to practice in the mirror or rehearse lines in advance.
Best prep you can do is to think about the characters and roles that we’re targeting - however complicated or one dimensional they might be - or the shows they already exist on - and imagine what kind of scenes they might appear in. And what those situations might be. None of this needs to be premeditated or anything. Just in the moment, it’s actually quite freeing to use your imagination and allow the character to be the one being photographed.
But think it, don’t show it. When the thoughts and intentions are clear, your face will follow. And if it doesn’t, I’ll coach it outta ya.
Deadface is boring. Or worse, it reads as closed or difficult.
We still need to root for you, even when we go dark, right? We’ve gotta be secretly rooting for Richard III or at least drawn in by his charisma. Those kinds of dark characters or villains are always more interesting to play and to watch. Take that shot instead of deadface. Twinkle it up.
Smiles are great for commercial, industrials, family comedies, industrials and musical theatre. For legit, a grin is plenty these days. Here’s a tip. Smiles usually look best on their way down. Go big and let it fall as you breathe. I’ll catch it.
Keep your eyes on the camera and look through the lens. Cast it as your scene partner throughout the shoot.
And remember: if you don’t shoot it, you can’t use it.
One final thing that should take ALL of the stress off the mental prep for headshots. Like, seriously. You don’t actually have to feel or think ANYTHING when you’re in a headshot session. We just need to make it look like you are. And most of that is my job as your photographer through coaching, lighting and framing the shot.
Let me put this another way. Sometimes what we’re intending to play to the camera isn’t always what is reading to the camera. I’ll find the technical subtleties and angles for ya and I ALWAYS share the back of the camera with you so you can see what’s playing. (I’m not sure why some photogs don’t. We’re a team.)
One Last Suggestion (This might be the most important shot to get during your your session)
Every actor should have at least one headshot look that is simply them. We tend to forget this sometimes.
Not you as a role.
Not you aiming at a market.
Just you, clearly and honestly.
You will find a use for it. Promise.
This shows up all the time, unintentionally, in sessions. Clients arrive in their street clothes. And just happen to be wearing one of their favorite tops - ‘cause it’s headshot day and we’re feeling good. Hair’s done. We did our homework. Trains were rockstar all the way. It’s a great day. I love the excitement and the energy. We say hellos, hang up the wardrobe (and if what they’re wearing works for camera), I might grab a few frames before we touch “official” wardrobe.
And almost always, those frames yield some real winners.
Why? No effort yet. No strategy layered on top. Just presence. The actor feeling good on a really good day looking like, well, themselves!
Chances are, the way you naturally present already aligns with one or two of those casting worlds. That’s not a limitation. That’s information.
The point isn’t to ever force yourself into a category.
The point is to understand where casting can place you most easily right now.
Once that starting place is clear, everything else gets simpler. Submissions make more sense. Headshot choices get focused. Casting doesn’t have to work as hard to imagine you in the room.
The goal isn’t to disappear into a category.
The goal is to be seen clearly enough that casting wants to meet you.
That’s the balance.
— Clint
If you want help thinking this through, I’m happy to talk.