You’re right that if you snap the shutter enough times, you should end up with something usable… but that’s a bit akin to letting monkeys pound on typewriters until they end up writing Hamlet. It’s bound to happen, but it’s terribly inefficient, and a waste of resources.

Headshot photography is an art form… and artistry takes time, talent, and skill.

If the actor has a great time and gets along well with the photographer, their shots should look great. Think about it, if they keep snapping the shutter, something is bound to turn out good eventually. But I think the actors has to make the right decision on which headshot to use.

Thanks for checking out my site! And for looking out for the best interests of your actor friends… there are definitely a lot of people out there trying to take advantage of actors.

As far as your concerns about headshot prices, it all comes down to value. A $275 headshot session is a terrible value if those shots don’t get you auditions. A $1,000 headshot session that repeatedly gets you into auditions (where you book national commercials at $30,000 a pop) is indeed an *amazing* value.

If saving money is most important to you, by all means, look for a cheap photographer.

If getting auditions with casting directors (and meetings with agents) is most important to you, then I would suggest looking into professional headshot photographers (and most pros aren’t cheap).

All the best,

Nick

Don’t look at websites that write articles like this one telling you to accept the fact that headshots costs are this high. Many of my SAG friends got really good headshots for 275-450 tops, 500 is pushing it.

500 and up to say a 1000 would only be if you are already somewhat an established actor. You are retaking it because you want even better shots, more glam our, different looks, etc. The money you pay extra will make your actual head shot experience more fabulous, meaning you will be pampered.

Save your money… you’ll need it to survive as an actor

I totally understand your dilemma! When just starting out in any business, it’s tough to cough up the resources required to invest in your future. No business opportunity is a sure thing, so there’s always risk involved. The question you have to ask yourself is: do I believe in myself enough to invest in myself? If the answer is no, then why are you pursuing modeling or acting? If the answer is yes, then it’s up to you figure out a way to make the investment.

Trading or bartering for services is always a valid way to go… if you’re considering ad space on your blog as an option, then you need to be able to prove to your potential advertisers that they’re getting something valuable in return for their services: how many readers does your blog have? How many web hits does it get every month or every day, and are those readers people who might consider paying a photographer for headshots?

A link exchange is about $25 a year right now, on websites that list headshot photographers. Banner ads are more expensive, but they are usually offered by sites that have thousands of views per day, and cater almost exclusively to actors. That may be why you’ve been unsuccessful in finding someone willing to take you up on your offer.

Getting started is tough! But we all go through it… best of luck in your career, and I hope your blog is a success too!

Most people are so jaded in NYC that they won’t even consider a free ad spot on my very new blog in exchange for headshots. Any ideas?

http://beautyburn.blogspot.com/