(Above: New Orleans-based photographer, writer and actor Leigh Downey during a recent headshot session.)

Unlike headshots for models, corporate execs, senior portraits, etc., those for movie (as opposed to commercial or theatrical) actors have fairly straightforward guidelines: minimal makeup and little to no jewelry (if female); simple, non-distracting attire; natural, even lighting (forget the artsy Rembrandt shadows); and, most of all, a natural, relaxed expression. Glamour-shot looks with pouty expressions, makeup applied with a trowel, and plunging necklines are Bozo no-nos. Photoshop out too many wrinkles, laugh lines, age-related skin folds or naturally occurring blemishes and you will be doing your client a grave disservice because casting professionals insist -- nay, demand -- to see in a headshot how an individual "looks on a typical, good day," not on their way to a nightclub or how they envision themselves looking on the cover of Elle. On the day of the audition the actor must resemble his/her headshot. This is why I routinely tell clients, "I will take off five years in post-processing but not an hour more."   

Bypassing the smile-pretty-for-the-camera surface layer to dig deeper to discover something hopefully real -- or, at the very least, interesting -- presents unique challenges because every face (and the personality that drives facial expressions) is different. Days before the session I speak with the client to find out what they expect from the shoot and cover some nuts and bolts such as what to bring (a selection of neutral-colored clothing and accessories so we can put together the right look) and what to do (get plenty of rest the night before). As a rule I almost insist on using a professional makeup and hair stylist who (1) understands how to create flattering yet understated looks that translate well in front of the camera lens, and (2) can modify makeup and hair throughout the session as needed. I tell clients there is little point in spending money on headshots only to have the results compromised by do-it-yourself makeup.

Following are results from a handful of recent sessions (both in-studio and on location), plus an informal session I did with friends (at the end) tossed in because I like the results.

I. Tulane University English professor Alice Kracke has been working in New Orleans’ ever-growing movie industry for a while but she needed professional actor’s headshots. Her easy versatility of looks made the shoot a snap. With the help of makeup/hair stylist Rebecca Jacob we nailed a range of looks designed to catch the eye of movie casting professionals. But I also took the liberty of converting one of the color images to black and white (I now do this for all my clients) to further explore the “otherness” of Alice’s natural beauty I had discovered during our session (plus the image so reminded of the kind of photographs I remember of '60s French actress/singer Claudine Longet).

II. When Carolyn Rubano Krawczyk smiles for the lens, it’s damn near impossible for her -- or the photographer -- to take a bad photo. But when the high-energy, Atherton Pictures film and television producer said she wanted a headshot that was a “little different” with which to update her company’s website, I pulled out all the stops and headed to one of my favorite urban-decay stomping grounds near New Orleans’ long-abandoned Market Street Power Station. Blurred, graffiti-covered crumbling walls as a backdrop? Check. Great natural lighting augmented by a single off-camera strobe? Check. Killer smile? Check. All in a day’s work.

III. Bri McLaughlin is an aspiring actor who possesses what to me is among the most interesting (and beautiful) faces I have had the pleasure of photographing in recent years, thanks to her naturally dilated pupils and upturned angel-wing lips. But even this didn't make for an immediate slam-dunk headshot session. Rebecca had to take time adjusting Bri’s makeup coloring and hairstyle while elsewhere I busily tinkered with alternate lighting configurations. Rebecca peered over my shoulder as each shot appeared on my Nikon's LCD screen until she and I were both satisfied with Bri's look. Then the session took off like gangbusters ... 

IV. New Orleans-based photographer, writer and actor Leigh Downey has already racked up IMDb movie credits, but she needed new headshot photos before an important meeting with her talent agent. Fortunately the seasoned professional knew exactly what she wanted: an in-studio (as opposed to environmental) photo session, NYC-style tight cropping, and images that really make her eyes stand out. Rebecca and I put our heads together on what Leigh should wear before Rebecca set to work creating her special magic. Before long I had the lovely Leigh in front of my camera and flanked by a phalanx of lighting. Together she and I explored and ultimately discovered that oh-so-subtle, oft-times elusive angle of the face and just-right tilt of the head that tells the photographer that he has found it -- the natural beauty, essence and personality of his subject.

V. Tommy and Tootie Arcement are among my dearest friends. Tommy, the easy-going son of Louisiana’s marshes, and his wife Tootie, the dynamo daughter of Vietnamese refugees who immigrated to the United States in the 1970s, possess a rare synchronicity and effortless chemistry. But I had no idea whether this would translate in front of the camera. At the start of our informal session, all I knew for certain was this: In lieu of the cruise-ship type of grip-and-grin portrait to which most couples are accustomed, I planned to peel back a few layers in an attempt to capture something a bit more real – and, if possible, revealing -- about this amazing pair. We spent a while shooting some traditional poses with natural, relaxed expressions, as you can see below …

… but when I took away Tommy's chair and asked the couple to explore their body language as a couple while standing, I nearly stopped in my tracks when I clicked the following image of them in an impromptu embrace: Tommy looking slightly down, his arms wrapped around Tootie from behind, holding her with devotion with the couple’s hands lovingly intertwined; Tootie’s profile bathed in light, her right hand affectionately holding Tommy’s arm. For a photographer, capturing such a pure and intimate moment of love and intimacy is a blessing and reminds any shooter that he is lucky each and every day to pick up a camera instead of a hammer or a clipboard. Yet such a revealing image can at first be a little unnerving, as it was for Tootie because she had never before seen herself photographed in such a way that revealed such a private emotion ...

A well-deserved shout-out and special thanks goes to makeup/hair stylist Rebecca Jacob (below, left) for her professionalism and the consistently outstanding work and contributions she always brings to my headshot sessions. 

Stay quirky, my friends.