Over or Under thinking Headshots

So the other day I was talking with a business client (as this doesn't relate to actors, models, and those who get work directly from their image) and we were discussing what types of outfits and locations would be good for their business headshot. In that conversation they said "well I may be over thinking things". That could be the case, and maybe there was some over-thinking, but that's never a bad thing. What's bad would be to under think it, not take your profession and target market into account, and come out with something that won't really help you.

I look at it this way, and it's going back to college and the old Hygiene vs Motivator chart. If you're not sure what that is, or think it has to do with smelling good and shaving, a link is below.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_74.htm

How I feel photos and headshots factor into this in that they are more of a hygiene than a motivator for your leads/clients. If for example I'm going to buy a house, I will put some consideration into the persons headshot and website, but more weight would go onto their record, price, and services. So although a person would have to be up to date and have a good website and good headshot, it wouldn't really lead to more work. On the other hand it may create less work if the website or headshot was poor.

Now granted some industries may put more weight on a headshot. Realtors would be one of those areas where a relationship and personal interaction happen over the course of months and you're personally working with clients. Others may include personal trainers or those who have to build or create the same connection with their clients.

That said, I feel, and as I've always said, that you need to find the photographer that's right for you. As with the list above there may be many factors involved with that search but their work needs to be something you can relate to and something you would want to represent you.



Andrew
www.andrewthomasevans.com

Retouched on a iPhone?

So, I've been busy lately and my friend Jessica couldn't really wait to get images posted and ended up taking a few proofs and running them though her iPhone. This was a week or two ago, the shoot was a bit before that, and I'm still a bit busy to get to some of the fun shoots lately (snakes, dancers, fashion, oh my!) but honestly what she ended up doing was great.

I only wish they were higher resolution, maybe some day pushing a button can take the place of retouching (at least for common stuff). This isn't that bad of a thought actually, since a lot of us don't really do much "creative" with retouching, it's mostly cleaning things up a little and other minor stuff. Pushing a button would be great, and give me more time to put into shooting and my business.

Not saying these are the end all be all, and they will be replaced with ones I retouch sometime, but in the mean time they are pretty good.

Andrew Thomas Evans
www.andrewthomasevans.com

Headshot Photography and Printing

I've been getting more calls lately of not only headshots for professionals and talent in the area, but also new models who need them for a upcoming meeting or event. I'm going to try and go over a bit on what is involved with shooting headshots and getting prints either locally or online. Unlike comp-cards headshots are pretty easy, don't take too long, could be expensive ($1-2 a piece), but can be done same day at most printers.

So first off, a headshot is your business card if you're a model or actor. It's what you leave with potential clients, agencies, put online, and use to represent yourself. Now I'm not going to get into what kind of looks work best for what, but they need to be professional and give a honest representation of you. Unlike comp-cards they are normally pretty quick to shoot, with studio time lasting anywhere from 1-2 hours, and they can be quicker to retouch. Where as I don't really like doing last minute comp cards and retouching 25-30 images in a day or two, I don't mind doing that with 5 images that are just headshots. So, if needed, it's not a big deal to get files out within a few days of the shoot.

From there, you have a few options to get them printed. Locally, I would suggest going with National Camera, but costco, target, or just about anyone will do a decent job printing them and all be around in the same ballpark of price. If you can wait a few days and want to save more I would suggest www.adoramapix.com/ as post office shipping to me here in downtown Minneapolis only takes a day or two, and 8x10 or 9x12 prints are usually around a dollar or two each. Cost is going to be around there no matter where you go, and although per piece they are more expensive than comp-cards, you're more than likely not going to hand out 50 of them in a day, so it's not like you're going to need 100 or 200 of them at a time.

That's really about it, they are straight forward photo prints, anyone can print them with decent quality, and within the same week you should be able to do a shoot and get the prints. Again, it's not a great idea to sit around and wait until the last minute, but if you do they are something easier to work with and get done in a tight deadline.

This is something where if you had a photo printer you could more than likely do them yourselves. Personally I don't have a printer - I don't do prints for clients, and ordering online is easier for me than keeping ink stocked and printer heads clean - but if you had a good or decent printer this is something you can do at home and it should be just fine to hand out if it looks good.



Andrew Thomas Evans
www.andrewthomasevans.com

Feathers!

=D

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